Replacement front hub?
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Replacement front hub for 2WD?
Hey 1st gen’rs,
Looking for info on front wheel hub assemblies. Currently the truck is stranded 60+ miles from home making a racket from the front passenger side. With full weight on the tire I can push the wheel in and out and see everything moving.
So, can’t drive it home! Been doing some quick research and found hubs from Moog/Timken but they say 4WD and some say they fit both. But when I drill down for 2WD I can only find bearings.
Are the hubs interchangeable? I realize a bearing swap would be cheaper but I’d rather replace the whole thing especially if the hub already comes pre lubed.
Looking for info on front wheel hub assemblies. Currently the truck is stranded 60+ miles from home making a racket from the front passenger side. With full weight on the tire I can push the wheel in and out and see everything moving.
So, can’t drive it home! Been doing some quick research and found hubs from Moog/Timken but they say 4WD and some say they fit both. But when I drill down for 2WD I can only find bearings.
Are the hubs interchangeable? I realize a bearing swap would be cheaper but I’d rather replace the whole thing especially if the hub already comes pre lubed.
Last edited by blackbeemer; Feb 25, 2020 at 04:16 PM.
Grand Champion
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 5,173
Likes: 724
From: S.W. Indiana
Hey 1st gen’rs,
Looking for info on front wheel hub assemblies. Currently the truck is stranded 60+ miles from home making a racket from the front passenger side. With full weight on the tire I can push the wheel in and out and see everything moving.
So, can’t drive it home! Been doing some quick research and found hubs from Moog/Timken but they say 4WD and some say they fit both. But when I drill down for 2WD I can only find bearings.
Are the hubs interchangeable? I realize a bearing swap would be cheaper but I’d rather replace the whole thing especially if the hub already comes pre lubed.
Looking for info on front wheel hub assemblies. Currently the truck is stranded 60+ miles from home making a racket from the front passenger side. With full weight on the tire I can push the wheel in and out and see everything moving.
So, can’t drive it home! Been doing some quick research and found hubs from Moog/Timken but they say 4WD and some say they fit both. But when I drill down for 2WD I can only find bearings.
Are the hubs interchangeable? I realize a bearing swap would be cheaper but I’d rather replace the whole thing especially if the hub already comes pre lubed.
You don't have hubs. You have inner and outer wheel bearings. This has been standard for over 100 years. You will need an inner and outer wheel bearing, inner grease seal, some grease and once you get in there, you may need a castellated nut, bearing, cotter key and maybe the flat retaining plate. Remove the wheel and the caliper and bracket and the rotor will come right off. The bearings go inside the rotor. To do it right, you'll need to clean all the old grease and metal particles out and knock the old bearing races out. Then knock the new ones in and pack the bearings before reassembly.
Champion
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 4,737
Likes: 374
From: Northwest Louisiana
Some additional notes.
1) Don't cheap out on the bearings! Timken, SKF, or genuine Mopar. Skip National or WeDon'tLast bearings.
2) If you don't want to bother with the races, get a good brand of rotor/hub combo; they come with races preinstalled.
3) If you've never hand packed a bearing before, I'd suggest a pressure packer - use a grease gun with a high quality grease in it, and pick one of these: https://smile.amazon.com/Lisle-65250...dp/B0002NYDYY/ (cheap, can be also found in Performance Parts or the house brand at a lot of big box stores) or https://smile.amazon.com/Lisle-34550...dp/B0002NYDYO/ (a better unit, but for once in a blue moon, not worth it.) While packing, be SURE that the grease oozes out between the roller bearings; it's nice if they are almost all covered by the time you get done. (I do the outer first, drop it back in the box, and then do the inner; that way I don't have to clean up quite so much.)
3a) Wear disposable gloves; latex, nitrile, whatever suits you. That stuff is NASTY. Then again, I usually use the moly lube ... . (Note: If you have a hand gun that uses the small cartridges, Harbor Freight sells a 3-tube package. They also have a small hand lube gun if you don't have one at all ... )
4) The methodogy is the same from 1987 to 1996; pull down the factory service manual from the FAQ posting (top of the message listing for this subforum) and check it out. I've attached the page of how to adjust it and the proper settings from my 1988 FSM. If yours isn't a 1995 or 1996, you can find the FSM for sale used paper on Ebay, or new paper or disk at Bishko Publishing's web site. Summit and I think Jegs also sell the disks on their web site.
