I had owned my truck for about a year before I noticed a squeal in one of my front wheel bearings. It would change with pressure from turning and was a rotational sound. Before long both sides started doing this. They got worse and worse and during the two years I lived in Iowa for work I had no means of replacing the bearings. So I drove it. Which isn't what you want to do. I figured I was ruining the spindles. So I was expecting to have to replace them.

Here is the process along with pictures and work along the way. Before I tackled this job I had a lot of uncertainties. I wanted to help someone from being like me, not knowing, not having a good visual and having to figure it out as they went along. There are several threads but they are either missing pictures, certain information, or are on a slightly different vehicle which tends to shy me away. Supposed to be the same and being slightly different... to me that's a turn off. If I can't trust some of it I find it hard to trust any of it. I take it with a grain of salt. That's just me.

I have a 1986 F250, 4x4, 460, T19 4 speed, Dana 44 with 3.54s and a sterling 10.25 in the rear.

Once I moved back to Missouri (for about two months) I had access to my fathers shop and supplies. Before leaving for work again in Wyoming (where I'm at now) I took full advantage of having the ability to work on this truck once again.

On the lift.





The spindle nut socket I used is the 4 prong design. Not the 6. I found it at Autozone, they told me they almost always keep one in stock and they are $19.99 plus tax. At Oreilly's it was almost $50.

Part number 25072, Great Neck line.


The passenger side all apart. This is in order of installation, left to right as for all the parts on the bottom.




To get the spindles off I used a rubber mallet and about 6,000 calories. The person who was last into the front end on this truck used a steel sledge and hit the spindles on the area bewteen where the bearings ride. While not effecting the operation it made it look like hell. And all it would take is one false blow and your out $165 for a replacement spindle. I would give the spindle an upward blow and a downward blow. I would work it like this for a while then work it from the left and right. Eventually I got it. Tiring but you won't damage anything other than your rubber mallet face on the threads of the spindle (no big deal).

The last person to do this also lost one of the nuts. As can be seen.



Passenger side with the spindle off.



And the driver side.




I took my spindles and placed them in the lathe so I could work the bearing surfaces with some 2000 grit sand paper to clean them up followed by emery paper. Surprisingly I didn't ruin the spindles by running the truck while it was making bearing noise. I got super lucky. And they did show wear but not enough for me to want to replace them. Still yet, don't be like me. You might not get so lucky.



What I did was take off both upper and lower ball joint nuts along with the tie rod ends. Then I soaked the ball joints in PB Blaster. Then I put the upper ball joint nut about half way on and upside down. I took some heat via an oxy acetylene torch and heated up the upper ball joint stud around the area where it meets the camber bushing. Then I took and beat the crap out of the nut with a sledge. Every once in a while I would take a long pipe and beat on the lower ball joint stud. The way the design works is the knuckle slides down out of the axle housing. The camber bushing stays in the axle housing.






Once I got the knuckles out I drove the camber bushings out and took them over to the bench grinder with a wire wheel on it. I cleaned them up really nice, they were 0* camber bushings as expected and I reinstalled them once I coated the outside sleeve part with antisieze.

The ball joint press I used was from Amazon. It's an Astro 7865. I paid $80 for it but it's now down to $60.

When your driving out the old ball joints take note of which one you have to drive out first. You have to work through one of the holes left from the ball joint you remove first in order to remove the second ball joint. So the ball joint you remove first will be the last one you reinstall.

I used Moog ball joints. The front upper was part number K80026. Front lower was K8195T.

Something I couldn't find anywhere was in regard to Timken SBK4 bearing & seal kits. I found many people asking how they were installed and no answers.

Once you pull your axle shafts you will find a rubber seal with a small plastic like washer in the middle. It's on the end that goes into the back of the spindle. You pry your old seals off. They look nothing like what Timken provides in the kit. Once you pry your old ones off the Timken provided metal "slingers" go on. The flush side towards the u joint. The side that has the protrusion in the middle faces the spindle side. Then goes on the Timken provided rubber seal, thicker side to the slinger, thinner side towards the spindle then the small plastic piece goes in the middle just like the old factory one did.

As for the roller bearing that comes in the kit it goes in the back of the spindle. It rides between the axle shaft and the spindle. The SB4K also comes with the seal. This part is easy. It goes in like the old one comes out. Just pay attention. And grease it properly.

Other parts I used was:

National 4250. This seal goes on the back of the hub after you've replaced the inner wheel bearing and race.

Timken SET45 which is the outer wheel bearing and race.

Timken LM104949 which is the inner bearing without the race. I didn't replace the races because I didn't have time. And I think my issue was the needle bearings between the axles shafts and the spindles. Not the best idea but I got away with it.

I also used Timken wheel bearing grease. ALL78240.

If you live in really cold climates they make special grease called freezer grease. It's primarily used for fork lifts that go in freezers. Like Hiland Dairy. If they used traditional grease on those fork lifts they will have to drag them out with a chain. I add this because I removed all old grease from everywhere within the hubs. I replaced the bearing grease with the Timken grease and the locking hub components with Mobil 1 marine grease. Had I known about freezer grease before hand I would have used it. Because now I live in the mountains of Wyoming. I don't know if it gets cold enough for my grease to freeze but in case it does I will leave my hubs locked in all winter.





