Front Wheel Bearings

[Seanz0rz]

it looks (and sounds) like its time for new front wheel bearings.

looking at the service manual, i only need to replace the oil seals (inner and outer) and the bearing (i was told the snap ring could be reused no problem unless i break it)

my question is for people who have done this R&R themselves: what did you use to drive the new bearing in, and what did you use to explode it apart? i have a 12 ton press, but none of the SST's the manual recommends. i cant really afford to have the vehicle down for too long, so i need to be able to go as soon as i get the front taken apart.

also, timken bearings at autozone any good? or should i go with toyota (at a significant price differential)?

thanks for your help, im sure ill have many more questions soon!

[YotaFun]

Sean I logged onto one of the sites that the school has let me use and here is the instructions I got for removal and instilation:

Removal:
1. Remove Steering Knuckle. (Then it tells you to see the hub and Knuckle section)
2. Secure Steering knuckle in soft-jawed vise.
3. Using screwdriver, remove inner oil seal.
4. Removed rotor dust cover bolts and then remove dust cover.
5. Using puller, remove hub from steering knuckle.
6. Remove bearing spacer and ABS speed Sensor rotor/spacer.
7. Using snap ring pliers, remove bearing retainer ring.
8. Using Press, remove bearing from steering knuckle.

Instilation:
1. Using press, install bearing into outer side of steering knuckle.
2. Install NEW bearing retainer ring and outer oil seal.
3. Press hub into bearing.
4. Install rotor dust cover.
5. Press ABS speed sensor rotor/spacer and bearing spacer onto hub from innder side of steering Knuckle.
6. Install inner grease cap.
7. Install steering knuckle.

I don't knwo about you but it said nothing about any SST's so I don't know what the manual is mentioning.

Timken make good bearing, if I big rig trusts them, I don't see why we can't?
But at the same time the Toyota is def to spec and you know where it came from.

Hope that helps some...

[914Runner]

You wont be able to press the bearings out with that 12 ton press. I couldn't even get them out with my 20 ton. I ended up taking the knuckles and all the parts to a machine shop that my dealer recommended and he did everything for $150.

The problem is that you cant remove the snap ring, so it take somewhere around 50 tons of force to break the bearing out.

It would be easier and cheaper to get a used set of knuckles from a wrecking yard.

[YotaFun]

The problem is that you cant remove the snap ring, so it take somewhere around 50 tons of force to break the bearing out.


Is the snap ring that tight in there?
Do you think that could have been caused be the bearing being bad and holding pressure to it?

It sounds like the only reason you needed a bigger press was cause the snap ring was stuck in there essentially, if I am reading correctly

[MTL_4runner]

It is a bugger of a job, I'd just take it to a machine shop or dealer to have them press the bearings out/in.
You should be fine with using the timken brand bearings.

[Seanz0rz]

why can i not get the snap ring out?

id like to avoid taking it somewhere, money is an issue (when is it not?)

is it true i can easily reuse the abs sensor rotor and the spacer?

[Seanz0rz]

looks like autozone is significantly more expensive. so i will be ordering from toyota.

anyone else have any words of wisdom?

[YotaFun]

Depending on the position of the snap ring,
like if the abs and such is out of the way and all it is is the snap ring and bearing,

how about taking a dremel to the snap ring and cutting little slots along it to help it come out easier?

Reason I suggest this is because if my understanding is correct the snap ring is going to need to be replaced anyway because it will get damaged when it gets pressed out.

This way your saving yourself money by not taking it to the shop and your replacing the snap ring either way.

Just a thought but I could be very off base here...

[Seanz0rz]

you shouldnt have to press out the snap ring, you should be able to pull it out with a set of snap ring pliers.

ordering parts tomorrow. in other news, i hate the sequoia

[YotaFun]

I am just saying Sean, according to the description from the other guys, in my understanding they couldn't get the snap ring out, and so they had the shop press the bearing out with the snap ring still in.

I know you can but according to the guys it is almost virtually impossible...

[Crinale]

in other news, i hate the sequoia


why?

[Seanz0rz]

haha searching for new vehicles. it is HUGE but doesnt feel spacious or comfortable at all.

[CJM]

Tundra, 99-06 tundra man..

[Seanz0rz]

Tundra, 99-06 tundra man..


need a third row and lots of cargo room. pretty much the only vehicle so far that we like is the expedition el.

[CJM]

Ah gotcha..

[Crinale]

ya i cant think of too many vehicles with the 3rd row AND lots of cargo room... most of the current lineup of SUV's make you choose either or...

[corax]

I am just saying Sean, according to the description from the other guys, in my understanding they couldn't get the snap ring out, and so they had the shop press the bearing out with the snap ring still in.

I know you can but according to the guys it is almost virtually impossible...


if the snap ring is stuck, you can usually get it to move by taking a punch to one end of it and tapping w/ a hammer - get the ring to rotate around in it's bore to break the rust bond, usually works for me on other brands

I've never really heard of being able to press anything past a snap-ring without destroying the husing it's in . . . .

[CJM]

I know of one SUV that will work, but even with the diesel it gets poor mpg.

The EXCURSION!

[Crinale]

the diesel doesnt do too badly... a friend of mine has theirs chipped and it gets 23mpg on the highway... and with the tank size they can go almost 900 miles on one tank ;) its also a 4x4 lifted slightly with bigger tires

[CJM]

the diesel doesnt do too badly... a friend of mine has theirs chipped and it gets 23mpg on the highway... and with the tank size they can go almost 900 miles on one tank ;) its also a 4x4 lifted slightly with bigger tires


Yea but 23mpg on the hwy is pretty sad still for a diesel. The 7.3L never was a very good mpg engine.

