Are front wheel bearings adjustable?

[PhotonFanatic]

Are the front wheel bearings adjustable when they get old? Or get some miles on them. After a thorough inspection of the front suspension and steering on my truck, it seems that it needs a steering box and wheel bearings on both sides. All of the ball and socket joints are tight. The pitman arm has a small amount of play in it, but it's quite small. I question replacing it until it gets worse.

Even though everything seems tight, the wheel will clunk when you rock it side to side, and up and down. The truck also acts like it's got a mind of it's own, and wants to begin changing lanes for you. So before I go replacing all the bearings, I wanted to ask if there's any room for adjustment. Maybe tighten the castle nut a couple of turns. Good idea, or bad?

 

[Buck69]

You have to disassemble, clean and repack the bearings. It is required at regular service intervals. If the bearings do not have defects that you can feel with your fingernail and are not discolored from heat, then repack and reuse them. Assuming the bearings are original, I would trust them over most of the crap that the major bearing manufactures seem to put their badge on nowadays.
You may also find a deeper problem caused from the bearing spinning on the spindle. Tightening the nut in that event could cause you to lose a wheel down the road.

 

[fast 99]

Really need complete front-end check. Unless the bearing is REALLY loose, it shouldn't cause a lane swap like you describe. Get a helper and re-check it. One moving the tire while the other watches for joint movement. Also check it one the ground moving the steering wheel back and forth slightly. If tires are old or it has excessive wheel offset some issues may lie there.

 

[75gmck25]

IIRC, after repacking them you tighten to about 50 foot lbs while slowly rotating the wheel (would have to look up the exact spec) to seat them. Then back off the nut and retighten by hand until the castellated nut lines up and you can insert the cotter pin.

 

[PhotonFanatic]

You have to disassemble, clean and repack the bearings. It is required at regular service intervals. If the bearings do not have defects that you can feel with your fingernail and are not discolored from heat, then repack and reuse them. Assuming the bearings are original, I would trust them over most of the crap that the major bearing manufactures seem to put their badge on nowadays.
You may also find a deeper problem caused from the bearing spinning on the spindle. Tightening the nut in that event could cause you to lose a wheel down the road.

Even Timken? Everyone seems to like them, and iirc they're USA made. Might be wrong about that though.

Really need complete front-end check. Unless the bearing is REALLY loose, it shouldn't cause a lane swap like you describe. Get a helper and re-check it. One moving the tire while the other watches for joint movement. Also check it one the ground moving the steering wheel back and forth slightly. If tires are old or it has excessive wheel offset some issues may lie there.

I jacked the truck up in the front, and had both wheels off the ground. Then I had the wife slowly turn the steering wheel, while I watched everything from underneath. Nothing appeared to have any slack. The pitman arm just barely had some. Everything else moved according to the turning of the wheel. You know how you can kinda tell, when there is a delay.

Even though the wheel is turning, the part won't start working until the worn out ball and socket finally reaches the right spot.

IIRC, after repacking them you tighten to about 50 foot lbs while slowly rotating the wheel (would have to look up the exact spec) to seat them. Then back off the nut and retighten by hand until the castellated nut lines up and you can insert the cotter pin.

This wouldn't involve replacing the races, would it? Seems like you'd only replace the seal.

 

[SquareRoot]

Timken and Nachi are good bearings. European bearings are as good as US brands. Always replace the race with the bearing. Check the frame for cracks around the steering box and the rag joint in the steering shaft.

 

[fast 99]

Checking suspensions without any kind of load is nearly worthless. Is this a 2wd or 4wd, different procedures are used.

 

[Buck69]

Even Timken? Everyone seems to like them, and iirc they're USA made. Might be wrong about that though.



I jacked the truck up in the front, and had both wheels off the ground. Then I had the wife slowly turn the steering wheel, while I watched everything from underneath. Nothing appeared to have any slack. The pitman arm just barely had some. Everything else moved according to the turning of the wheel. You know how you can kinda tell, when there is a delay.

Even though the wheel is turning, the part won't start working until the worn out ball and socket finally reaches the right spot.



This wouldn't involve replacing the races, would it? Seems like you'd only replace the seal.

