Wheel Bearing Replacement Question...

[jpoprock]

Hey guys... I've got two bad rear bearings in my 02 Explorer Ltd. I need to order the replacements, and I have a question.

Do I have to buy the entire assembly or can I just get the wheel bearing and hub assembly at about 1/2 the price? I don't see any reason to spend $140 on completely new assembly if I don't have to. Sure, it would be great. But I'm trying save money here. The truck is paid for, and only needs to last me another couple years tops.

My friend is doing the work for me, and knows what he's doing.

Also, should I go with any certain brand like Timken or ??

Thanks!
Jason

 

[AIRBLUE]

Read this

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226108&highlight=REAR+DIFF+SEALS

buy as assy - cheap is ok for a year but after you do this you won't want to do it again.

Cheap
http://http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FORD-EXPLORER-REAR-WHEEL-HUB-BEARING-KIT-02-03-04-05_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem4837b7b0faQQitemZ310172430586QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

 

[jpoprock]

Thanks for the info. That was the exact bearing hub combo that I was considering! But I really don't want to have to do this again in a year or two, warranty or not. I can't say that I'll have the truck for that long, but you never know.

So are you saying that the Ebay item you suggested would be fine, but not for long term? You're advising against doing it on the cheap I take it? Spend the extra on a better brand? I was told that if you're doing the rears, you need pretty much the parts pictured in that eBay auction. But for the fronts, you need the entire assembly. Is that right? So, that's about $175 a side for the front, and $75 or less a side for the rears.

I may just do the rear's now, since they are the ones making all the noise. I wanted to do all four corners though. But if I'm going to have to go replacing all kinds of other things as indicated in your thread, I may just do the rears now so I can afford to buy other parts.

Thanks!

 

[alexk]

You can get them from Ford pretty cheap, my dealer has them for $150 for the back ones.

 

[tperez715]

hub assembly

I am having the same problem but thank god it's only the left rear. I found the assembly really cheap on ebay new and I have bought from this vendor before so it's a good deal..... here's the link


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FORD...m7QQcategoryZ33728QQihZ021QQitemZ310172430586

question for everyone..... can't seem to find info on what size the hub nut is. I don't have the larger ones and I can buy them individually (much cheaper than a set) but not sure what size.

 

[Limited02]

I actually found a website that has some front hubs cheap. Claim they are OEM replacements. My front passenger is howling like a pain so I need to get it changed. Worth a look.

http://ford-car-parts.macautoparts....897/3264545-02-03-04-05-Ford/ProductInfo.aspx

Edit: I just purchased one and will let you know how it goes.

 

[clarks2001]

I just did my front passenger one and now my ex is riding like new...well almost, gotta have the rear passenger bearing checked, think pep boys screwed it up when they installed it cause i hear a grinding noise coming from the rear. But its nice to feel that the truck rides smoother now

 

[jpoprock]

UPDATED: PICTURE LINKS NOW WORKING 05/06/2010

Just a follow up on this repair...

It wasn't too bad... but it did take me and my buddy 19 total hours and about two cases of beer to do it!! The only real instructions that I had were provided by Tyler92 from this forum!! The hardest part of the job was actually getting the springs off, reinstalled, and lined up. Dealing with a spring compression clamp was a pain due to how little room you had to work with. If the spring needed rotated so that it could seat into the carrier thingy properly, you sometimes couldn't rotate it because the clamps got in the way. I also got lucky and didn't damage anything that wasn't already bad!

I went with Timken hubs and bearings and Moog springs. BOTH of my springs were broken btw. I can't believe the difference that new springs made to the ride!

One major snag that we ran into, was that when I took the bearings up to Napa to have them pressed out and the new pressed in, they told me they didn't do that any longer! I almost died because my rear end was tore down, and now Napa doesn't deal with hubs (At least my local Napa doesn't). So, I called my neighbor who has a 20ton press. He wasn't sure if he had anything big enough to press the old bearings in and out, but he did after all. Thank god too, because I would have been in deep trouble. That took a big time chunk out of the day, as well as having to go to Harbor Freight for some specialty tools I needed.

But in the end, it wasn't too bad. My buddy and I basically tag teamed the job. He'd wrench for a while, the I'd wrench for a while, etc. Neither of us had done the job before either!! I think I could do it much quicker now, but I certainly don't want to have to do it any time soon!

The amount of beer that was consumed was staggering too. HA!

Here are some pix! (notice the printed instructions courtesy of Tyler92)!

I'd say my spring was toast wouldn't you?

The right side hub

Taking it all apart...

Splined Shaft

Catastrophic Bearing Failure!

Pressing it out

Right Side Complete!!

Hillbilly jack stand!

 

[jpoprock]

I just updated the picture links today. Sorry about that.

 

[DLinkOZ]

Oh my! You aren't kidding about hillbilly jack stand! I think I see a spot where you can get another 2x4 wedged in

 

[jpoprock]

Told ya!! My buddy couldn't find, and STILL can't find his jack stands. He thinks someone stole them. He finally got some more though. We went to look for them that morning, and couldn't find them... so... we improvised!! That truck wasn't going anywhere though, trust me!

 

[DLinkOZ]

Looks like one of those scenarios that starts with "I dunno, everything started out ok..."

 

[miker104]

Looks like one of those scenarios that starts with "I dunno, everything started out ok..."

Or "Here, hold my beer"!

 

[BigRondo]

The hillbilly jack stand is classic!