Anyone had a front wheel bearing fail 9000 miles after having them repacked? I took my truck in to have the front brake pads replaced, rotors turned, and wheel bearing re-greased back in the spring. I started noticing poor breaking performance this weekend and noise coming from the DS front wheel Tuesday. I pulled the wheel off and noticed the brake caliper was grinding on the rotor. The dealership just called to say the wheel bearing was shot. Quoted $600 for one side to pull everything apart again, re-turn the rotor and possibly replace the brake pads... Not amused.
Wheel bearing failure
- Thread starter tmdvtpike
- Start date
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DirtDawg
"It'd be alot cooler if you did"
Did you do the work? Shop? Did you use OEM bearings and parts? Did you torque to correct spec? Replace bearing races when the bearings were replaced?
Wheel bearings don't just fail on a 100. I'd guess possibly a botched install, as long as the bearings are OEM.
Wheel bearings don't just fail on a 100. I'd guess possibly a botched install, as long as the bearings are OEM.
Shot chances are because the pre-load was not set up correctly originally 
Bad part is there is no way to prove it.
Bad part is there is no way to prove it.- Thread starter
- #4
Battleship
GOLD Star
A Toyota dealership? Corporate might be interested to hear a bearing repack lasted 9k. Hopefully the GM at any dealership would step in on your behalf. What about the other side....?
2001LC
SILVER Star
Unfortunately very few mechanics know how to properly set the preload. But even loose bearings will last a lot longer than 9K. I'll bet the bearings where not only set very loose, but lock nut was not on. You can bet they didn't check snap ring gap either.
Bearings may well have come into them bad, in first place. But they wouldn't have know this, as they don't (can't) inspect. I say that because many shop's don't even clean bearing, they just repack. You can't inspect a bearing covered in grease. They justify this saying re-calcification. It to save time plain and simple, and is poor practice in my book.
What ever the case they owe you new bearings at minimum. Possible a new steering knuckle, as spindle may be damaged. Additionally I'll bet axle teeth and hub flange got worn down as well.
Parts I'd be inspecting:
Complete wheel bearing, races and seals.
Hub flange, nuts & cone washer
Front drive shaft.
Steering knuckle.
Get your behind over there with someone that knows what to look for as witness.
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Are the work still under warranty? Usually if dealer do the work, it is under warranty for 12K. I would insist on getting all of the old/broken parts then post pictures here. I do not know anything about wheel bearing but the collective knowledge here can help investigate what might had happened.
I just replaced and repacked both my front wheel bearings a couple weeks ago with Toyota OEM parts. I am by no means "professional mechanic", but I'll try anything I can watch that's been done on YouTube. The job was pretty straight forward, idk how a proffesional Toyota mechanic would blow the job?!? these guys definitely need to cover your tab and fix your rig!
uHu
Bridgeburner
The left side is particularly vulnerable when it comes to loose nuts, as they will unscrew if not properly done. I've had a bad notch-washer fitted, which let the nuts turn and come loose. That was a new washer, a manufacturing fault I think.
2001LC
SILVER Star
I've not seen that one uHu, anything is possible I suppose. Inspection of his parts would be reveling, if they don't break (doctor) tabs removing.
I have seen where one side (DS) the lock washer wasn't bent (locked) and after 30k miles the claw was heavily grooved. This was on left and didn't get to point of PO's (rubbing caliper). But did mildly score spindle as well.
I've seen where both lock washer (DS & PS) had all five tabs bent inward over adjusting nut, locking nothing. Run for 20K miles and nuts were walking off, and rotor still not rub caliper.
Then to be quoted $600 to "pull everything apart" (I assume repair) means much more than bearings were messed up. That's messed up!
If they say "bad bearings" that would be bull. I've run bad or marginal bearing 100K miles, and nothing failed. If properly set-up they'll run for ever.
My bet they left off a locking nut.
I have seen where one side (DS) the lock washer wasn't bent (locked) and after 30k miles the claw was heavily grooved. This was on left and didn't get to point of PO's (rubbing caliper). But did mildly score spindle as well.
I've seen where both lock washer (DS & PS) had all five tabs bent inward over adjusting nut, locking nothing. Run for 20K miles and nuts were walking off, and rotor still not rub caliper.
Then to be quoted $600 to "pull everything apart" (I assume repair) means much more than bearings were messed up. That's messed up!
If they say "bad bearings" that would be bull. I've run bad or marginal bearing 100K miles, and nothing failed. If properly set-up they'll run for ever.
My bet they left off a locking nut.
Confirming you only had them repacked.
How many miles on the truck?
How many miles on the bearings before they were supposedly re-packed?
I would agree that bad bearings will last a long-long time. There are two arguments you can make: 1: they were bad when repacked as they wouldn't likely fail in 9000 miles and you should have been alerted 2: they wouldnt fail in 9000 miles with out other contributing factors like: improper preload, missing hardware, reused hardware that failed, or never having performed the repack.
