Front wheel bearings (brands and torque specs)

[5spdman]

I went ahead about a month ago and replaced all 4 pads and rotors on Edgar (91 XLT with 95 rear axle, 3.73, 5" lift, SOA, 33's) and replaced the front wheel bearings while I was at it. All parts were from NAPA, and I got the best wheel bearings they had. I had replaced the auto hubs with manual hubs a few weeks earlier, and refered to my Haynes manual as I didn't think the torque specs were right that came with my hub nut conversion kit from MileMarker. They were right, so I torqued the inner locknut to 35 ft-lbs, backed it off 1/4 turn and retorqued it to 16 in-lbs. Put on the washer and torqued the outer locknut to 150 ft-lbs.

Took the explorer on a trail outside of Tuba City, AZ yesterday, and as I was coming back to the school I noticed a lot of noise coming from the front, particularly when I turned; obviously something is wrong with the bearings. I haven't torn into it yet, what with NCAA wrestling finals on today, but I did note that when pushing on the top of the tires there is some play on the passenger side. The truck has only been off-road twice since the bearings and rotors were replaced...

My questions are, what are you guys with lifts and larger tires using for wheel bearings, and was there anything you changed as far as torque specs on the locknuts?

 

[5spdman]

Figured it out....

All 5 lug nuts got loose on the passenger side some how, and it ended up striping the lug bolts so they weren't solid in the rotor, making the awful noise I was hearing. Managed to get the lug nuts off and threw one of the old rotors on and there is no noise...wheel bearings are still good. Gonna go into NAPA tonight and grab another rotor........still not sure how it happened as I always make sure everything is torqued down....

 

[Anime]

Timken bearings are usually regarded as "the best" but the SKF bearings NAPA sells are also top quality. Generally as long as you are using top parts store brands and not budget brands you will get a well built bearing with tight tolerances and hard metal that will last. It's also just considered normal to have to keep replacing wheel bearings when using the stock Explorer rotors and hubs on the TTB with large tires, which is why people go to a solid axle.

As for the lug nuts, proper procedure is to torque them to spec, then check them again after a few drives. On a lifted vehicle with large tires, the lateral forces created by the large, heavy tires, plus any vibrations from not being perfectly balanced, can loosen the lug nuts over time. You may even have just had a rotor with poorly threaded lugs.

I would say you should check and re-check the lug nut torque every so often just to be sure this isn't a recurring issue. You may want to pay particular attention to checking the torque on that wheel or you may want to just check the torque once/twice a week on all 4 for several weeks to be sure the loose lugs aren't being caused by some vibration or other issue.

 

[5spdman]

Would over tightening "helped" the lugs get striped from the rotor? When putting a wheel on a vehicle, I usually use an impact driver (in this case and from the time I had bought it til it dies, an 18v Milwaukee Fuel high torque 1/2" drive impact). I run the driver until it starts to impact, and then give it three short pulls on the trigger and call it good (especially since the driver is rated for 400ft-lbs fastening torque).

I have been in the market for a torque stick (or set of torque sticks) since I bought the Milwaukee...when I go into NAPA I'll see if they have a 100ft-lb torque stick and buy it for sure. Will be good to at least have that in the tool bag with the Milwaukee and the lug nut socket set for trips and especially trail runs...

 

[Anime]

Yeah, that's a recipe for not only stretching the lugs, overtightening the lug nuts, and warping the rotors, but also causing wheel cracks around the lug holes and eventual failure.

You can kind of get away with using an impact wrench for initial spinning on and tightening to below torque spec, but the best practice is to use it for nothing else other than loosening and removing lug nuts.

You should NEVER, EVER use an impact wrench to actually tighten the lug nuts and then "call it good".

The "torque sticks" are not for actual torquing of the lug nuts, they just limit the torque that is applied to the lugs/lug nuts and offer some protection. You still need to use an actual torque wrench to torque the lug nuts to spec.

You can get a 150ft-lb beam-style 1/2" drive torque wrench for $10-20. You can even get a used older-model USA-made all-metal one for less than the cheap-o China-made ones they sell at parts stores at garage sales/CL or ebay. Even a $9.99 (with coupon) click-type from Harbor Freight is better than nothing. Combo with a short extension and 3/4" 6-point chrome socket and you have the advanced technology you need to prevent wheel lug related catastrophes.

 

[5spdman]

I do have a beam style torque wrench...cost me about $.50 at an auction.

My struggle with it is that it doesn't fit into my tool boxes, which at the moment usually stay locked and strapped down in the Explorer, so I keep it in the house.

I can sometimes be impatient, and since my uncle (full-time certified mechanic) always tightens lug nuts with a torque stick, I just figured it was the way to go.

Once moving home, I'll be looking into getting a tool chest rather than small tool boxes, and I also won't be worried about leaving my tools in the shop, so I'll always have the torque wrench in reach...

 

[Anime]

Get bigger tool boxes. A beam torque wrench should fit fine in the bottom of an 18-20" wide box.

You could probably just stuff a torque wrench in the panel where the jack and stock lug wrench are, too, maybe wrap it in a towel.

Generally it's better to keep tools like a torque wrench at home or in the garage, but the beam style wrenches are pretty durable and can deal with being knocked around in a vehicle, you can just bend the needle back to zero if it ever goes out of whack since it just works by deflection.

You don't HAVE to keep a torque wrench in the vehicle though, the stock lug wrench is actually the perfect size to get the lug nuts to roughly 90-100ft-lbs. Once you get the feel for what that much torque feels like with it, it's more than fine for the lug nuts on a spare or even on the trail.

That said, if you can get more torque wrenches for 50 cents, keeping one in the vehicle to use, for peace of mind if nothing else, would probably be worth it.

 

[5spdman]

Generally I would keep all tools in a tool box at home in the garage where it can stay secure and organized, but where I'm living and working right now, the shop isn't mine. It also seems like no matter what kind of security measures I go through to lock the shop here at the school, something ends up missing every now and then, so I keep my locked boxes and bags in my locked vehicle, and don't let anyone but the teachers know that I keep them there (the teachers don't care anyway). I have a lot invested in these tools over the years and would like to keep that investment.

Thanks for all the feedback btw [MENTION=3663]Anime[/MENTION]!