"How to" '02 explorer rear wheel bearing replacement (pictures)

rocco123 · 12-02-2011, 07:12 PM

Just pulled the worn bearing I replaced yesterday apart and it's just a double ball bearing. Also took apart a old bearing I'm pretty sure is Timkin 516008 and found it is a double taper roller. Both are rear bearings for my 02 explorer same dimensions. My thoughts are that a ball bearing will wear out sooner as the roller has much more surface area for load. What I just installed is a "made in China" autozone duralast pn DL516008. Not sure if it's roller or ball.

Malcolms-X · 12-05-2011, 06:49 PM

I just ordered the Timken RR assembly for $67.30. It is available via Amazon thru StockWise Auto for $93.17 + shipping (my local part's supplier had it in stock for $139). Prior to purchase I took Amazon's promotional offer, applied & was approved for their VISA card which knocked off an instant $40 (I declined their first offer of $30, so they came back at me with $40!).

I was planning on cancelling all my BankofAmerica cards anyway because I disapprove their past/present activities contributing to America's current financial mess. This new card will take their place.

The Amazon card is thru Chase, of whom I have no beef with (that I know of yet). No annual fee. I'll just use the card when purchasing stuff thru Amazon, and keep it at that.

Hope to do a r&r on the RR before the snow flys.

tmds3 · 12-10-2011, 03:05 PM

Did mine this morning, actually took me longer to find a shop to press the bearing than anything else.Had to replace the hub as well since it was fused to the bearing. I used an impact wrench which made short work of the nuts and bolts sections of this.

Great big THANK YOU for the write-up. Sure did make my job easier.

avritch · 12-10-2011, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tmds3

Did mine this morning, actually took me longer to find a shop to press the bearing than anything else.Had to replace the hub as well since it was fused to the bearing. I used an impact wrench which made short work of the nuts and bolts sections of this.

Great big THANK YOU for the write-up. Sure did make my job easier.

How much did they charge you for pressing in the bearings?

Where did you get the hubs and how much were they?

tmds3 · 12-10-2011, 04:13 PM

I got the hub and bearing form autozone for 144, they charged me 40 to press out and back in

avritch · 12-10-2011, 04:22 PM

I assume you mean $40 for one side. I paid $50 per side. I'd really feel taken if you got both Left and Right done for $40

tmds3 · 12-10-2011, 05:03 PM

Yes just for the one side, sorry didnt specify.

PDH · 12-28-2011, 04:00 AM

I pressed the driver's side rear wheel bearing out and back in without any problems on my 2002 XLT, but I have a 30-ton shop press. I purchased this press at a garage sale this past summer and this is the first time I've ever used a press for anything. So I was going slow and easy, and I made sure I had good central support under the item being pressed on. Piece of cake.

Nobody mentioned that when the guts (inner races and tapered bearings) come out of the bearing that there's no surface to push against to get the outer bearing race pushed out of the knuckle. Which left me surprised and befuddled for a bit. I had to spot weld some ridges up inside of the outer race so that a 3" outer diameter Ford F-350 Dana 60 spindle nut socket would catch those spot welds and provide an edge to bite into to push the race out of the knuckle joint. Then the outer race pushed out no problems.

To my disappointment, after I shoved the hub back onto the bearing and knuckle, I saw that one of my parking brake friction shoes was almost completely delaminated from the steel shoe.

I'll have to buy a set of parking brake shoes tomorrow, and then I'll either have to shove the hub back off the bearing or else change the parking brake shoes with the hub in place.

Anybody have any questions, ask quick before I forget.

Pontisteve · 12-28-2011, 08:47 AM

You don't have to pull the hub bearing to change the parking brake shoes. You need a little tool called a headlight adjusting tool that is basically a T-handle with a hook on the end of it. That will allow you to grab the springs with the hub in place.

1 of the problems with pressing out the old bearing race is that there is nothing but a tapered surface to push against. You can use a cone shaped object to press out the race, but some of the presses energy will get transmitted into the housing. That can cause the housing to break. The best thing to do is to cut the race first before you press it out. This weakens the race and causes it to break under the stress of the press. Otherwise, a big press can break the spindle.