If You cannot get the dealer to fix on their repair warranty, I would pull it apart inspect, get help here to assess and proceed with a fix.
How many miles on the truck?
How many miles on the bearings before they were supposedly re-packed?
I would agree that bad bearings will last a long-long time. There are two arguments you can make: 1: they were bad when repacked as they wouldn't likely fail in 9000 miles and you should have been alerted 2: they wouldnt fail in 9000 miles with out other contributing factors like: improper preload, missing hardware, reused hardware that failed, or never having performed the repack.
If You cannot get the dealer to fix on their repair warranty, I would pull it apart inspect, get help here to assess and proceed with a fix.
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- Thread starter
- #13
Thanks all. Heading over today to continue the discussion.
2001LC
SILVER Star
^^ I could agree more with you @abuck99.
Some ammo for you @tmdvpike
Problem you'll have is they've, apparently, already pulled apart. If that is the case, the evidence may be gone. The fact they didn't say sorry we'll take care of it. Or that OP doesn't give detail other than "wheel bearing was shot" is indication they don't intend to live up to there incompetence.
They should've of given reason why it's "shot". If a failure of locking as uHu has seen, then why not say that. But again, to get to the point of rotor rubbing on caliper in 9K miles, indicates bearings got very very loose. I just have hard time with even failure at locking washer point and setting up adjusting nut too loose, with bearings getting that bad so fast.
On my 01 LC I found DS snap ring not locked (tabs not bent) at 97K miles on clock. Toyota records indicate Dealer serviced bearings at 30K miles. That's 67K miles with loose bearings due to adjusting & locking nuts walking off. I still to this day have all the factory wheel bearing components in my LC at 167k miles, except snap ring, claw washer and locking ring. Bearings were pitted and scored at 97K, and still look bad, but serviceable. I've pushed these bearings, just to see how far they can go in such bad condition. I'm convinced that they'll last as long as I keep servicing every 30K miles properly.
I'll add my first bearing service I did (97K on LC) was done improperly setting way to loose (~10ft-ftlb), and scored (grooved) yet one more set of claw washers. Claw washers that are scored is from loose bearings chatter. This is what has lead me to put a great deal of time and study into our wheel bearings. That service I did, I thought FSM was wrong (set to loose at 57in-ftlb), I've come to learn I was reading it wrong. I went to a Toyota shop foremen and he read wrong as well, but felt to use 4Runners old torque spec of around ~18ld-ftlb would be better. Breakaway preload is the key, that the ~57in-fllb (inch) is only starting point. Most mechicais just use old school and don't read the FSM, others like myself miss read. But even setting to loose for 30K miles, after being very very loose with adjust nut walking off for 67K miles, the bearings did not fail.
That's why I say he/you need to get down there NOW with witness that knows what to look for.
Here is one that was walking off with >20K miles on the job (wheel bearing job), that tech bent all tabs inward. Bearing and race where still good. Claw washer, axle teeth, hub flange, cone washers and snap ring not so good. Interestingly is both side where done like this and PS (right) was damaged the most.
The Tech that bent all five tabs of locking ring, just over adjust nut, must have been on something.
These bering where very loose >20K miles, but look better than my 01LC. No failure here.
Claw washer scored (grooved) typical of loose bearing set-up. Which makes bearings even looser.
Excessive vibration (chatter) and probable snap ring gap set to wide on last service, pound this hub flange face. Teeth where noticeable (from back side) worn as well.
Snap ring and cone washer where pounded as well, and not serviceable.
Someone with an 98LC, that drives by my house has noticed my fleet of rig's transforming (restoring's) this summer and now go up for sale. He stop by this morning and asked if I'd look at his 99 LC 225K on clock, that's only had oil changes done every 5K miles. Other than that, when failures accrue it goes in the shop. He's asked that I restore or at least look at his. If I do I'll get into bearings, undoubtedly, and measure something this thread has got me wondering. That is with adjusting nut, locking ring and locking nut on how far can they walk out before hitting the hub flange. Hub flange would stop nuts from walking off totally. The adjust nut does stick out passed the hub flange mounting surface IIRC, but hub flange has an indentation to accommodate the locking nuts' protrusion. This gap between locking nut & inside of hub flange is the maximum the nut can come off. But if the locking nut and ring was not put in, then it would increase the distance the adjust nut could walk-off greatly. This would be very destructive, and cause failure of bearing much faster, and do much more damage to all components.
Some ammo for you @tmdvpike
Problem you'll have is they've, apparently, already pulled apart. If that is the case, the evidence may be gone. The fact they didn't say sorry we'll take care of it. Or that OP doesn't give detail other than "wheel bearing was shot" is indication they don't intend to live up to there incompetence.