Reinstallation is much easier. The upper ball joints come with angled grease zerk and plugs. Once the knuckles are installed and before the axle shafts are in pump some grease in the upper ball joint. Then remove the zerks and install the plugs. This just makes it easier.



The torque specs and sequence for the ball joints is as follows.

Lower ball joint, 30ftlbs.

Upper ball joint, 100ftlbs.

Lower ball joint, 70ftlbs.

After that the axles go in. And they must go in a certain way. The ears must be in the same position. So align the ear on the shaft coming out of the front differential with the ear on the axle shaft your installing.

The spindles go on next.

They are 60-65ftlbs.

After that everything else goes back on the reverse as it came off.

I found a ton of varying information as for the spindle nut torque. I found all kinds of arguments and name calling and so forth all over the net in regards to this part. And if you don't agree with me that's cool. But here is what I did.

50ftlbs for the first nut then backed off 1/4 turn while spinning the rotor/hub back and forth.

Then I did between 80ftlbs and 100ftlbs on the second nut. I heard anywhere from 80ftlbs to 150ftlbs. I believe the book calls for 80ftlbs. Again, there is so much debate on this topic.

I also replaced all tie rod ends. Moog ES2727R, Moog ES2728L, Moog DS1069, Moog DS1072, Moog ES2079S x2 (adjusting sleeves). Followed up by an immediate alignment.

After completed I soon after drove the truck 1300 miles and 23 hours pulling a 4500lb load, across the plains of Kansas, through the mountains of Colorado, across the desolation of Wyoming with a 40-60mph head wind and up into the mountains of Wyoming to an elevation of 6500'. No noise, drove excellent and very low hub temperatures. The only thing I worried about was replacing the races. But apparently everything is alright.


I don't know if this is going to help anyone. But this is the information I wish I had possessed before taking on the task. I read and took in information from everywhere along the way. I threw it all in this thread. Again, hopefully this helps someone.

 

Your axle u-joints must have been in excellent condition? If they ever go bad, you have to tear a lot of this back out again.

On the nuts, the first nut sets the bearing tension and is the one with the pin that faces out. Then the washer with the little holes all around goes on next, make sure the pin on the first nut fits in one of the holes and make sure the tab on the id of the washer that fits in the keyway is not broke off. This holds your adjustment of the first nut and keeps it from moving.

The last nut is just a locking nut which holds the lock washer in place. There is nothing to hold this locking nut in place but the torque on the nut, so it needs to be pretty tight. I believe 150 ftlbs is the correct factory setting, but as long as it's tight enough not to move later on it should be ok.

Someone was in my old 1980 before I got it, and they messed the nut system all up. The nuts backed out and tore the 4x4 locking hub all up, so the 4x4 didn't work. That's how I go that truck for $300.

 

The u joints were smooth and free. They were replaced not long before I bought the truck. 3 years and about 15,000 miles ago.

The first spindle nut has a pin, that pin faces out. Then a washer goes on and the key way is in the top. The pin on the first nut goes through one of the holes on the washer. Then the second spindle nut goes on. I was unaware people got this messed up. I didn't see that it could go any other way. That and I payed attention when I took it all apart.

You said this part a little better than I. Glad you chimed in. ^^^

I read a lot of people saying 150ftlbs like you have. And honestly if you say so I'd probably bet your right. And I'll take note of that for future reference.

Yeah I hear ya. Someone didn't do the driver side right and the outside spindle nut was loose when I tore it down and the washer with all the holes was off the inner spindle nut. The outside spindle nut was backed out about 4 turns and I spun it off with my finger. I'm no genius and I know it. So I read all I could while and before doing this in hopes to minimize the chances of me messing something up.

 

If you get in there before someone else does, your method of carefully watching how it comes apart works well. It's when someone else is in there and messes it all up is when you have problems.

Besides the nut "sandwhich" being messed up, when I went to take the spindles off, every one of those small nuts and studs was stripped. The sad part about it, I bet it was all done at a automotive shop somewhere that is supposed to know what they are doing.

I had to saw all the nuts off, they would not come off, they would just spin. When I went to take the spindle off, I used a cold chisel and got behind it and used that to wedge it off. It was terribly tight in there. The chisel made some burrs on the spindle, but I used a file to clean them up.

This was way back in 1995. I went to get replacement studs and could not find them anywhere. I am sure I checked at the Ford dealer, but can't remember what happened there. My first try was to use regular grade 5 bolts, grind part of the head off, and use them. That didn't work to well. Looking at the situation, I figured these bolts had better be tight, it's the only thing holding the whole wheel assembly. Well when I tightened them up to what I felt was tight enough, they twisted off.

So I went to plan b, and bought some of those black grade 8 allen head bolts. The allen head was small enough to clear the large hole. And when I tightened these, they held up. I bet that truck is still running around with those allen bolts holding the spindle in place. I never had any more trouble with it.

 

I see you had trouble getting the spindle off. When going back together with the spindle, I always put wheel bearing grease on all the rear spindle surfaces. Next time you can usually pull spindle off with your hand. It has worked for me for 20 years on multitudes of 4x4's. Have a Great Thanksgiving.