PDH · 12-28-2011, 01:06 PM

I decided that I wouldn't shove the hub back out of the bearing to replace the parking brake shoes after posting above because I realized there isn't any way to keep the press load only the two inner bearing race halves during that process. And I don't want to risk damaging the wheel bearing by transferring the press force across the bearings from the inner race to the outer bearing race. Thanks for the reminder on the headlight adjusting tool. I will ask for that tool when I purchase the new parking brake shoes and see how that works for purposes of replacing the parking brake shoes with the hub in-place.

The way I pressed the outer race out of the knuckle could never have broken the knuckle. I found an outer gear from an automatic transmission pump laying in the garage that fit perfectly on the bottom side of the knuckle, overlapping the edge of the knuckle opening the outer bearing race was being pushed out of. I was able to use that circular tranny gear under the knuckle to move the outer race the first 1/3", until the race bottomed out on the transmission pump gear. Once I had the race moved that far, I knew it would press it out the rest of the way with no damage to the knuckle housing after I had to use the outer surfaces of the knuckle for support to press the outer race the rest of the way out. Once it move that first 1/3", it came out firmly - but steadily - the rest of the way.

I could see how if the knuckle were supported on its outer edges when pressing the outer bearing race out of it that, a heavy press load could crack the knuckle apart. So that's how I went about preventing that from happening. The machine shops that are breaking knuckles must be supporting the knuckle by the outer edges. I snooped the bone yard portion of my garage until I found this transmission pump gear (outer half of the two tranny pump gears) which was just the right OD to support the knuckle housing. Very straightforward and prevents any flexing of the knuckle housing under the highest of press loads. I'll take a picture of this gear and attach it to this post later today.

EDIT: added photos and additional text below
Here's the photo of the tranny pump gear. It's 3 11/16" in diameter and about 1/2" thick. Any round 3 3/4" steel plate about 1/2" thick or thicker would be ideal. The outer 1/4" to 1/3" of this gear catches and supports the circumference of the circular opening in the knuckle that contains the outer race of the wheel bearing. This will only allow the outer race of the old wheel bearing to be pressed out about the first 1/3" before the race bottoms out on the gear in the below photos. But that's enough to break the race free. It moves more easily after this initial movement.

By the way, I checked with two local auto parts stores and neither of them had a headlight adjusting tool as described by Pontisteve. I'm going to use a curved pick and an awl and see if I can't get the new parking brake shoes installed tonight.

Ryan_289 · 12-28-2011, 03:06 PM

I just tore into this on an 05 mountaineer last night. What about the seal that goes next the the bearing between the e brake shoes and the hub? The part stores didnt even show that seal?

PDH · 12-28-2011, 04:08 PM

I didn't replace any seal at that location on mine. It looked like there probably was a seal there originally, but I didn't even look for any replacement seal. I saw a piece of steel shell pressed over the abutting face next to the bearing on the hub, but no seal left attached to this piece of steel.

I suspect the only purpose for a seal at that location would be to prevent any bearing grease from being spread up onto the parking brake shoe/drum surface inside the brake rotor housing (which acts as the parking brake drum). I just didn't worry about it. And the bearing looked sealed well enough I'm not worried about trying to keep water and dirt from entering the bearing. Just don't submerge your wheel bearings in water!

However, if you locate a source for a replacement seal (if such a seal is available) please post how and where you located them - plus cost? Thanks

Ryan_289 · 12-28-2011, 05:04 PM

I ordered a seal from the ford place. Im still not sure its the right one. We looked at the parts diagram and the seal shows to be on the wrong side of the bearing. Only thing is there isnt a seal there. He is going to order it to see if maybe the diagram is off. Thats not unheard of, I work at a John Deere dealership and our parts diagrams can be off from time to time. I know I probably dont need it, just thought that it might be better off as it came from the factory.

My other question is this, after we pressed the wheel bearing in the carrier im concerned about pressing the hub into the bearing. I hate to put so much pressure on the inside of the bearing. The only idea I have come up with is to put the hub down first on the press and then press the carrier onto the hub. That way im pressing the race down onto the shaft instead of the shaft into the bearing with no support. That sound right?

