Bearing repack GURUs

[PapaGoose08]

I did this job a few months back and followed all the presets with a fish scale. Now the bearing (koyo) is bad a again. Did I over tighten?

Edit: I am fairly certain I did everything correctly when I replaced the bearings. I have read elsewhere that it is a good practice to to retorque after the bearings have bedded in.

My question is now. I have a some play in the bearing when I move the wheel at 12&6 and 9&3. Would this indicated that they have now "bedded in" and just need to be retorqued? Or will I need to replace them again?

 

[abuck99]

Play at 9 & 3 is your Tie rods or deeper into your steering rack.

12-6 is WB- and a few months should not kill new bearings- inspect and reset- torque to spec.

 

[2001LC]

I did this job a few months back and followed all the presets with a fish scale. Now the bearing (koyo) is bad a again. Did I over tighten?

Edit: I am fairly certain I did everything correctly when I replaced the bearings. I have read elsewhere that it is a good practice to to retorque after the bearings have bedded in.

My question is now. I have a some play in the bearing when I move the wheel at 12&6 and 9&3. Would this indicated that they have now "bedded in" and just need to be retorqued? Or will I need to replace them again?

If breakaway preload set ~12.5lb, and you found difficult to get to or above ~40ft-lbf of torque. You may have done something wrong.

Two things come to mind:

1. Not seating (pressing) new race that come with each bearing, in all the way. Then they work their way in (seat), as you set-up (torque adjusting nut) and than drive.
2. ** MOST COMMON!** Seal in rear of wheel hub, install wrong (protruding). Most common is backward, where metal lip sticks out. Flat side should be out, and seated flush with wheel hub.

Wheel hub seal in backward, with metal lip out. Metal will grind down as you drive, and wheel bearing loosen very fast and become a great deal looser. This set up a dangerous condition. Where brake rotors may detach form wheel hub, than wheels can than fall off while driving. Earlier symptom of wheel bearings too loose, is hub wobble confusing wheel speed sensor into kicking on ATAC.

WRONG installation of seal.

Correct

 

[PapaGoose08]

Thanks all for the insight, I’ll double check that seal.

 

[yj668]

I'll leave some of my notes here on wheel bearing repack (from someone new to bearing repack). Everything was stripped down to the steering knuckle and dust shields for cleaning.

The factory bearings in the hub were both Timkens. Got a pair of inner and outer bearings shipped from Japan.

• The large bearings were a pair of USA made Timkens
• The small bearings were a pair of Japan made Koyos (Bears the same toyota part number as the factory fit)
• Brake Rotors were cleaned and degreased down to the hub, before new bearings went in.
• I cut the old large bearing race with a dremel tool and used that as a bearing race driver (gap from the cut allows easy removal).
• The small race was seated with a standard bearing driver kit.

Preload ended up with a pretty consistent~13ft lbs preload with

1. DS 54mm nut at 75 ft lbs, will probably replace that lock nut the next repack.
2. PS nut reached the same preload at 65 ft lbs
3. Mobil 1 Synthetic grease

What else I did put on (new):

• OEM CVs / Diff Oil Seals
• Hub Flange
• Hub Flange Cap/ Cone washers / Replaced worn hub flange nuts as needed
• Hub Flange snap ring used was size E with ~0.03mm gap.

Removing Air Pockets
Pushing grease and air pockets out while mounting brake rotor hub on spindle
It was a snug tight fit to get the brake rotor with new oil seals seated (You're pushing against thick bearing grease and air pockets trapped in the cavity and both wheel bearings).
Some turns with a pushing force will settle it on the spindle. When its seated deep enough on the spindle, you can use the 54mm lock nut and its spindle threads to squeeze the rotor against the steering knuckle to get more air pockets out.

Rest of the air gaps (FDS to spindle to hub flange)
For getting the rest of the air gaps out, that's a job for one of those axle / hub flange puller tools (also sold by some mud members).

