Daniel McCurdy
Full Access Member
I did buy all new bushings, ball joints, and shocks. So maybe after rebuilding the front end things might get better.
Wheel bearing tightness?
- Thread starter Daniel McCurdy
- Start date
Big Bart
Tow&Slow
Some other thoughts
1) Rotate and balance the tires and go for a test drive. Maybe one tire is having issues or creating excessive road noise. Maybe a out of balance and the tire wants to shimmy. Often a bump or pot hole sets off a worse shimmy With the steering components.
2) Our trucks are loud, so trying to listen over the engine for anything is hard. Generally when you do wheel bearings you do both sides. (On a trailer both sides, all the axles.) It will only take 30 minutes to pull and inspect the other side. It is common for wheel bearings to wear at the same rate. It could be both sides are bad.
3) Two wheel trucks do not suffer from the “death wobble” generally. (Wheels jerking back and forth left to right.) But if your steering damper is shot (I do not recall if our trucks have one, looks like a shock but hooked to the steering drag links.), your components are worn, and one or both tires has a odd wear pattern or issue. It can cause the front to create a left to right wiggle like a death wobble on a 4x4 but less severe. It will be a shaking/vibration of the truck and felt in the steering wheel. Often noise is a result as the ball joints and tie rods jerk back and forth (They are worn and have slack to do so.) as the tires continue to cycle a little toe in and a little toe out. If your damper is shot replace it. Sounds like you are going to rebuild the steering links and ball joints and that will help. Be sure to get the truck aligned after.
But if you hear rotational noise that changes pitch with speed that is usually wheel bearings, a brake issue (Something is rubbing or dragging), or a bad tire.
Send some pics and let us know how it is going.
1) Rotate and balance the tires and go for a test drive. Maybe one tire is having issues or creating excessive road noise. Maybe a out of balance and the tire wants to shimmy. Often a bump or pot hole sets off a worse shimmy With the steering components.
2) Our trucks are loud, so trying to listen over the engine for anything is hard. Generally when you do wheel bearings you do both sides. (On a trailer both sides, all the axles.) It will only take 30 minutes to pull and inspect the other side. It is common for wheel bearings to wear at the same rate. It could be both sides are bad.
3) Two wheel trucks do not suffer from the “death wobble” generally. (Wheels jerking back and forth left to right.) But if your steering damper is shot (I do not recall if our trucks have one, looks like a shock but hooked to the steering drag links.), your components are worn, and one or both tires has a odd wear pattern or issue. It can cause the front to create a left to right wiggle like a death wobble on a 4x4 but less severe. It will be a shaking/vibration of the truck and felt in the steering wheel. Often noise is a result as the ball joints and tie rods jerk back and forth (They are worn and have slack to do so.) as the tires continue to cycle a little toe in and a little toe out. If your damper is shot replace it. Sounds like you are going to rebuild the steering links and ball joints and that will help. Be sure to get the truck aligned after.
But if you hear rotational noise that changes pitch with speed that is usually wheel bearings, a brake issue (Something is rubbing or dragging), or a bad tire.
Send some pics and let us know how it is going.
Brian VT
Full Access Member
The manual for my Benz is incredibly specific about this tightness.
They actually want you to mount a dial indicator and check for bearing runout.
"Adjust wheel bearing play by turning the clamping nut in stages while pushing and pulling the brake disk firmly back and forth.
Wheel bearing play at front axle mm 0.01...0.02"
This ends up being hand tight minus @ 1/8 of a turn back out.
They actually want you to mount a dial indicator and check for bearing runout.
"Adjust wheel bearing play by turning the clamping nut in stages while pushing and pulling the brake disk firmly back and forth.
Wheel bearing play at front axle mm 0.01...0.02"
This ends up being hand tight minus @ 1/8 of a turn back out.
rvitko
Registered User
Manual specs-
Tighten inner lock nut to 68nm
Back off retighten to 31-39 nm
While rotating hub back off 135-150 degrees
Install lock washer and rotate inner lock nut to nearest lockwasher hole
Tighten outer locknut to 217-278 nm.
I had this as a cheat sheet on my phone and had it all in nm as I was texting it to a mechanic friend who had a nm wrench in hand. The manual does have a runout check but it is zero to .02 as I recall. In general, if you follow the specs here you can't go wrong.
Tighten inner lock nut to 68nm
Back off retighten to 31-39 nm
While rotating hub back off 135-150 degrees
Install lock washer and rotate inner lock nut to nearest lockwasher hole
Tighten outer locknut to 217-278 nm.
I had this as a cheat sheet on my phone and had it all in nm as I was texting it to a mechanic friend who had a nm wrench in hand. The manual does have a runout check but it is zero to .02 as I recall. In general, if you follow the specs here you can't go wrong.
TNBrett
Full Access Member
Banging and popping doesn’t sound like wheel bearing issues to me. Have you look as at the I beam pivot bushings and radius arm bushings? That could explain some of your alignment issues.
No harm in going back and rechecking your work. Maybe the high pitched tinging noise is something simple like the dust shield rubbing on the rotor.
Daniel McCurdy
Full Access Member
there is no steering dampner but yeah when i hit bad bumps or go over the railroad tracks the steering wheel starts shaking and vibrating like crazy.
Daniel McCurdy
Full Access Member
I wouldnt say its a rotational noise. it does get louder as speed increases but the pitch doesnt really change.
Daniel McCurdy
Full Access Member
The first thing ill start on is the radius arm bushings. Unfortunately the bracket is riveted and not bolted. Would it be better to just grind off and punch the rivets out or to unbolt the whole front end and move the axle forward. Im never able to have the truck down for very long so i was thinking cutting the rivets off would be better as i can just do one at a time then replace it with a bolt when i have to go.
Daniel McCurdy
Full Access Member
Interesting, theres only 2 rivets on my truck the other 2 are bolts i cant imagine it would be to hard to punch out 2 rivets. I think this way will be easier and faster.
TNBrett
Full Access Member
If you let the front suspension droop, can you not get the radius arm free of the bracket? I’ve never actually done radius arm bushing but I was thinking there was room.
steve phillips
Registered User
Daniel, could the caliper lock pins be in upside down? sounds too simple to be true, but I have seen it 2 times.
Daniel McCurdy
Full Access Member
In order to get the radius arm out I'd have to undo the swaybar the shock and the spring then I would have to hope a wrachet strap would be enough to get the axle forward enough otherwise I'd also have to undo the axle pivot bolt. Or I just grind off 2 rivets
Daniel McCurdy
Full Access Member
I don't think I could get the caliper pins upside down l. Speaking of those pins one fell out on the way to town today grinding a lovely Grove into my room. If it ain't one thing it's another. I stuck a tight fitting bolt in there until tomorrow when I can get some new pins
Grind the rivets. Like you mentioned, it's not that hard. I have taken out a lot of rivets on these trucks. Your number one task is to get rid of the metal on the rivet head. You can grind it, but I have found if I have room, the quickest way for me is to center punch the center of the rivet head, and then take a drill and drill the head out till you get to the depth of the frame. Once the drill bit has hogged out the center of the rivet head, a couple of wacks with a large chisel will break the rivet head off. Then just drive it out of the frame.
Your vibration and noise is a clue you have something loose in the frontend. Besides the radius arm bushings, check the center pivot bushings also that the beams pivot on.
Your vibration and noise is a clue you have something loose in the frontend. Besides the radius arm bushings, check the center pivot bushings also that the beams pivot on.
P.S. While you are under there, check around where the steering box mounts for cracks in the frame. And where the center large crossmember under the engine is riveted to the frame rails for loose rivets and cracks. There is a Ford TSB out on this.
