Re: front hubs/wheel bearings

From: Terrible Tom (silvereightynine@aol.com)
Date: Tue May 19 2009 - 21:17:51 EDT


ttroidl@bluefrog.com wrote:

> go to carquest, they stock the bearing, it's like $45. then have it pressed in at a shop with a press.

I don't have the bearing # handy but if you can, pull a hub and the number should be clearly
readable on the bearing.
>
> jrc- something...
>
>
> --- cfaison@magpage.com wrote:
>
> From: Craig Faison <cfaison@magpage.com>
> To: dakota-truck@dakota-truck.net
> Subject: DML: front hubs/wheel bearings
> Date: Tue, 19 May 2009 12:18:48 -0400 (EDT)
>
>
> Hi all,
>
> My 2001 2wd quad cab needs front wheel bearings. I understand that the
> front hub is sealed, requiring a new hub as opposed to replacing just the
> bearings.
>
> Seems like a simple enough swap, other than the $160ish per side price
> tag.
>
> Anyone have any quick tips or 'gotchas' to look out for?
>
> Suggestions where I might find a decent deal on replacement hubs would
> also be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Craig
>
>
>

I can't speak for what carquest stocks. But NAPA does not list just the bearing for a 2wd 2001
Dak.

Its possible, depending on the hub design that you can press out the old bearing and press in a
new bearing... however most "unit bearing" hubs are not designed for that type of service.
They are "throw away" units. SOme types of cars - some front wheel drives - Ford Contours come
to mind off hand - are designed for that. The bearing can be pressed on and off a spindle.

Personally I would recommend against attempting to replace just the bearings in the hub, for
the simple reason of peace of mind. Take this grain of salt from someone who has found new and
innovative ways to cobble things, reinvengt the wheel, and make stuff work with other stuff
that it was never disigned to work with... and usually end up hating myself for attempting to
"think outside the box" because doing it the straight forward way would have been much less a
pain in the ass.

Plain and simple - wheel bearings are things I take seriously. I want it done right, with a
quality bearing, and have the peace of mind... vs pressing a bearing on and off that wasnt
meant to be serviced that way and wondering if its going to fail on me on the highway.

I liken this to replacing the bearing on a belt pully, vs replacing the entire pully. A belt
pully can groove, which will wear the belt faster, it can become out of round... so there are
other issues besides just the bearing in it. Same for hubs. They are subject to heat and
stress from the braking forces... also a new hub gets you new wheel studs - which in itself is
a good thing... new studs vs old studs - do I need to explain why its goot to keep your wheel
from falling off?

Ok now that I totally beat a dead horse... I'm going back to cobble things together in my garage...

-- 
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"Man is the only kind of varmint [who] sets his own trap, baits it, then steps in it"
-John Steinbeck
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