[Crinale]

23 sounds great to me... lol... i havent had a car that got better than that on the highway in several years :-P ... and that 23 was chipped for power, not mileage... probably could have gotten better if they tuned the chip for less power...

[Seanz0rz]

ok back on topic, had the wheel bearings pressed out by a shop. 70 bucks. guy said the left side (the one that was bad) took 12 tons and exploded when it came out.

now im just waiting on CV's (left one started spewing sometime in the last month) to come in later today and ill have her reassembled and ready to receive massive modification to the rear of my vehicle (stay tuned!)

[DHC6twinotter]

Sweet! Can't wait! :drool:

[RunnerUp]

need a third row and lots of cargo room. pretty much the only vehicle so far that we like is the expedition el.



fail

[Seanz0rz]

sorry, but toyota doesnt make a vehicle with those requirements that doesnt suck. the sequoia's third row is tiny, the interior is big but not comfortable at all. i hate the styling (as i have of much of new toyotas recently) im not sold on their big v8's and the smaller 4.6 is new and i dont know whether it will be a future 3vz or 5vz.

the ford's 5.4 modular v8 is in EVERYTHING and is a spectacular motor. the interior is very very well laid out, has a power third row for the mrs, more space in the third rown than the second row of my 4runner, is very nice to drive, has a ton of cargo room even with the third row up, etc, etc. oh and it also costs less than the seqouia when similarly equipped. find me toyota that does at least most of that, and i would buy it over the ford. sadly, the sequoia is the only one that comes close, and its not close enough.

[YotaFun]

Good Choice, I have heard rumors that some of the 5.4s like to blow plugs out the hole here and there, But I chalk that up to people doing a bad tune up job.

My Aunt has an older Navigator with the 5.4 in it and that thing is sweet in and of itself for the year, I wouldn't mind taking over it when they get rid of it.

Ford has come a long way, and I wouldn't hesitate much these days to buy one if I were in the position to buy a new Truck or SUV

[CJM]

Good Choice, I have heard rumors that some of the 5.4s like to blow plugs out the hole here and there, But I chalk that up to people doing a bad tune up job.

My Aunt has an older Navigator with the 5.4 in it and that thing is sweet in and of itself for the year, I wouldn't mind taking over it when they get rid of it.

Ford has come a long way, and I wouldn't hesitate much these days to buy one if I were in the position to buy a new Truck or SUV

Agreed..

Watch out for plugs, the older heads had very shallow threads which were an issue as also doing the plugs was a pain b/c of the angles and thus crossthreading occurred. I heard they made the threads deeper, not a big deal as there are kits to redo the threads with an insert and another kinda plug that works. I should know, my work van had this happen 2x with blowing out the same plug. 03+ didnt have this issue as much.

Watch out for the coil packs, they get wet easy and as such have issues. Also the older 5.4L (not sure about the newer ones) have piston slap when cold, we always let our ford vans warmup for 10 mins before going anywhere in the winter or when its cold. Last but not least they burn oil when they get miles.

I personally would prefer a bronco centurion. Its a bronco/F350 frankenstein. You got the diesel, 460 or the 5.8L, the front of ford truck (usually a SFA F350 and 4wd!!) and the back half of a bronco. Has 4 doors, 3 rows of seats and a removable top, one badass truck.

[DHC6twinotter]

I personally would prefer a bronco centurion. Its a bronco/F350 frankenstein. You got the diesel, 460 or the 5.8L, the front of ford truck (usually a SFA F350 and 4wd!!) and the back half of a bronco. Has 4 doors, 3 rows of seats and a removable top, one badass truck.


I know a guy with one of those 4 door Broncos. It's the only one I've ever seen, and it's a very sweet truck.



The 5.4s are some nice motors, and I've been pretty impressed with the 6.8L V10 that Ford has. I've driven a few E-350 15 passenger vans with the motor (once with a trailer), and two of our E-450 church buses have the V10. Those vans can really haul, and buses are way quicker than I would have imagined. The GM 6.0 is super slow in the 15 passenger vans. :confused:

[CJM]

Even tho alot of people dont like the powersmoke 7.3L, so far a friends 95 old flatbed F superduty (this starts as as a cab chassis and has no relation to the new ones) has like 500k on it, 1 rebuild at like 400k.

I like it, drives nice for a diesel and has nice power.

As for the V10, imho a gas hog. Ive driven both diesel and V10 vans and trucks. The diesel is better, the 5.4L with the right gearing is better.

[YotaFun]

Sorry to go off topic on your thread Sean, just trying to relate lol!

I have also seen a few of those 4 door Bronco's with the 7.3l in it.
I am sure probably a transplant but still nice.

If I were to ever own one, it would have to be the 7.3l Turbo diesel.
Its a trusted motor with very little issues, International motor that is very well designed.
The new diesels in the ford, esp the 6.0 are problem children, like Toyota's 3.slow, the 6.0 loves eating head gaskets.

I talked to the Ford guys at school Sean, and they said that Ford has solved the issue of the spitting spark plug so, just a thought.

Back on topic, you mentioned that you have buggered up the ball joint threads a little, how did you end up fixing that?

[Seanz0rz]

Back on topic, you mentioned that you have buggered up the ball joint threads a little, how did you end up fixing that?


havent yet. plan on going at the threads with a file to get them back in shape. its not too serious so i think i should be fine. i would normally just chase the threads with a nut or retap them with a die, but there is no way to hold the stud without damaging the taper of the joint that fits into the upper a arm. i will let you know how filing it goes. i get my new castle nut tomorrow morning, so after that i will work on it. today was spent working on the trailer while i wait for truck parts.