5) IF the inner race is seized to the spindle, you can use a Dremel and several cutting discs *grins* to notch it deep enough that a few whacks with a cold chisel will split it and let you pry it off. If the spindle has blued on you, however, it's toast; you'll have to replace the spindle for durability.
6) While taking the old hub off, pay attention to the lip direction of the seal; if you put the new one on inside out, it won't seal properly and you'll get grease all over the brake pads until the bearings seize on you.
If it's getting close, this is a great time to do a full front brake job (rotors and pads); just don't buy the cheapest crap you can. I'm not positive there's that much difference, but I sleep a bit better knowing I have Bendix or Wagner rotors on my truck. (I also drove out the supplied races and drove in the races for my Timkens; but I'm not only paranoid, but typically put 40,000+ miles a year, mostly highway 75MPH or so, on my truck; I'm not sure it's paranoia to be that **** about it.)
Hopefully you get'er back together good!
RwP
1) Don't cheap out on the bearings! Timken, SKF, or genuine Mopar. Skip National or WeDon'tLast bearings.
2) If you don't want to bother with the races, get a good brand of rotor/hub combo; they come with races preinstalled.
3) If you've never hand packed a bearing before, I'd suggest a pressure packer - use a grease gun with a high quality grease in it, and pick one of these: https://smile.amazon.com/Lisle-65250...dp/B0002NYDYY/ (cheap, can be also found in Performance Parts or the house brand at a lot of big box stores) or https://smile.amazon.com/Lisle-34550...dp/B0002NYDYO/ (a better unit, but for once in a blue moon, not worth it.) While packing, be SURE that the grease oozes out between the roller bearings; it's nice if they are almost all covered by the time you get done. (I do the outer first, drop it back in the box, and then do the inner; that way I don't have to clean up quite so much.)
3a) Wear disposable gloves; latex, nitrile, whatever suits you. That stuff is NASTY. Then again, I usually use the moly lube ... . (Note: If you have a hand gun that uses the small cartridges, Harbor Freight sells a 3-tube package. They also have a small hand lube gun if you don't have one at all ... )
4) The methodogy is the same from 1987 to 1996; pull down the factory service manual from the FAQ posting (top of the message listing for this subforum) and check it out. I've attached the page of how to adjust it and the proper settings from my 1988 FSM. If yours isn't a 1995 or 1996, you can find the FSM for sale used paper on Ebay, or new paper or disk at Bishko Publishing's web site. Summit and I think Jegs also sell the disks on their web site.
5) IF the inner race is seized to the spindle, you can use a Dremel and several cutting discs *grins* to notch it deep enough that a few whacks with a cold chisel will split it and let you pry it off. If the spindle has blued on you, however, it's toast; you'll have to replace the spindle for durability.
6) While taking the old hub off, pay attention to the lip direction of the seal; if you put the new one on inside out, it won't seal properly and you'll get grease all over the brake pads until the bearings seize on you.
If it's getting close, this is a great time to do a full front brake job (rotors and pads); just don't buy the cheapest crap you can. I'm not positive there's that much difference, but I sleep a bit better knowing I have Bendix or Wagner rotors on my truck. (I also drove out the supplied races and drove in the races for my Timkens; but I'm not only paranoid, but typically put 40,000+ miles a year, mostly highway 75MPH or so, on my truck; I'm not sure it's paranoia to be that **** about it.)
Hopefully you get'er back together good!
RwP
Grand Champion
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 5,173
Likes: 724
From: S.W. Indiana
+1 on that. I was trying to be a little less wordy. I'm not much good at that. 
One VERY important caveat, if you do have to resort to a chisel, WEAR SAFETY GLASSES. I had a guy at my shop who didn't like wearing them but it was that or get another job. He asked for another pair once (they are cheap) and showed a piece of cutting wheel embedded in the lens.
One VERY important caveat, if you do have to resort to a chisel, WEAR SAFETY GLASSES. I had a guy at my shop who didn't like wearing them but it was that or get another job. He asked for another pair once (they are cheap) and showed a piece of cutting wheel embedded in the lens.
