Front Bearing Adjustment 4X4

[Josh B]

This might be a stupid question. But are you sure it's not ball joints?

I couldn't rule out anything Senor, but the fact is while I rock it back and forth I am only looking at the wheel or tire. Thanks for the suggestion

 

[Shran]

Do you know what brand of bearings you're using? And are you using matching races? Only asking because most of the parts store brand bearings are just junk, you set them to spec and 5-10k later they're loose. You tighten them, loose again in 5-10 and eventually they either burn up or are just too sloppy to be tightened further. I've had the best luck with Timken, National and SKF with matching races.

 

[Josh B]

The last ones were about two months back, two sets of Autozone store brand Duralast on the right front, which is the one I've recently adjusted one notch in (and still seemed loose, so went one more, and that did snug it up).

I was hoping to check the hub for heat after 5 miles, maybe again after ten, but just grabbing that hub won't say much because it's really too far from the bearings to know if it's getting hot in there.

It's only about 15 miles to my home town, or a bigger one is about 20-25 miles (depending which side of town) the other way, so I don't really do a lot of high mileage.

 

[Shran]

Dunno where Duralast bearings are made, probably the same junk factory in China that makes all store brand ones. I'm pretty sure that the last batch of Nationals I got for a D35 application were made in USA. D28 bearings, not sure, weren't marked. SKF is made in China for sure.

IMO the cheap bearings usually have rollers that are not hardened correctly. That is where I usually see them fail. There is a thin layer of material that flakes off of the rollers and it destroys the race too.

On the other hand I have seen a bunch of trucks that had REALLY loose wheels and good quality bearings. Sometimes they're too far gone, but oddly enough I can usually clean everything up, repack the bearings and they're good to go. I think Koyo bearings have been pretty good in addition to the others I mentioned but I don't know where to get them. In any case, wheel bearings are one area that it just doesn't pay to be cheap.

 

[Josh B]

Could that be why my grease turns grey so soon, I expected it was running hot, or due to heat

I think it's just Wmart grease too, is that a problem ?

 

[Shran]

What kind of grease are you using? Black, red, blue, green..? High temp or normal? What is your process for packing bearings?

I usually use the red high temp from Walmart or Lucas Red-n-Tacky or Blaster red high temp. I like them all equally and red is nice because it turns gray or black when contaminated with metal or rust colored if water gets in there. It's hard to tell what's going on if you start with black grease and usually that stuff isn't rated for high temps either. Usually if I pull something apart and everything is still nice and red, it's a safe indication that it can go back together without worry.

 

[Josh B]

It's walmart supertech I think it said, high temp disk brake bearing grease. I pack the heck out of em, all the way around one side and back around the other, sometimes even push a little more in behind it before closing it up.

I might just save up and get Timken. I don't have any current ship accounts that I'm aware of even tho I got a call this morning, twice, asking me to ok their $999.00 charge to an Amazon account for an Iphone. Yall be careful who you give your numbers to. But then I just figured they could get my name off the phone number and ask Amazon to ok the charge

I'll probably just look towards getting some good bearings and start over on the wheel and then if it falls off, I guess it just falls off

 

[Josh B]

Actually I think it may be time to check that whole front end. I grease the fittings and the like but have been a bit slow to do any serious inspections under there.

 

[Josh B]

Do you know what brand of bearings you're using? And are you using matching races? Only asking because most of the parts store brand bearings are just junk, you set them to spec and 5-10k later they're loose. You tighten them, loose again in 5-10 and eventually they either burn up or are just too sloppy to be tightened further. I've had the best luck with Timken, National and SKF with matching races.

Yes, I'm having a terrible time with the store brand bearings, I would never have thought it to be as much. I had to run errands a couple days ago which took me in excess of 80 miles. Getting propane and a newborn flat from somewhere fixed, a few odds and ends and a few bills paid, and then driving back in the dark, which I dearly love :/ The problem became very bothersome coming back due to looseness I could feel in the steering and at highway speeds a serious vibration, but thankfully I got through the gauntlet and onto a more civil road coming in and got it on home.
I took a home day off yesterday and got dibs on ever National bearing and seal I could get, enough for both front wheels. National because they were the only recommended brand the two stores I talked to had in stock. Hopefully I can get some of this done today, because I sure nuff need that truck

 

[Josh B]

I'm still working on getting everything together. Had to think I wouldn't get a 2 3/8 hex socket, came close to ordering one off Amazon but it's been so long since I've used it the first two attempts didn't complete.
Later I opened another search and this time near the top was the socket and an Oreilly stock number after them and AutoZone both told me they couldn't find it. I called and gave them the number and they said it it would be there Thursday.

This could work out because the weather is supposed to clear a bit Friday, and now I have 4 sets of National bearings, 2 National seals and the socket, hoping I can still get the loaner inch pound socket wrench.

Also thinking I need to change the Calipers, I did that about 3 years ago but they never did seem really right, and now it's real tight trying to turn the disks, maybe need a master cylinder too? They won't spin, it must be pushed against a significant drag to turn. Are they supposed to be hard to turn?

 

[ericbphoto]

Should not be hard to turn. Make sure your calipers are working. It is also common for the brake hoses to swell internally when ghey get old and act as check valves. So you can apply brakes but they don't release.

 

[Josh B]

Should not be hard to turn. Make sure your calipers are working. It is also common for the brake hoses to swell internally when ghey get old and act as check valves. So you can apply brakes but they don't release.

I replaced both calipers and both hoses under 3 years now. How do you make sure they're working, other than slide the tires? Shouldn't the front ones work independent of the back ones? There's a pint-sized valve inside the left frame rail behind the starter I wanted to replace then too but it is an absolute monster to get out of there