I didnt replace the hub, I dont see why that is so neccesary. I cleaned mine up with the wire wheel on the bench grinder. You can still see all of the original factory machine area where it goes into the bearing. No pits or scoring.

PDH · 12-28-2011, 06:09 PM

I agree that the replacement of the hub is completely unnecessary, unless it's been damaged. Which is why I only purchased a new bearing.

As far as the order of pressing the new wheel bearing into the housing and onto the spindle/hub? Here's how I did it:

First, use the outer race from the old/bad wheel bearing to drive the new race into the knuckle housing. I was able to place the knuckle housing directly down onto the 3/4" thick steel plate material I use across the lower press cross-member. That way the force is only applied to the outer race of the new bearing until it's seated flush in and bottoms out in the knuckle housing.

Next make sure the backing plate is installed on the housing. I also installed the parking brake shoes and hardware to the backing plate.

Second, to press the spindle/hub into the inner wheel bearing race, I used the old 2-piece inner race from the bad bearing to support the inner races of the new bearing - from underneath the new bearing on the drill press lower support cross-member. Then I pressed the hub spindle down into the inner race of the new wheel bearing. This way the force was transmitted only across the inner races of the new bearing, and not from inner bearing race across the tapered bearings to the outer bearing race. I presume the tapered roller bearings are able to survive this force without damage, because there isn't any better way to go about this - from my perspective. Ask if you desire additional clarification.

Thanks for the the update on that mystery seal. I think my hub did have some sort of seal there just inboard off of the spindle on the immediately adjacent larger diameter shelf. But all that was left of my spindle/hub seal was a thin ring of flange-like sheet metal driven onto the abutting shelf. I presumed that the seal was bonded to this piece of sheet metal I observed. I just left that sheet metal flange in-place, mounted on that shelf.

Pontisteve · 12-29-2011, 12:50 AM

You guys are correct about setting the hub on the press, and pressing the spindle (with bearing already pressed into the spindle) down onto the hub. A little WD40 probably wouldn't hurt here, and pay attention to how far down you push it. It should stop on it's own, but remember that a press doesn't know when to quit.

You can go to motorcraft.com and view a picture of the assembly by clicking on the Driveline and Axles>Wheel Bearings, Seals, and Related Components>Wheel Bearing Retaining Ring (rear), and then clicking on the View Image icon. (I have no idea why the rest of the bearing parts aren't listed here, but you can get to them by clicking on their basic part number in the Image).

Before, you could only buy the wheel bearing, hub, and snap (retaining) ring as a kit. Later on, I think they sell the parts separately. But you really should put in a new snap ring, and for the price it really doesn't cost anything more to buy the kit with the new hub. But the hub probably rarely actually goes bad. It's the bearing! Part of that may be water damage, especially if you own a boat.

There is no seal that seals this bearing from water. However, there is a dust seal that is pressed down onto the axle shaft. So once the axle gets slid into the hub, that dust seal ends up butting into the back side of the spindle/bearing area and seals it up. I doubt it is a water-proof seal, but it would prevent goop from easily getting into the bearing area. That seal costs between $7 and $10 from Ford, and has a "Basic" part# of 3K070. With that number and your application info, Ford can find that seal for you. I would replace this seal while you're in there.

In my case, that seal was so missing it's rubber, and rusty, that I barely noticed the thin metal ring that was left of it. Only after cleaning up the axle and prepping it for a repaint did I notice that ring could be pryed off. That prompted me to look it up at Ford, and I found that it should have been a rubber seal. Mine was simply shot from northern exposure. My E-brake shoes and hardware suffered a similar fate. I found the shoes in Raybestos at Amazon.com cheap, and I bought the hardware from Napa I believe.

In my case, rust had obscured my snap ring. I had to clean it up good with a brush, and work hard at prying/tapping it loose, and eventually working it out a little bit at a time. My Ford hub/bearing/snap-ring kit had a new one.

Try to remember at all times that the bearing is made up of one outer race, and two tapered bearings. So you always have to be mindful of supporting the bearing in the proper place from the opposite side as you press the new parts in. You could easily damage the new bearing by allowing the brunt of the press to be trying to push one of the tapered bearings in, while simultaneously pushing the other tapered bearing out!

