spindle bearings, i think

[squeege]

hey guys...girls,

i thought i had a wheel bearing problem but when i popped my front tire off today i found this...

the rotor does not have any play but the little axle thingy with grooves on it moves around a bit against the spindle- i can wiggle it side to side and up and down, when i move it, it also moves the u joint on the other side... about 3/16" play altogether..

i see a round clip that holds an assembly together, and i guess there is a bearing behind this. my perception is that the very middle spindle is actually the drive shaft, the thing with the grooves on it, the cap has corresponding grooves on the inside...

is this right...

questions:

1. how many spindle bearings are there?
2. can i replace them with general tools?
3. can anyone guide me through it or drop a link?
4. is this thing going to come apart and make me wreck?

i have done wheel bearings before, but only on a e150 van and a toyota pickup, both were very similar but this one looks very different.

im working on:

92 explorer 4x4

thanks

this is my first post!

 

[squeege]

thanks in advance

 

[MrShorty]

I'm pretty sure that that kind of movement in the axleshaft is normal. Both of mine do that as well. There are some spindle bearing inside of the spindle that the axelshaft rides on. They're situated inside the spindle towards the end that attaches to the knuckle. They can be neglected and get rusty -- it wouldn't hurt to pull the spindle and see if they are ok.

I've found that Chilton's or Haynes do ok for guiding a body through these operations. If you don't have a print manual, then you can use the vehicle repair guides at www.autozone.com

 

[RangerX]

I'm pretty sure that that kind of movement in the axleshaft is normal. Both of mine do that as well.

Same here.

 

[squeege]

ok thanks, i see i forgot why i thought it was a wheel bearing though and what is my problem... when i jack the tire off the ground, i can rock my wheel from side to side and up and down, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch but when i take the tire off and grab the rotor, it wont move like that, and when driving, going over a bump i get a real loud thunk!

what is the problem?

 

[RangerX]

Check the wheel bearings and the ball joints.

 

[MrShorty]

"and when driving, going over a bump i get a real loud thunk!" -- Also check the radius arm bushings.