Some other notes on OEM FDS and OEM hub flange replacements
If both FDS are replaced along with new hubs, fitting the second FDS's hub flange (even if its IFS since you now have weight of the fully assembled knuckle, steering arm & rotor on the other side) might be a little challenging because the OEM fitment is extremely snug and tight, goes in at a specific way, while not being jammed up at poorly machined sections on aftermarket parts. When that happens, you may have to turn the steering wheel back and forth (assuming entire front end lifted off ground), check air gaps, check CV outboard shaft to steering knuckle to rotor gaps. The second hub flange will eventually fit on snug tight by hand, without the help of a hammer of any sort. Make sure you aren't knocking anything over like tools or brake calipers in the fender/wheel well area before you steer!

I did not grab any bearing repack pictures with greasy gloves unfortunately until everything was reassembled. Kudos to the guys who stopped at intervals taking the time and patience to document the process on video or pictures.

Always make sure your truck is properly jacked when working under it.

Thanks to mud and @2001LC for great tips.

 

[dino1]

So I noticed some hum and play in the DS bearings on my 99. When I bought the truck I had noticed a remark that Sears had repacked the wheel bearings and thought to myself I need to get in there and check the work. Jumped in and found the tang on the lock washer non existent and the two nuts finger tight. Also note the non stock circlip which allows tons of slop and banging around the groove and the chisel marks on the nuts. Got the DS buttoned up but the PS will need to wait till later.

I bought 4 new nuts, 4 lock washers just in case, new caps. Thinking ill order some new cone washers and replace later. They were pretty chewed up. Also noticed my sway bar end links were played out. Need to order those as well.

 

[dino1]

Also wondering if with the wheel on should there be any perceptible play in the bearing? I torqued my nut to 33 pounds and had about 12 pounds on the fish scale.

 

[yj668]

With the entire rotor mounted onto the steering knuckle, it should feel like a single part with absolute zero play instead of feeling like multiple components bolted together.

 

[dino1]

So after repacking both bearings and replacing the hub flanges I can say the truck seems way more solid but one thing I do notice is it seems there is more friction in the drivetrain and the truck seems way slower. Not sure if I’m working through all that new grease or if it’s spline bearings.
Before my bearings were way loose and that could have skewed my vision of what they should have felt like.

 

[shimian]

bringing back an oldie today rather than start a new thread.

My new to me 03 has service notes from about 50k mi ago that the bearings were replaced in the front. My passenger side wheel has a little bit of play when tugged holding 9 and 3 and twisting. I do not see the motion being carried out into the tie rod ball joint.

I have no noise coming from the bearings, should I start with a disassembly, repack, and retorque? My thoughts are the looseness may simply be a poorly set preload.

Or is this a "while you're in there" just replace the whole bearings/races which is then obviously a bit of a larger project.

 

[yj668]

You'd have to strip the wheel down to the spindle and work your way backwards.

Inspecting the following in the process while repacking the wheel bearings:
-Brass needle bushing in the steering arm assembly
-Bearing hub oil seal (Replace)
-FDS snap ring gap (Replace)
-Claw washer - probably chewed up from the spindle and wheel bearings (Replace if the bearing has started boring through it)
-Were the tabs on the lock washer for the 54mm axle nut locked in place to prevent the nut from backing out
-Possibility where either or both the 54mm lock nuts weren't given the minimum required amount of torque
(Air pockets from the bearing grease weren't purged, mechanic thinks the rotor was already seating tight against the knuckle/FDS/Spindle). (Replace)
-Check if the bearing has pitting marks that can be felt

The book's recommended service interval is 30K miles (lower if the truck has been through severe duty). There's a possibility the play was partly the result of break in of the new bearings, or a combination of the above (or all of the above). Wheel bearing service is a pretty time consuming maintenance relative to a shop's book rate and most mechanics are likely to rush through the process without properly setting preload and checking play.

You'd have to stick strictly with the book recommended service interval unless you performed the proper service, DIY. That probably earns you some slack with the maintenance interval.

 

[shimian]

Thanks. I will probably order a couple of complete bearing replacement kits just so I have any parts I need. The other side feels fine so likely just a repack and on my way.

