notenuftime
Full Access Member
Any thing I need to know about replace inner and outer bearings. Doing the fronts got 4wd Dana 50. Any info is good things I may need or tricks.
Wheel bearings.
- Thread starter notenuftime
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blaz4wd
Full Access Member
lol I just got done doing this. I replaced the spindle needle bearing seals/regreased on mine also. To get the spindle off use a block of wood On the tip of the spindle and hit the piece of wood with a hammer on alternating each side of spindle. There is a YouTube video of this.
Macrobb
Full Access Member
It's not hard, really... But I'd not worry about replacing them unless they actually need it.
You will need the special "ford 4x4 hub socket"; it's got 4 tabs to remove the nuts in there.
As far as I can tell, these bearings are /really/ heavy duty, and I've taken multiple apart, found them in perfectly good shape. Clean it, pack a bunch of new grease in it and call it good!
Just make sure to get the preload somewhere near what it should be when you reassemble it.
If you don't have the proper torque wrench for measuring how many inch pounds it takes to rotate the hub, you can kind of guess:
In my experience, it's basically just snug it up and give it a little more. Keep tightening down until you feel the hub getting harder to turn, then back it off a little. I just go until it's as tight as possible without dragging.
Never had an issue doing that!
Note: if you start driving it, and find that it's heating up(and it's not the brakes), you might want to loosen it a hair....
You will need the special "ford 4x4 hub socket"; it's got 4 tabs to remove the nuts in there.
As far as I can tell, these bearings are /really/ heavy duty, and I've taken multiple apart, found them in perfectly good shape. Clean it, pack a bunch of new grease in it and call it good!
Just make sure to get the preload somewhere near what it should be when you reassemble it.
If you don't have the proper torque wrench for measuring how many inch pounds it takes to rotate the hub, you can kind of guess:
In my experience, it's basically just snug it up and give it a little more. Keep tightening down until you feel the hub getting harder to turn, then back it off a little. I just go until it's as tight as possible without dragging.
Never had an issue doing that!
Note: if you start driving it, and find that it's heating up(and it's not the brakes), you might want to loosen it a hair....
Think I did a tech 101 on this subject iirc
I just torn apart three of these and reassembled one. Two had spindle nuts with four tabs and one had five tabs. "Only Ford"! Think nuts get torqued to 50lbs then backoff no more than 1/4 turn.....
austin92
Full Access Member
Unit bearings will have a specified torque setting. Tapered roller bearings are pretty much all by feel. The first set of tapered rollers I ever did, I was terrified of spinning a bearing by making them too tight or ruining the bearing by making them too loose. On these 8 lugs, it's easy. Just turn the rotor until you feel resistance then back it off one lug nut stud and put your castle nut on. Drive it a few miles and feel the hub. New bearings will run hotter than used. If it's cool outside and you can't touch the hub it's probably not right. My truck is 2wd so there will be differences but I've done wheel bearings front and rear on that truck with the dana 61 and after the sterling 10.25 swap, my girlfriends Dakota, my 2nd gen Camaro, my buddies grand am, my dad's 1/2ton, and my wrangler and I consider myself "self taught". None have come back with complaints, it's not as bad as you think.
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There is actually a spec procedure for these front wheel bearings.
I posted the page out of the manual at some point but it was torque to some value (50 ft lbs sounds right) then back it off to the next notch I believe.
I posted the page out of the manual at some point but it was torque to some value (50 ft lbs sounds right) then back it off to the next notch I believe.
Since you have the hub off pull the spindle and check the needle bearing and seal inside the spindle.
burt
Full Access Member
+1 on that. I just finished rebuilding that part of the axle on mine. At least three needle bearings were out of the cage and ground flat. Didn't fix the problem I'm having much to my surprise but that's a different thread
notenuftime
Full Access Member
Going to go ahead and take it all apart see what's wrong. My hub is cool now hasn't got hot again, maybe I have a sticky caliper. Believe I need a new seal tho and greasing can't hurt.