PDH · 12-29-2011, 02:47 AM

Well I replaced the emergency/parking brake shoes with the hub installed and it really wasn't too bad of a job. I used an awl that came with a Sears Craftsman screwdriver set, and a pick with a curved end as described by Pontisteve. A little bit of fussing was required but it wasn't too bad at all. Much easier than I expected. Got her all back together and ran it down the road for a test drive. Running good. I checked the other rear wheel bearing and there was no play evident on the passenger side whatsoever, so I'll wait for trouble before tearing into the passenger side. Thanks to everyone that contributed to this Thread! Very nice to know what one is facing prior to tearing into a project like this.

Pontisteve · 12-29-2011, 03:56 AM

Headlight adjusting tool...

http://eng.jtc.com.tw/products/index...a&id=732&top=0

I think I got mine at a local auto parts store.

sparker · 01-17-2012, 01:21 PM

My diff seals need replaced to, cant find anything on here about it, have you? please let me know if you have. Thanks!!!

Pontisteve · 01-17-2012, 04:05 PM

The diff axle seals? Yeah, I did them on mine. Ford has revised them about 5 or 6 times. Make sure you get the latest version from Ford. Fords install specs are very particular about these seals. You have to pound them in all the way, with almost zero gap between the seal and the housing. Lisle makes a special tool for doing this. The tool is a bearing and seal installer that has a long handle, made to stick through the big hole in the frame rail, so you can hammer them in from the outside of the vehicle.

I did it without that tool, which was a huge pain, and was not worth it. The tool can be had for about 60 bucks. Buy it. It's specific to late model Ford trucks with IRS. Mostly Explorers and Expeditions, I think. I believe it's a Lisle 17850, about $60 on Ebay, plus shipping. Try Amazon, tooltopia, and usatoolwarehouse.

The old seal is 2 piece, and you have to remove both pieces off the rear end and the axle shaft. The new seal is one piece, and seems to work well. The seal comes with new circlips. In order to pop the axle out, you need to drive it out with a block of wood about 1.5" x 1.5" x 8" or so, and a mini-sledge. The trick is, you must hit the axle coming from the rear end side going towards the outside, and you have to hit the part of the CV joint that is part of the section of axle that sticks into the rear end. Hitting other parts of the axle could separate the CV joints.

Give it a decent love tap to pop it out of the circlips. Once the axle is removed, you can swap out the circlips for the included new ones. The axle should pretty much pop back in without drama. You may want to lube up the axle splines a little. While the axle is removed, it's a good time to replace the dust seal on the outer end of the axle. It seals the cv joint to the back side of the spindle/bearing assembly, and keeps dirt and water out of the bearing.

dustinlee · 01-19-2012, 02:28 PM

Thanks a lot for this. I have looked all over and this is the most helpful information I have found. I made it to the part where I used the hub puller, but unfortunately I pulled the center out of the bearing before, so had no chance of getting it out on my own. I really though I was stuck, but after reading you steps on "removing the upper control arm and toe link", I was able to get everything off. Now I think i will also follow your steps, and see if I can go get this beast pressed out and the new bearing and hub installed. A lot of good advice here, thanks again buddy!

12-05-2011, 06:49 PM	#242
Malcolms-X Wannabe Elite Explorer 2002 XLT 4.6L V8 4WD Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 5 Vehicle Specs	Timken RR Bearing & Hub Assembly I just ordered the Timken RR assembly for $67.30. It is available via Amazon thru StockWise Auto for $93.17 + shipping (my local part's supplier had it in stock for $139). Prior to purchase I took Amazon's promotional offer, applied & was approved for their VISA card which knocked off an instant $40 (I declined their first offer of $30, so they came back at me with $40!). I was planning on cancelling all my BankofAmerica cards anyway because I disapprove their past/present activities contributing to America's current financial mess. This new card will take their place. The Amazon card is thru Chase, of whom I have no beef with (that I know of yet). No annual fee. I'll just use the card when purchasing stuff thru Amazon, and keep it at that. Hope to do a r&r on the RR before the snow flys.