 

[yj668]

Chances are, you need no more materials than new washers/snap rings, oil seal, the axle grease cap and squeezing out air pockets between the axle, steering knuckle, rotor after the bearing repack.

(edit: add the hub flange paper gasket to the list)

If the bearing has just 50k of service and is an OEM part, it likely needs no replacement. These bearings can rust if they aren't stored in well oiled conditions for protection against rust. Buy one only when a replacement is deemed necessary.

The Toyota OEM bearings are either genuine Koyo's (Japan made) and/or Timken's (USA made). Finish the job with some blue thread locker on the hub flange nuts.

 

[abuck99]

bringing back an oldie today rather than start a new thread.

My new to me 03 has service notes from about 50k mi ago that the bearings were replaced in the front. My passenger side wheel has a little bit of play when tugged holding 9 and 3 and twisting. I do not see the motion being carried out into the tie rod ball joint.

I have no noise coming from the bearings, should I start with a disassembly, repack, and retorque? My thoughts are the looseness may simply be a poorly set preload.

Or is this a "while you're in there" just replace the whole bearings/races which is then obviously a bit of a larger project.

For bearings, you want to check for play at 6 & 12 position for any movement. Also push on wheel and rotate back and forth with both hands to feel for any roughness, then hands on back of tire pulling and rotating back and forth in same manner to feel for roughness or looseness.

For steering components- 9 & 3.

 

[shimian]

Thanks for the tip, I will get it up in the air and check again before I order anything.

 

[shimian]

Just bumping this to say thank you to everyone who has posted the last ~150 or so comments. I tackled this today and ran through it pretty effortlessly. I re-used the bearings in there as they were fine, the whole assembly was just finger loose when I pulled the flange off. Took about 57lb ft to achieve a 10lb breakaway (thank you @2001LC for the fish scale video and some of the research on the matter). Did rotors and pads while I was in there because I don't plan to go back in any time for the next 30k mi or so. Tomorrow is the drivers side.

Also, check out how chewed up these flanges were. Replaced those too. The teeth are almost all to a point.

 

[2001LC]

Just bumping this to say thank you to everyone who has posted the last ~150 or so comments. I tackled this today and ran through it pretty effortlessly. I re-used the bearings in there as they were fine, the whole assembly was just finger loose when I pulled the flange off. Took about 57lb ft to achieve a 10lb breakaway (thank you @2001LC for the fish scale video and some of the research on the matter). Did rotors and pads while I was in there because I don't plan to go back in any time for the next 30k mi or so. Tomorrow is the drivers side.

Also, check out how chewed up these flanges were. Replaced those too. The teeth are almost all to a point.

View attachment 3316330

When hub flange splines chewed/worn down. Axle splines, not far behind.

New

We also need to check for contamination in axle bearing & bushing, before lubing them. Along with condition of axle seal and knuckle seal.

Missing both the FDS outer axle seal and knuckle seal

 

[shimian]

It actually has had two new FDS done by the dealer in the last 40-50k mi. Not sure why no one ever looked at the flanges.

Though, by the quality of the repack job they did, I should check for those seals.

 

[Patron100LC]

A question for the Gurus, did my passenger side bearing service this last Sunday, driver’s side will have to wait till my next time off since it got dark.
Together w the bearing repack I replaced axle and flange to fix a clunk originated there, and removed the complete spindle to check brass bushing and replace ball joint boots that had small cracks.
My question is about the bearings condition.
Here’s a few pics:

They look great for very high mileage bearings, but there’s some discoloration (even rust looking) on the inside of the racers, I have no idea how since I did the service last time and I don’t remember seeing that.
Here’s some of the outer racers interior face:

Here’s the spindle right after removing the hub:

 

[Patron100LC]

Continued:

After cleaning:

Did I pack too much grease and it created a situation where the bearing doesn’t roll properly?
Am I overthinking?

This set will be in for the next 30k miles, but should I consider new bearings for the next service?

Edited to add that the claw washer was in great condition, very little wear after 35k miles, the torque on the nuts was a bit looser than when installed, but not finger tight. The brass bushing looks good to me, no mess, and cleaned up great without scuffs or nasty grease.

Thanks!