Changed hub bearings and still hear bearing noise

[85_Ranger4x4]

Too bad the cross is shot, otherwise you could just lock in your hubs, with the shaft spinning with the hub it would eliminate the spindle bearing (which is what I wonder is making your noise)

Some reading for you:

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/Dana28Rebuild.shtml

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/spindlebearing.shtml

A rubber hammer or whatever wouldn't touch my spindle after I pulled the knuckle off the axle. Had to walk it out with a hammer and a punch. Spindle bearing takes a slide hammer to pull out of the spindle.

 

[Kirby N.]

I would agree with you if I knew the axle shaft was spinning. If it isn't spinning, it definitely is not the spindle needle bearings or the ujoint.


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[85_Ranger4x4]

Somehow I had it bass akwards there, the spindle doesn't spin.

 

[Grease & gravel]

I just jacked up the front end and the axle shafts aren't spinning with the wheels. I think that I either improperly seated the bearing the first time, or there is something wrong with the actual hub, rotor. I have been turning wrenches on my own vehicles for quite a few years but this is my first time doing wheel bearings. I'll try tightening the inner lock nut so that it's more snug, if that doesn't work I'll just replace the rotor. Thanks for the input everyone.

 

[4x4junkie]

I tightened the inner lock nut to 35ft/lbs, back off 1/4 inch, then torqued outer lock nut to 150ft/lbs.

It should be:

Tighten inner nut to 35 ft-lbs while spinning rotor back & forth, back off 1/4 turn, retighten to 15 INCH-lbs (just snug with the socket by hand), then tighten outer nut to 150ft-lbs (225ft-lbs if you have larger than stock tires and/or wider-offset wheels).

Improper seating of the bearing however shouldn't cause a bearing hum, at least not immediately (not unless it's like waaayy loose, like inches of wobble). I'd take a look at the other side, just to rule it out. It only takes a few minutes to jack it up, give the wheel a good spin, then (if necessary) put your ear near the hub to listen for any noises in the bearing.

 

[Grease & gravel]

Jacked up front end and spun both wheels, didn't hear anything. I guess I will have to swap rotors and see if the noise follows.

Also going out on a limb but I used wheel-bearing grease for drum brakes cause that was all I had around, could that possibly be the cause, not sure what's different about disc bearing grease and drum bearing grease but I know they come in different containers.

 

[4x4junkie]

A container of "drum brake" grease I've seen contained low-quality sodium-based junk (not sure if all of them are this type, but sodium-base greases don't have the extreme pressure and water-resistance properties of a good lithium-base grease).

Use of such a grease I don't see causing a noise right from the immediate beginning... It'll probably take a few hundred to a couple K miles before any damage (and noise) becomes evident.
So in other words, thoroughly clean off all that old grease and get some good lithium-base grease in there (often called "High-Temp Disc Brake" grease) before it's too late.

Have you checked the rear wheels for the noise?

 

[Grease & gravel]

I will do that, Good deal I tried making a parts store run for grease but they were closed and wanted to get it done. No, haven't checked the back but I am positive that it's the right passenger side (the one that I changed) I can even move the wheel back and forth and it has play in it, even after retorquing both lock nuts.

So is it possible for the hub to wear out and sit wrong on the spindle?

 

[4x4junkie]

Yeah if there's still play in it, then that is a problem.

Maybe check to see if the bearings slide smoothly all the way down the spindle, and that the spindle itself is smooth (no deep grooves that are able to catch your fingernail, etc). I can't think of much else that would prevent the bearings from seating correctly... (unless there's a foreign object between them) Once that bearing nut is tight, there should be no play.

 

[Grease & gravel]

I'll take it apart and look at everything tomorrow, thanks for the help.

 

[Grease & gravel]

So here's what I found, passenger side spindle has pitting in the metal where the outside bearing sits.

Driver's side (side I didn't change) the outside locknut was on finger tight (glad I decided to take it apart) inside bearing seems to have a lot of resistance when I try turning it back and forth.

 

[Grease & gravel]

I repacked all of the bearings, and swapped them and the rotors to opposing sides, the noise went away, hopefully not to return anytime soon, I guess we'll see.

 

[4x4junkie]

Glad to hear.

Yeah light pitting on the spindle shouldn't be an issue as long as it's not so severe that it affects how the bearing sits against it.