Front bearing hum. Dealer says too much preload. $1k for one corner??

[ppdd]

My LC started to hum from about 20-50 mph on a family road trip, sounding like a bad bearing. Started around 1500 miles back. They were replaced (inner and outer bearings and races) 20k miles ago and preload was set to around 50 ft-lbs to get the right breakaway force with the fish scale (as per what some suggest here).

I took it to a dealer to have it checked out while at a stop visiting family. They isolated the noise to the right front bearing and suggest it's due to the preload. $1000 for that corner to replace the bearings (and something else hub related but I was in too much shock for it to fully register).

I'm on a tight schedule and wonder...

A) how likely the bearing is to fail in the next 2000 miles

B) without having fully disassembled it, what they should be planning replace assuming the preload somehow toasted the bearing and

C) how insane is this price is compared to typical dear preices because the peace of mind is worth some amount of mobey. I don't have time for someone else to get to the job before we head out again...

Need a bit of a sanity check here because a thousand bucks sure seems like a lot for ONE SIDE. They wanted to do both for $2k...

 

[ppdd]

And to be extra clear, that was 50 ft lbs on the big nut and the middle of the 9.5-15lb range with the fish scale. There was no heat buildup on the hub after installation (I checked to be on the safe side).

 

[Natetroknot]

I'm not real sure how much bearings will set you back but I just paid $400 and change to have both sides repacked at the Yota dealer.....

 

[ppdd]

So 200 per side? Hah.

They want to do the whole hub assembly with the bearings. Adds several hundred but I'm not sure how that part would get damaged. And they haven't even disassembled it yet...

 

[mtrdrms]

Do you have the means to take it apart and repack? Might just need some maintenance.

 

[ppdd]

Do you have the means to take it apart and repack? Might just need some maintenance.

In about 3 weeks and maybe three thosand miles, unfortunately. Not sure how likely a catastrophic failure might be given how fast it came on...I'd hate to get stranded.

 

[abuck99]

Are they replacing the spindle? Did they provide you with a list of parts they are estimating to replace?

I don't believe that 50ft lbs on the adjusting nut is excessive. There are a few threads here discussing wheel bearing preload, and I recall for several folks 40-50+ft lbs was applied to achieve FSM break away preload.

How did the dealer come to the assumption there was too much preload applied to your bearings?

 

[ppdd]

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[ppdd]

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[ppdd]

Are they replacing the spindle? Did they provide you with a list of parts they are estimating to replace?

I don't believe that 50ft lbs on the adjusting nut is excessive. There are a few threads here discussing wheel bearing preload, and I recall for several folks 40-50+ft lbs was applied to achieve FSM break away preload.

How did the dealer come to the assumption there was too much preload applied to your bearings?

Presumably they loosened it with a torque wrench or something while diagnosing the hum, but who knows. I mean, the preload was definitely higher than the FSM and they caught it so someone was paying attention.

No spindle. The hub assembly, though. Not sure how you'd diagnose that without taking it apart.

 

[jerryb]

lol, they dont want to clean it, just put new races and bearings in. Would dealer do that?

 

[gatormark91]

So 200 per side? Hah.

They want to do the whole hub assembly with the bearings. Adds several hundred but I'm not sure how that part would get damaged. And they haven't even disassembled it yet...

NO - there is no reason to replace the hub. If the races are worn, they are just driven out with a drift. I'm trying to think of a situation where a hub would need replacing, but can't thing of one at all. There is ZERO need to take it to the dealer for this service. Take it to a reputable shop, hand them a printout of the instructions on any number of threads here, and let them go at it. It's not rocket science.

And you can check the breakaway with a scale, but you can't check the preload without taking the drive flange off.

 

[White Stripe]

I do wheel bearings by feel, have done so for years. 50ft lbs sounds excessive. Cruiser wheel bearings if they are Toyota bearings rarely go bad unless they were installed too tight or their is a lubrication issue, or if u got in a accident and bent a spindle or something. If too tight, then things will get hot. Depending on how hot things got will affect how many parts need replaced. Ask them for a break down of the estimate, lots of info missing. Also the question comes up, if tightened improperly, we're they also packed improperly? You always pay more at a dealer, but hopefully too, you are paying for them to guarantee the repair(if a decent dealership)so if the noise comes back in a month, just go back and tell them to fix their mistake.