Yes even timken. I would bet a few bucks that if you grab some timken wheel bearings for your truck from the local parts store and open them up, they will be stamped China. That's not to say they are garbage. They are built to timken's strict specifications.
IMO though, i would (trust) be more comfortable with the originals if they were not showing defects.

 

[fast 99]

Yes even timken. I would bet a few bucks that if you grab some timken wheel bearings for your truck from the local parts store and open them up, they will be stamped China. That's not to say they are garbage. They are built to timken's strict specifications.
IMO though, i would (trust) be more comfortable with the originals if they were not showing defects.

Correct if it aint broke don't fix it.

During disassembly metal particles may be visible on the cage. Also, after cleaning, look in the space between the cage and rollers. It is possible to see the inner race. Hold it up to a bright light and turn inner race. Have found many bad bearings this way.

 

[PhotonFanatic]

Thanks all for the replies I'll check it out monday

 

[Goldie Driver]

Correct if it aint broke don't fix it.

During disassembly metal particles may be visible on the cage. Also, after cleaning, look in the space between the cage and rollers. It is possible to see the inner race. Hold it up to a bright light and turn inner race. Have found many bad bearings this way.

From the wife's truck this weekend (not a square, but still) comes a real world bad bearing example!

 

[CalSgt]

Checking suspensions without any kind of load is nearly worthless. Is this a 2wd or 4wd, different procedures are used.

^^^^ This

That minimal amount of play in the pitman arm could be drastically worse with the weight of the truck on it.

Even though everything seems tight, the wheel will clunk when you rock it side to side, and up and down. The truck also acts like it's got a mind of it's own, and wants to begin changing lanes for you. So before I go replacing all the bearings, I wanted to ask if there's any room for adjustment. Maybe tighten the castle nut a couple of turns. Good idea, or bad?

When you tweaked the tires while it was jacked up did you have someone looking at the ball joints and control arm bushings?

I sure wouldn't drive it if you can move the tire by hand enough to get a "clunk." I think you've gotten some good advice so far, break the hubs down, clean and inspect everything, replace anything questionable, pack and reassemble.

 

[CalSgt]

From the wife's truck this weekend (not a square, but still) comes a real world bad bearing example!

Dang that sucks... I had to replace at least one bearing every time I serviced mine.

 

[PhotonFanatic]

^^^^ This

That minimal amount of play in the pitman arm could be drastically worse with the weight of the truck on it.



When you tweaked the tires while it was jacked up did you have someone looking at the ball joints and control arm bushings?

I sure wouldn't drive it if you can move the tire by hand enough to get a "clunk." I think you've gotten some good advice so far, break the hubs down, clean and inspect everything, replace anything questionable, pack and reassemble.

Anyone know how much it costs to have a mechanic do this job? Goofle says $50 - $300.

I'd like to do everything myself, but I don't have a torque wrench to set the bearing pre-load. And I don't trust the rentals when it comes to a torque wrench. It's probably been dropped 100 times. So if the cost of the wrench is cheaper than paying someone to do it, then I'd much rather buy the wrench and do it all myself. These days you can get a good digital torque wrench (Gearwrench brand) for $200.

 

[CalSgt]

Anyone know how much it costs to have a mechanic do this job? Goofle says $50 - $300.

I'd like to do everything myself, but I don't have a torque wrench to set the bearing pre-load. And I don't trust the rentals when it comes to a torque wrench. It's probably been dropped 100 times. So if the cost of the wrench is cheaper than paying someone to do it, then I'd much rather buy the wrench and do it all myself. These days you can get a good digital torque wrench (Gearwrench brand) for $200.

Honestly Sir, I wouldn't want to use a cheapo torque wrench for engine assembly but for torqueing hubs and lug nuts a rental is just fine.

Also the torque on the hub nut is not super critical, its just to tighten everything up past "Zero" and preload the bearings slightly. After they're torqued the nut gets backed off and tightened by hand anyway.

ETA: I had a $120 cheapo NAPA torque wrench that was fairly accurate and had a lifetime warranty. Only problem I had was that I actually had to use the warranty twice because the handle grip broke and the lock collar broke. I upgraded to a decent (Home mechanic grade) Carlisle the second time because it wasn't worth my time to keep taking my wrench in to be replaced. NAPA credited me the cost of the original towards the Carlisle which was about $250 on sale.