They should've of given reason why it's "shot". If a failure of locking as uHu has seen, then why not say that. But again, to get to the point of rotor rubbing on caliper in 9K miles, indicates bearings got very very loose. I just have hard time with even failure at locking washer point and setting up adjusting nut too loose, with bearings getting that bad so fast.
On my 01 LC I found DS snap ring not locked (tabs not bent) at 97K miles on clock. Toyota records indicate Dealer serviced bearings at 30K miles. That's 67K miles with loose bearings due to adjusting & locking nuts walking off. I still to this day have all the factory wheel bearing components in my LC at 167k miles, except snap ring, claw washer and locking ring. Bearings were pitted and scored at 97K, and still look bad, but serviceable. I've pushed these bearings, just to see how far they can go in such bad condition. I'm convinced that they'll last as long as I keep servicing every 30K miles properly.
I'll add my first bearing service I did (97K on LC) was done improperly setting way to loose (~10ft-ftlb), and scored (grooved) yet one more set of claw washers. Claw washers that are scored is from loose bearings chatter. This is what has lead me to put a great deal of time and study into our wheel bearings. That service I did, I thought FSM was wrong (set to loose at 57in-ftlb), I've come to learn I was reading it wrong. I went to a Toyota shop foremen and he read wrong as well, but felt to use 4Runners old torque spec of around ~18ld-ftlb would be better. Breakaway preload is the key, that the ~57in-fllb (inch) is only starting point. Most mechicais just use old school and don't read the FSM, others like myself miss read. But even setting to loose for 30K miles, after being very very loose with adjust nut walking off for 67K miles, the bearings did not fail.
That's why I say he/you need to get down there NOW with witness that knows what to look for.
Here is one that was walking off with >20K miles on the job (wheel bearing job), that tech bent all tabs inward. Bearing and race where still good. Claw washer, axle teeth, hub flange, cone washers and snap ring not so good. Interestingly is both side where done like this and PS (right) was damaged the most.
The Tech that bent all five tabs of locking ring, just over adjust nut, must have been on something.
These bering where very loose >20K miles, but look better than my 01LC. No failure here.
Claw washer scored (grooved) typical of loose bearing set-up. Which makes bearings even looser.
Excessive vibration (chatter) and probable snap ring gap set to wide on last service, pound this hub flange face. Teeth where noticeable (from back side) worn as well.
Snap ring and cone washer where pounded as well, and not serviceable.
Someone with an 98LC, that drives by my house has noticed my fleet of rig's transforming (restoring's) this summer and now go up for sale. He stop by this morning and asked if I'd look at his 99 LC 225K on clock, that's only had oil changes done every 5K miles. Other than that, when failures accrue it goes in the shop. He's asked that I restore or at least look at his. If I do I'll get into bearings, undoubtedly, and measure something this thread has got me wondering. That is with adjusting nut, locking ring and locking nut on how far can they walk out before hitting the hub flange. Hub flange would stop nuts from walking off totally. The adjust nut does stick out passed the hub flange mounting surface IIRC, but hub flange has an indentation to accommodate the locking nuts' protrusion. This gap between locking nut & inside of hub flange is the maximum the nut can come off. But if the locking nut and ring was not put in, then it would increase the distance the adjust nut could walk-off greatly. This would be very destructive, and cause failure of bearing much faster, and do much more damage to all components.
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Guys, I get it just by the word "dealer".
As mentioned elsewhere, I have caught several toyotal dealers (and their "master mechanics"....not naming names but just the cities: salt lake city, San juan capistrano, etc.) blatantly cheating several times. Not saying there arn't any good dealer mechanics in this world....just havn't found one myself.
If dealer involved service, better be in the bay while their working, or at least bring the FSM in with copies of the procedure interested in having performed and hand deliver to the mechanic (not the service rep). Then let 'em know that there work will be verified by the state. Also, ask to have the mechanics license number (or at least their ID) prior to work. May want to work these through the service manager instead of service rep.
Still, a crap shoot.
From my school of "hard costly mistakes".
Doesn't help OP, but hey.....
As mentioned elsewhere, I have caught several toyotal dealers (and their "master mechanics"....not naming names but just the cities: salt lake city, San juan capistrano, etc.) blatantly cheating several times. Not saying there arn't any good dealer mechanics in this world....just havn't found one myself.
If dealer involved service, better be in the bay while their working, or at least bring the FSM in with copies of the procedure interested in having performed and hand deliver to the mechanic (not the service rep). Then let 'em know that there work will be verified by the state. Also, ask to have the mechanics license number (or at least their ID) prior to work. May want to work these through the service manager instead of service rep.
Still, a crap shoot.
From my school of "hard costly mistakes".
Doesn't help OP, but hey.....
