Sorry to Rob Samtmann, somehow I didn't get a notification email about your post.
For those brave souls considering doing the rear wheel bearings on 02-up Explorers, let me just say that it is definitely not a real easy job, because of the need to press the bearing in and out of the hub. On the front end, the hub/bearing assembly bolts in as an assembly. But on the rear, the bearing has to come out of the hub. And getting it out is a mother.
Because only one side of the bearing/race edge is fully accessible, there is no easy way to get the old bearing out. Getting the new bearing in is pretty much just being careful with the press and adapters, and supporting the back side of the bearing CAREFULLY, so you don't end up pressing the guts of the bearing right out the back side of the spindle. (The back side would be the side facing the wheel, not facing inboard). The trick is to use a big socket & hammer to bust out the guts of the bearing, leaving only the race left in the spindle. That part is easy enough. But the race OD must be about .4 freakin inches larger than the ID of the spindle, because it don't come out easy at all. The only leverage you have on the race at all is because the race is double-tapered, so the middle of the race is the thickest part.
Using a 20 ton shop press and the best adapters I could find to use, I couldn't budge the race. After talking to a mechanic friend of mine (who immediately had that facial expression that said everything), I followed his advice and used a cutting wheel to deeply notch the race in 2 spots, across from eachother. This weakened the integrity of the race enough that when I went back and used the press again, the press was able to shatter the race and get it out. Even that took major press leverage... I thought I was going to break the press. And it sounded like I did when it finally popped.
By the way, you have to see the old bearing apart to appreciate that it is one big race, with 2 tapered bearings facing towards eachother. So when you press in the new bearing, keep in mind that while youre pressing in on one bearing, your also sort of pressing out on the other. This is why you need to carefully support the backside of that bearing. Somewhere earlier in this thread I outlined exactly what parts I used to do that. It was a big ball valve from Lowe's I think, that happened to have the right size.
Another note... even if you shatter the old race getting it out, keep the pieces, because you just might need to piece it back together, to use it as a press adapter for installing the new bearing. Just think it out carefully when you're pressing it all back together.
Also, be careful not to cut too deep with the whizzer wheel, That bearing race is thick, but it's much thicker in the middle than on the outer sides of it. You have to sort of look at it, and imagine the thickness when you're cutting. It was probably 1/4" thick or so in the middle, but maybe not even an 1/8 at the outer edges. In my case, I didn't have the press at the location I was doing the job, so I needed to cut it deep enough the first time. If the press were right where I was doing the job, I could have kept cutting a little deeper each time, try to press it out, cut some more, try again, etc.
I did this guess well the first side. But when I did the 2nd side a few weeks later, I got overconfident and lazy when it came to being careful about how much I cut the race, and I went into the spindle some. So I had a friend tig weld the cut up some, and spend considerable time trying to reshape the area back to smooth again. You really don't want to have to do that!
To answer Robs question, I think I used a big socket to support it, but can't remember. The details are in this thread somewhere. As for getting it out, I pounded out the guts of the bearing with a socket, then cut the race in 2 opposing spots, and then used the press to shatter the race. When I tried to use the press to get the race out, I think part of the problem (not cutting the race) was that the race is double tapered. So when I was pressing down on the high middle part of the race, it was also probably spreading that pressure out as well as down, wedging the race even further. Ford should have not made that lip on the outer side of the spindle, and just left it open the size of the race OD, and then used a snap ring instead, along with a press fit, to hold the bearing in place. Or at least cut a few notches in the spindle, so you could use a press with a few "teeth" on the adapter to push on it.
, thought i had found my problem. replaced l/f hub and bearing and front pads and rotors. noise still there:thumbdwn:. anyone have alittle more guidance for me , it seems to make the noise going straight and swearving back and forth doesnt seem to change it at all but above 40mph it seems to lessen. checked the differential fluid which was full and tried rotating the tires but still the same. was hoping to take it on a 600 mile road triip tuesday for the holidays but alittle scared to take it now.