12-28-2011, 04:00 AM	#248
PDH Wannabe Elite Explorer Alaska '94 XLT & 2002 XLT Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 32 Vehicle Specs	I pressed the driver's side rear wheel bearing out and back in without any problems on my 2002 XLT, but I have a 30-ton shop press. I purchased this press at a garage sale this past summer and this is the first time I've ever used a press for anything. So I was going slow and easy, and I made sure I had good central support under the item being pressed on. Piece of cake. Nobody mentioned that when the guts (inner races and tapered bearings) come out of the bearing that there's no surface to push against to get the outer bearing race pushed out of the knuckle. Which left me surprised and befuddled for a bit. I had to spot weld some ridges up inside of the outer race so that a 3" outer diameter Ford F-350 Dana 60 spindle nut socket would catch those spot welds and provide an edge to bite into to push the race out of the knuckle joint. Then the outer race pushed out no problems. To my disappointment, after I shoved the hub back onto the bearing and knuckle, I saw that one of my parking brake friction shoes was almost completely delaminated from the steel shoe. I'll have to buy a set of parking brake shoes tomorrow, and then I'll either have to shove the hub back off the bearing or else change the parking brake shoes with the hub in place. Anybody have any questions, ask quick before I forget. Last edited by PDH; 12-29-2011 at 02:37 AM.

12-28-2011, 08:47 AM	#249
Pontisteve Wannabe Elite Explorer Florida 03 Eddie Bauer 4WD V8 Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 413 Vehicle Specs	You don't have to pull the hub bearing to change the parking brake shoes. You need a little tool called a headlight adjusting tool that is basically a T-handle with a hook on the end of it. That will allow you to grab the springs with the hub in place. 1 of the problems with pressing out the old bearing race is that there is nothing but a tapered surface to push against. You can use a cone shaped object to press out the race, but some of the presses energy will get transmitted into the housing. That can cause the housing to break. The best thing to do is to cut the race first before you press it out. This weakens the race and causes it to break under the stress of the press. Otherwise, a big press can break the spindle. __________________ EFI Tuner SCT Dealer and Certified Tuner

12-28-2011, 01:06 PM	#250
PDH Wannabe Elite Explorer Alaska '94 XLT & 2002 XLT Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 32 Vehicle Specs	I decided that I wouldn't shove the hub back out of the bearing to replace the parking brake shoes after posting above because I realized there isn't any way to keep the press load only the two inner bearing race halves during that process. And I don't want to risk damaging the wheel bearing by transferring the press force across the bearings from the inner race to the outer bearing race. Thanks for the reminder on the headlight adjusting tool. I will ask for that tool when I purchase the new parking brake shoes and see how that works for purposes of replacing the parking brake shoes with the hub in-place. The way I pressed the outer race out of the knuckle could never have broken the knuckle. I found an outer gear from an automatic transmission pump laying in the garage that fit perfectly on the bottom side of the knuckle, overlapping the edge of the knuckle opening the outer bearing race was being pushed out of. I was able to use that circular tranny gear under the knuckle to move the outer race the first 1/3", until the race bottomed out on the transmission pump gear. Once I had the race moved that far, I knew it would press it out the rest of the way with no damage to the knuckle housing after I had to use the outer surfaces of the knuckle for support to press the outer race the rest of the way out. Once it move that first 1/3", it came out firmly - but steadily - the rest of the way. I could see how if the knuckle were supported on its outer edges when pressing the outer bearing race out of it that, a heavy press load could crack the knuckle apart. So that's how I went about preventing that from happening. The machine shops that are breaking knuckles must be supporting the knuckle by the outer edges. I snooped the bone yard portion of my garage until I found this transmission pump gear (outer half of the two tranny pump gears) which was just the right OD to support the knuckle housing. Very straightforward and prevents any flexing of the knuckle housing under the highest of press loads. I'll take a picture of this gear and attach it to this post later today. EDIT: added photos and additional text below Here's the photo of the tranny pump gear. It's 3 11/16" in diameter and about 1/2" thick. Any round 3 3/4" steel plate about 1/2" thick or thicker would be ideal. The outer 1/4" to 1/3" of this gear catches and supports the circumference of the circular opening in the knuckle that contains the outer race of the wheel bearing. This will only allow the outer race of the old wheel bearing to be pressed out about the first 1/3" before the race bottoms out on the gear in the below photos. But that's enough to break the race free. It moves more easily after this initial movement. By the way, I checked with two local auto parts stores and neither of them had a headlight adjusting tool as described by Pontisteve. I'm going to use a curved pick and an awl and see if I can't get the new parking brake shoes installed tonight. Last edited by PDH; 02-28-2012 at 01:07 PM.

