Project X = Wheel Bearing Issues

[Tbars4]

...And you can bring your old front end out to truckhaven for me ...

 

[Burns]

Im ready for something bigger........Looking for a new dd and then the explorer is going under the knife the way i wanted to do it the first time





I wonder if i can get that axle as a carry on for the plane ride hahaha lol

 

[Tbars4]

...I don't know about carry on but I do know it would fit in the back of your X...You know you want to Drive the Lime Machine at truckhaven...(insert subliminal chant, must go to truckhaven)...

 

[Burns]

I have offically been tempted haha lol

Yes i want to get it out there but its not ready for that yet.

 

[rickcdewitt]

....Where have you been hiding Rick???.Hopefully not on another forum..:shifty_ey

guilty, but i have been busy with my truck.when i swing through its been for info or the classifieds. you get a locker for your truck yet?

 

[Tbars4]

...The front locker???...last year...The rear is still LS...

...I was talking about my X...I never did get one for the ranger yet..

 

[rickcdewitt]

...The front locker???...last year...The rear is still LS...

...I was talking about my X...I never did get one for the ranger yet..

last i heard you were looking for a 7.5 locker.

hows your x's front end holding up?broken shafts or joints yet from the locker?

 

[Tbars4]

...Front end is doing well but I have spit out a u-joint but It was more than likely my fault......I do need to find some spare manual hubs though...I rather go thru them than u-joints and axle shafts...

...Some pics of me putting it to good use can be found in my "pics and mod's list"...The pic of the guys working on my truck was actually them welding a u-joint cap on..

...Through all of that abuse, my bearings have held up fine...And these are the $10 a piece bearings I found at autozone...

 

[zjrog]

Even though I am swapping to a XJ D30, I am still glad to see this thread. Two of the reasons I'm swapping the D35 out for the D30 is wheel bearings and ball joints.

I can see that I would need to get new rotors, since we have spent a ton of time tightening the spindle nuts. I've actually had the outer nut almost all the way off by the time it gets noisy and I've had to run a thread file over the spindle threads. Since I need to replace everything anyway, the free D30 was mighty appelaing. I will need to install proper gearing though.

 

[HahnsB2]

Even though I am swapping to a XJ D30, I am still glad to see this thread. Two of the reasons I'm swapping the D35 out for the D30 is wheel bearings and ball joints.

I can see that I would need to get new rotors, since we have spent a ton of time tightening the spindle nuts. I've actually had the outer nut almost all the way off by the time it gets noisy and I've had to run a thread file over the spindle threads. Since I need to replace everything anyway, the free D30 was mighty appelaing. I will need to install proper gearing though.

You need to learn how to set them up. Like I've said before if you hand tighten the inner nut and crank the outter to 200 ft/lbs I doubt you'll ever have a problem with them. Arent those unit bearings stupid expensive?

 

[zjrog]

SInce I need to replace the spindles, and go back and add bearings and all, the freebie D30 is going under the truck. Yes, the unit bearings are somewhat expensive. But they don't work their way loose either.

On the other hand, I've often wondered what parts from the D35 spindles or knuckles even could be swapped over to the D30... Might be an interesting winter project to get lockouts on the D30 for less than the Warn kit.

 

[Tbars4]

...It's been 21 months and it finally came loose...Part of that is due to lack of trail runs do to the economy so maintenance has not been as frequent for inspections...

 

[Tbars4]

...Update for the previous post...

...I took and snugged up the spindle nuts just before the previous post...I mean I tightened just enough to be sure to get a couple miles out of them so I could just go ahead and replace the bearings on that side anyway...

...The bearings on that side were the ones I got for $9.99 each at AZ and they are Valucraft V37...So I was heading over to the AZ and it sounded like my hub started clicking...:scratch:...I get out and it is locked on that side and it wasn't yesterday...Just to be safe I swing over to where the ranger is and pull a hub off the axle in the back of it and swap them right there..Plenty of hub shavings in the hub and the spindlenuts are still tight...

..I continue over to AZ and get the same bearings but they are $7.99 now and the Timkens are down to $15.99...I get a block away as I'm heading to my buddy's shop and all of a sudden I hear this click click click...

...As fate would have it, I see this Ford Superduty coming up to pass me in the next lane and my click click click is now turning into a clack clack clack.....Aw SHOT, it's none other than PaulB (One of the Godfathers of this board) driving by and he waves and I sunk in my seat and waved back...I don't think he heard the noise...

...I turn the corner and the noise got so loud so quick, I pulled right over and I called AAA...Frequent towing miles again.. ...I was only a couple blocks from where I was going to swap the bearings as a precaution but I guess the X decided I got new bearings and she wanted them on now...

...I get over to my buddy's shop (closed) , whip out my trail bags and get to jacking..The rotors were warm but not hot and both sides were the same..The outer spindle nut was cracked but the inner nut and washer with tine were all perfect and in there proper place..

...I pulled the rotor and it turned out to be the inner bearing had grenaded...The dust seal rubber was pulled off and in with the remnants of the bearing, but in one piece...There was no foreign matter and about 5 of the rollers had split right down the middle, from end to end...There was no grit, filings, sand, nothing...The bearing part on the spindle had me scared as I had to surgically remove the carnage off of it carefully and when I got to it I was relieved it still spun..It was a little pain to get it off but I was sweating it till I did..The races and everything was perfect ...:scratch:

...Needless to say I would use those bearings for emergency replacements such as this but not for long term or hard use...$20 bucks, heck yea...Great quick replacement spares especially if you are stranded and until you can get to an area and properly put in a good set in a clean environment...

..As for the outer spindle nut cracking, I haven't a clew..

 

[Willard]

Hmmm...that's some interesting news. I have had a clicking on the driver side for a while now and have no clue what it could be. The bearings are the one thing I haven't replaced in the front end. Sounds like it is time for me to do them. Don't want to lose one at an inopportune time like you did.

Sorry you found your problem like this, but thank you for posting about it. This is a help for me. And good luck getting everything back together like normal.

 

[Tbars4]

...Mine happened n a matter of minutes but it is all back together for now...I will be doing some spindle mods in the not so distant future so it's all good for now...

...Clicking is generally related to the hubs, whether they be auto or manual hubs.. Clicking can also come from your caliper pins, keepers if they are sticking...If you think it may be a bearing, just pull the hub and spin the rotor..If it does not spin with minimal drag,or you hear clicking or grinding, it's probably the bearings but again, rule out that your caliper pins are greased and you don't have a brake issue (looking at your pad wear will help determine this)...I hope this helps..

 

[Willard]

That's the thing, everything else is new on mine, including brakes from the rotor to the hose and everything in between. The hub is my other suspicion, I have spares coming to help me determine this.

But enough with my problems, I'll stop cluttering up your thread.

 

[Tbars4]

...Some input needed here guys...

...Am I the only one that is having their outer spindle nuts crack???...In the last sentance of post #93 I had found one on my Project "X"...Today I was pulling the front pumpkin on the Ranger and I had a broke spindle nut on the drivers side...Everything else was intact, tight, and in it's place..

...For reference the Ranger is open in the front while the X has an Aussie...

..I am starting to think this might be related to the heat brought on by the brakes...

 

[Maniak]

i'm still on the same set of spindle nuts We put on more than 150k miles ago.. The threads are getting a little wavy, but otherwise, no issues.. and none have cracked..

~Mark

 

[Tbars4]

...Both of my broke nuts were stockers...

...I was really surprised to see this on my Ranger...

 

[RockRanger]

Never broke any on my 86 that I put 100k plus on. Never had that happen on my 93 even when I destroyed the wheel bearings to nothing.