 

[gatormark91]

If they diagnosed preload as the problem, without taking anything apart, and said they were going to charge $1K a corner, I'd not let them touch another bolt on my LC (not that I take mine to a dealer, ever). That service department doesn't want to touch small-ticket items, they want your cash. They have little reason to do a $200 bearing service for you (realistic price, it's a couple hours of shop labor), when some rube who knows nothing about their car will pay them $1K for the same job with a big charge (and markup) from the parts counter. Find a good local shop where the mechanics have some pride in treating their customers right, and they will stand by their work. And you are giving your money to a local business, not some big dealership conglomerate.

 

[suprarx7nut]

I've had a couple cars in the past with horrible bearings where the previous owner drove it for eons after they started failing. The hubs/spindles needed replacement on those cars because the spindle was physically damaged from the excessive heat. One was cracked and the other had galling as I recall.

Maybe the dealer is just assuming that will happen and they're planning on that replacement as a part of the quote?

 

[bucfl]

I paid $180 for re pack both sides at local shop.

 

[gatormark91]

dust

I do wheel bearings by feel, have done so for years. 50ft lbs sounds excessive. Cruiser wheel bearings if they are Toyota bearings rarely go bad unless they were installed too tight or their is a lubrication issue, or if u got in a accident and bent a spindle or something. If too tight, then things will get hot. Depending on how hot things got will affect how many parts need replaced. Ask them for a break down of the estimate, lots of info missing. Also the question comes up, if tightened improperly, we're they also packed improperly? You always pay more at a dealer, but hopefully too, you are paying for them to guarantee the repair(if a decent dealership)so if the noise comes back in a month, just go back and tell them to fix their mistake.

Plus 1 on the temp thing. Take your wheel center caps off, take the truck for a ride on the road, get it up to speed. Stop in a safe place, and touch the dust cap and drive flange (CAREFULLY, it could be HOT). If it's cool to the touch, you don't have a too-tight preload issue. For a precise reading of the temp, use an infrared pyrometer.

 

[BillZ260]

I think the FSM says to repack every 33K or so anyway. If you are at 20k and there is a hum, repack and see how it goes. The bearings should be fairly easy to diagnose when they have it apart. $200 sounds decent, this is not a tough job if you have the tools and time, but @ $90-100 per side well worth it if you trust the shop.

 

[2001LC]

I've run very high breakaway preloads hitting 15.lb on spring scale. One set of newer bearings took 72lb of torque to reach 12 lb preload. I've pulled bearing that were set to max of factory spec preload, and they do better the higher. They loosen from 12 lb to about 9-8 lb breakaway preload in ~500 miles, then down to 4-6 lb breakaway preload at ~2k miles.

I've never seen any issue with to tight wheel bearing, but I've seen many issue with to loose. These bearing like tight,,,. period!

Keep in mind setting preload is just one part of a good wheel bearing job.

I've seen wheel bearings so loose you think they'd fail but they don't. These are incredible tough. That said as they loosen they damage spindle, hub flange, axle, axle bushing & bearing and more but keep going. It is usually hub flange teeth shear off that finally stop the rig, to do bad wheel baring job.

I've pitted and worn bearing on my 01. They been that way since I bought 14 years ago. They got that way from Dealer not locking adjusting & locking nut, and nut loosened up. I've been running tighter and tighter each 30K miles. They just get better. I went on 2K mile trip not long after taking wheel bearing preload near max. Rasn 18 hours none stop. Checked with inferred gun and they ran cool, and are still going strong.

I may replace next service only because I'm hit 65 ft-lbf torque on adjusting nut. I'm not concerned with wheel bearings being to tight. I'm concerned with threads of adjusting nut and spindle, as they are very fine threads. I've no double it will take higher torque on adjust next service to reach same breakaway preload, as it seen to go up a bit each service, and bearing actually look better each service as does claw washer.

I loved to have your rig in my garage to pull bearing and see whats going on! But i'll bet it's not from being to tight.