88 ranger front wheel bearing issue

[wildbill23c]

WildBill, yep the red knobs really never get hot, just the black around. I find they get a little warm normally unless I lock the hubs. When locked they seem to stay cooler.

When the red melted the black part was too hot to hold my hand on. And I got a nasty 2nd burn from touching a lug nut. No blister on the pad of my finger, but the skin was like melted. They weren't glowing red, but the normally silver chrome had a slightly bluish hue.

Having resolved the issue with new brake caliper and new rubber hose and dealing with the bearing I still have that hub there. Surprising it still locks and unlocks the hub. If just sticks in the unlock position and keep a vice grip handy to help me turn it. My fingers aren't that strong.

I plan to replace it before the winter comes.

Maybe mine isn't a problem, after driving it about 30 miles the hubs feel the same as they do just driving around town, they're somewhat hot, but I can put my hand around them and it doesn't burn my hand enough to make me remove my hand, so maybe or rather I should say I hope I don't have an issue. Guess I never really payed attention to them before of ever really being hot or warm after driving, figured with the hubs disengaged that the assembly wouldn't get warm at all. When I touched mine and said they were hot, I was driving through town so a lot of stop and go, so I'm guessing it was just heat dissipation from the brakes.

 

[ab_slack]

Yep, using your bakes will warm up the disks and that will get into the hub too.

When I got burned, that was one particularly bad day in the summer as well, and it got to shaking bad before I pretty much was forced to stop, after some time cooling I got it home driving. Usually tho, I could still hold onto the one, but it was very definitely hot compared to the other.

I am doubting you have a problem with both sides that keeps the temps pretty balanced.

 

[wildbill23c]

Yep, using your bakes will warm up the disks and that will get into the hub too.

When I got burned, that was one particularly bad day in the summer as well, and it got to shaking bad before I pretty much was forced to stop, after some time cooling I got it home driving. Usually tho, I could still hold onto the one, but it was very definitely hot compared to the other.

I am doubting you have a problem with both sides that keeps the temps pretty balanced.

I don't have a way to measure precisely the temps of the hubs but by feeling them with my hand they both feel about the same. Like I said mine weren't hot enough to really burn, but they were pretty warm. I'll definitely keep an eye on them though, I'm thinking about buying the tool so I can service the wheel bearings once in a while myself without having to pay a shop. Just not too sure how these are put together, don't wanna screw up the 4WD as I use it occasionally.

Edit: Forgot to mention, a couple weeks ago when I had the front end work done and the bearings done, the shop guy said it looked like the bearings had never been greased since the truck was new. If that's the case almost 30 years of neglect and just now had to have the bearings done that's pretty good. He said the grease that was in there smelled like gas that had turned to varnish, so I'm not surprised if the bearings had never been serviced, and considering the total lack of maintenance this truck had by the previous owner nothing surprises me at all. I'm slowly bringing my Bronco 2 back to being a reliable vehicle, and it in turn is rewarding me with better fuel economy and an enjoyment of driving an older ford Truck again.

 

[FritzTKatt]

Check the radius arms, their bushings, and the bracket it goes into, replace as necessary. Inspect spindle for serviceability, replace rotors with new races and bearings, pack bearings and hubs with marine grease, ensure lock nuts a properly torqued. Get an alignment.

If you throw new lines, caliper, and pads at it too, as well as the possible need for a spindle, nothing can cause your problems unless you have a bent radius arm or beam. Even if you had a bent tierod, it may still be compensated for by an alignment. Again, there's no reason this can't be fixed unless that beam/rad arn is bent.

Also, you'll need to do both sides, and will need new shocks on standby (unless you have new ones already). Old shocks will snap right off when you go to remove them.

 

[ab_slack]

Forgot to mention, a couple weeks ago when I had the front end work done and the bearings done, the shop guy said it looked like the bearings had never been greased since the truck was new. If that's the case almost 30 years of neglect and just now had to have the bearings done that's pretty good. He said the grease that was in there smelled like gas that had turned to varnish, so I'm not surprised if the bearings had never been serviced, and considering the total lack of maintenance this truck had by the previous owner nothing surprises me at all. I'm slowly bringing my Bronco 2 back to being a reliable vehicle, and it in turn is rewarding me with better fuel economy and an enjoyment of driving an older ford Truck again.

Wow, that is hard to believe, just because the rotors can't be replaced without doing something with the bearings, maybe it never had rotors replaced?

Yep that is pretty much what I been doing with this 87 B2. I actually consider it pretty reliable right now. I am only hesitant taking it on any truly long trip (more than 50 miles one way) cause I know the one bearing needs some attention, but if I had to I wouldn't worry too much.

Other than that, I am generally a bit concerned about the front end drive train. It is a bit noisy compared to the other B2s I have had including a disturbing ping sound it makes occasionally like there is a piece of metal hitting another. I wonder if some bearing or drive shaft u-joint is flakey. So I am not comfortable at all driving it with the hubs locked which is something I would routinely do for 3 months of the year to allow switching in and out of 4wd at will depending on snow.

 

[Kelson_w]

So I have gone through and replaced the caliper and pads on passenger front of the ranger, it still pulls to the right, at 35 mph its a weak pull but you can tell its there. would the locking hub cause a drag? this weekend i will redo the wheel bearing and torque it back down to the factory specs.

 

[Kelson_w]

Sorry guys i didnt the second page of comments. is there a way to check the raduis arm? i hear a chucking noise from the front and i know its not a drive shaft.

 

[FritzTKatt]

Look at it... you'll see if the bushings are messed up (or completely gone...)

If you have to do the bushings, that's a small can of worms since you'll snap your shock studs (like $75 for new shocks) and the bushings may be difficcult to find in the store, but they're like $20.

Did you inspect the spindle? It's unlikely but it could blow bearings if it's all kinds of messed up.

The hub wouldn't do anything. I know budgets can be tight these days but you need to replace things equally. Especially brake parts.

 

[Kelson_w]

The Spindles are new i had to buy new ones after the last wheel bearing pull out. the bushing is worn compared to the driver side. (driver side looks pretty new).

 

[ab_slack]

So I have gone through and replaced the caliper and pads on passenger front of the ranger, it still pulls to the right, at 35 mph its a weak pull but you can tell its there. would the locking hub cause a drag? this weekend i will redo the wheel bearing and torque it back down to the factory specs.

What about the flexible line between caliper and the hard brake line?

IF, and of course it may not be, but if it were a brake not releasing the brake line can cause that.

With a collapsed brake line, outwardly it can look okay, but the inner lining is messed up. It can act like a check valve allowing fluid into the caliper but blocking when fluid tries to return. Doesn't mean fluid can't get back but it tends to keep the pressure up.