12-28-2011, 06:09 PM	#254
PDH Wannabe Elite Explorer Alaska '94 XLT & 2002 XLT Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 32 Vehicle Specs	I agree that the replacement of the hub is completely unnecessary, unless it's been damaged. Which is why I only purchased a new bearing. As far as the order of pressing the new wheel bearing into the housing and onto the spindle/hub? Here's how I did it: First, use the outer race from the old/bad wheel bearing to drive the new race into the knuckle housing. I was able to place the knuckle housing directly down onto the 3/4" thick steel plate material I use across the lower press cross-member. That way the force is only applied to the outer race of the new bearing until it's seated flush in and bottoms out in the knuckle housing. Next make sure the backing plate is installed on the housing. I also installed the parking brake shoes and hardware to the backing plate. Second, to press the spindle/hub into the inner wheel bearing race, I used the old 2-piece inner race from the bad bearing to support the inner races of the new bearing - from underneath the new bearing on the drill press lower support cross-member. Then I pressed the hub spindle down into the inner race of the new wheel bearing. This way the force was transmitted only across the inner races of the new bearing, and not from inner bearing race across the tapered bearings to the outer bearing race. I presume the tapered roller bearings are able to survive this force without damage, because there isn't any better way to go about this - from my perspective. Ask if you desire additional clarification. Thanks for the the update on that mystery seal. I think my hub did have some sort of seal there just inboard off of the spindle on the immediately adjacent larger diameter shelf. But all that was left of my spindle/hub seal was a thin ring of flange-like sheet metal driven onto the abutting shelf. I presumed that the seal was bonded to this piece of sheet metal I observed. I just left that sheet metal flange in-place, mounted on that shelf. Last edited by PDH; 12-29-2011 at 02:34 AM.

12-02-2011, 07:12 PM	#241
rocco123 Wannabe Elite Explorer Endicott, NY 1994 XLT & 2002 Limited Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 499 Vehicle Specs	Just pulled the worn bearing I replaced yesterday apart and it's just a double ball bearing. Also took apart a old bearing I'm pretty sure is Timkin 516008 and found it is a double taper roller. Both are rear bearings for my 02 explorer same dimensions. My thoughts are that a ball bearing will wear out sooner as the roller has much more surface area for load. What I just installed is a "made in China" autozone duralast pn DL516008. Not sure if it's roller or ball.

12-10-2011, 03:05 PM	#243
tmds3 Wannabe Elite Explorer Bedford,TX '02 XLT Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 38 Vehicle Specs	Did mine this morning, actually took me longer to find a shop to press the bearing than anything else.Had to replace the hub as well since it was fused to the bearing. I used an impact wrench which made short work of the nuts and bolts sections of this. Great big THANK YOU for the write-up. Sure did make my job easier.

12-10-2011, 04:13 PM	#245
tmds3 Wannabe Elite Explorer Bedford,TX '02 XLT Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 38 Vehicle Specs	I got the hub and bearing form autozone for 144, they charged me 40 to press out and back in

12-10-2011, 04:22 PM	#246
avritch Wannabe Elite Explorer USA 2003 Merc Mountaineer Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 23 Vehicle Specs	I assume you mean $40 for one side. I paid $50 per side. I'd really feel taken if you got both Left and Right done for $40

12-10-2011, 05:03 PM	#247
tmds3 Wannabe Elite Explorer Bedford,TX '02 XLT Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 38 Vehicle Specs	Yes just for the one side, sorry didnt specify.

12-28-2011, 03:06 PM	#251
Ryan_289 Wannabe Elite Explorer AR 2005 Mountaineer Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 13 Vehicle Specs	I just tore into this on an 05 mountaineer last night. What about the seal that goes next the the bearing between the e brake shoes and the hub? The part stores didnt even show that seal?

