99 front wheel bearings

[davemaschak]

hi everyone, I have a 99 explorer sport 4x4 and saw somewhere that the wheel bearings can be replaced w/o replacing the hub assembly. can the bearings be pressed out of the old hud and replaced. the info said the bearings cost about $10 ea. versus over $50 for a new assy. any help would be appreciated. bthanks

 

[windsors03cobra]

It is not true and while it may have some validity in the 3rd gen Exploder world you aint getting any type of a large & quality bearing for $10 this day and age.
That type of bearing hub set up makes the unit hub bearings 2nd gens have look nice IMO.

Here they are.

 

[ranger-93]

^what he said, best to replace the assembly.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Rock Auto- Timken bearings are $100 each.

 

[davemaschak]

hi everyone , thanks for the info. I should just go with the advice of owners. Did you guys ever see replacement hubs for around $50 ea? Do you think they would be good quality? I'm not doing any off roading, just need for the winters in pa. thanks for any input.

 

[windsors03cobra]

I gave about $175 for each Timkens at autozone 3 years ago.

 

[Joe Dirt]

hi everyone , thanks for the info. I should just go with the advice of owners. Did you guys ever see replacement hubs for around $50 ea? Do you think they would be good quality? I'm not doing any off roading, just need for the winters in pa. thanks for any input.

Yes, and no, they're crap. Doesn't matter if you're off road or on road, they don't hold up. Most people that get them have gotten between 2 weeks and a year on them.

Sort of being discussed here: CLICK ME

Don't buy the China hubs. The Dertoit Axle hubs are the same crap on eBay right now. Don't skimp on them, they are one part on the Ex's that you just have to suck up and buy the good ones unless you want to be continually replacing them. And for $100 each, getting Timkens is a bonus. Replace them once, and you'll be done with it.

 

[budwich]

I used the "<$50" on both sides. Work fine for general city use (4 plus years), "normal driving". If you are like me where your time is "free" and you ain't got any money, changing things out as part of "maintenance exercise" keeps me out of other "trouble"... at least that's what my wife calls it... Just my opinion though on day to day vehicle "work".... haven't done any study but a "quick one" would be that you could maybe do your hubs 3X with cheap units at the cost of an expensive one.... in general. Depending on how long you want to keep it going... not sure that on a 99 (11years old) that I would get a "10 year part" for that vehicle but that's just my money "thinking in my pocket".

 

[Joe Dirt]

Granted, once in a while a cheap part will last longer, as budwich's did. That's why I said most- there are always exceptions. I guess it's up to the user, but for me, spending $200 for Timkens and $100 for Chinese something-or-others and saving $100 on 2 hubs isn't worth the difference. I guess when I work on my vehicles my time is "free" but I could still spend time doing other stuff. I'd like to think my time is worth something. Plus, if I have to replace the cheap ones one time even, I've already spent the difference, plus I have to do the work all over again on top of it. One and done is my thought.