12-28-2011, 04:08 PM	#252
PDH Wannabe Elite Explorer Alaska '94 XLT & 2002 XLT Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 32 Vehicle Specs	I didn't replace any seal at that location on mine. It looked like there probably was a seal there originally, but I didn't even look for any replacement seal. I saw a piece of steel shell pressed over the abutting face next to the bearing on the hub, but no seal left attached to this piece of steel. I suspect the only purpose for a seal at that location would be to prevent any bearing grease from being spread up onto the parking brake shoe/drum surface inside the brake rotor housing (which acts as the parking brake drum). I just didn't worry about it. And the bearing looked sealed well enough I'm not worried about trying to keep water and dirt from entering the bearing. Just don't submerge your wheel bearings in water! However, if you locate a source for a replacement seal (if such a seal is available) please post how and where you located them - plus cost? Thanks

12-28-2011, 05:04 PM	#253
Ryan_289 Wannabe Elite Explorer AR 2005 Mountaineer Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 13 Vehicle Specs	I ordered a seal from the ford place. Im still not sure its the right one. We looked at the parts diagram and the seal shows to be on the wrong side of the bearing. Only thing is there isnt a seal there. He is going to order it to see if maybe the diagram is off. Thats not unheard of, I work at a John Deere dealership and our parts diagrams can be off from time to time. I know I probably dont need it, just thought that it might be better off as it came from the factory. My other question is this, after we pressed the wheel bearing in the carrier im concerned about pressing the hub into the bearing. I hate to put so much pressure on the inside of the bearing. The only idea I have come up with is to put the hub down first on the press and then press the carrier onto the hub. That way im pressing the race down onto the shaft instead of the shaft into the bearing with no support. That sound right? I didnt replace the hub, I dont see why that is so neccesary. I cleaned mine up with the wire wheel on the bench grinder. You can still see all of the original factory machine area where it goes into the bearing. No pits or scoring.

12-29-2011, 12:50 AM	#255
Pontisteve Wannabe Elite Explorer Florida 03 Eddie Bauer 4WD V8 Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 413 Vehicle Specs	You guys are correct about setting the hub on the press, and pressing the spindle (with bearing already pressed into the spindle) down onto the hub. A little WD40 probably wouldn't hurt here, and pay attention to how far down you push it. It should stop on it's own, but remember that a press doesn't know when to quit. You can go to motorcraft.com and view a picture of the assembly by clicking on the Driveline and Axles>Wheel Bearings, Seals, and Related Components>Wheel Bearing Retaining Ring (rear), and then clicking on the View Image icon. (I have no idea why the rest of the bearing parts aren't listed here, but you can get to them by clicking on their basic part number in the Image). Before, you could only buy the wheel bearing, hub, and snap (retaining) ring as a kit. Later on, I think they sell the parts separately. But you really should put in a new snap ring, and for the price it really doesn't cost anything more to buy the kit with the new hub. But the hub probably rarely actually goes bad. It's the bearing! Part of that may be water damage, especially if you own a boat. There is no seal that seals this bearing from water. However, there is a dust seal that is pressed down onto the axle shaft. So once the axle gets slid into the hub, that dust seal ends up butting into the back side of the spindle/bearing area and seals it up. I doubt it is a water-proof seal, but it would prevent goop from easily getting into the bearing area. That seal costs between $7 and $10 from Ford, and has a "Basic" part# of 3K070. With that number and your application info, Ford can find that seal for you. I would replace this seal while you're in there. In my case, that seal was so missing it's rubber, and rusty, that I barely noticed the thin metal ring that was left of it. Only after cleaning up the axle and prepping it for a repaint did I notice that ring could be pryed off. That prompted me to look it up at Ford, and I found that it should have been a rubber seal. Mine was simply shot from northern exposure. My E-brake shoes and hardware suffered a similar fate. I found the shoes in Raybestos at Amazon.com cheap, and I bought the hardware from Napa I believe. In my case, rust had obscured my snap ring. I had to clean it up good with a brush, and work hard at prying/tapping it loose, and eventually working it out a little bit at a time. My Ford hub/bearing/snap-ring kit had a new one. Try to remember at all times that the bearing is made up of one outer race, and two tapered bearings. So you always have to be mindful of supporting the bearing in the proper place from the opposite side as you press the new parts in. You could easily damage the new bearing by allowing the brunt of the press to be trying to push one of the tapered bearings in, while simultaneously pushing the other tapered bearing out! __________________ EFI Tuner SCT Dealer and Certified Tuner

12-29-2011, 02:47 AM	#256
PDH Wannabe Elite Explorer Alaska '94 XLT & 2002 XLT Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 32 Vehicle Specs	Well I replaced the emergency/parking brake shoes with the hub installed and it really wasn't too bad of a job. I used an awl that came with a Sears Craftsman screwdriver set, and a pick with a curved end as described by Pontisteve. A little bit of fussing was required but it wasn't too bad at all. Much easier than I expected. Got her all back together and ran it down the road for a test drive. Running good. I checked the other rear wheel bearing and there was no play evident on the passenger side whatsoever, so I'll wait for trouble before tearing into the passenger side. Thanks to everyone that contributed to this Thread! Very nice to know what one is facing prior to tearing into a project like this.

12-29-2011, 03:56 AM	#257
Pontisteve Wannabe Elite Explorer Florida 03 Eddie Bauer 4WD V8 Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 413 Vehicle Specs	Headlight adjusting tool... http://eng.jtc.com.tw/products/index...a&id=732&top=0 I think I got mine at a local auto parts store. __________________ EFI Tuner SCT Dealer and Certified Tuner

01-17-2012, 01:21 PM	#258
sparker Wannabe Elite Explorer Marion, IN 2005 XLT Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 3 Vehicle Specs	My diff seals need replaced to, cant find anything on here about it, have you? please let me know if you have. Thanks!!!

01-17-2012, 04:05 PM	#259
Pontisteve Wannabe Elite Explorer Florida 03 Eddie Bauer 4WD V8 Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 413 Vehicle Specs	The diff axle seals? Yeah, I did them on mine. Ford has revised them about 5 or 6 times. Make sure you get the latest version from Ford. Fords install specs are very particular about these seals. You have to pound them in all the way, with almost zero gap between the seal and the housing. Lisle makes a special tool for doing this. The tool is a bearing and seal installer that has a long handle, made to stick through the big hole in the frame rail, so you can hammer them in from the outside of the vehicle. I did it without that tool, which was a huge pain, and was not worth it. The tool can be had for about 60 bucks. Buy it. It's specific to late model Ford trucks with IRS. Mostly Explorers and Expeditions, I think. I believe it's a Lisle 17850, about $60 on Ebay, plus shipping. Try Amazon, tooltopia, and usatoolwarehouse. The old seal is 2 piece, and you have to remove both pieces off the rear end and the axle shaft. The new seal is one piece, and seems to work well. The seal comes with new circlips. In order to pop the axle out, you need to drive it out with a block of wood about 1.5" x 1.5" x 8" or so, and a mini-sledge. The trick is, you must hit the axle coming from the rear end side going towards the outside, and you have to hit the part of the CV joint that is part of the section of axle that sticks into the rear end. Hitting other parts of the axle could separate the CV joints. Give it a decent love tap to pop it out of the circlips. Once the axle is removed, you can swap out the circlips for the included new ones. The axle should pretty much pop back in without drama. You may want to lube up the axle splines a little. While the axle is removed, it's a good time to replace the dust seal on the outer end of the axle. It seals the cv joint to the back side of the spindle/bearing assembly, and keeps dirt and water out of the bearing. __________________ EFI Tuner SCT Dealer and Certified Tuner

01-19-2012, 02:28 PM	#260
dustinlee Wannabe Elite Explorer Luthersville GA 2002 for explorer XLT Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 1 Vehicle Specs	Thank you Thanks a lot for this. I have looked all over and this is the most helpful information I have found. I made it to the part where I used the hub puller, but unfortunately I pulled the center out of the bearing before, so had no chance of getting it out on my own. I really though I was stuck, but after reading you steps on "removing the upper control arm and toe link", I was able to get everything off. Now I think i will also follow your steps, and see if I can go get this beast pressed out and the new bearing and hub installed. A lot of good advice here, thanks again buddy!