So tonight it was warm enough to have the windows down and the radio was off and I noticed when turning I am hearing a grinding crunching noise. It was dark so I couldn't see very well but the u-joints look good still. I am guessing the unit bearings are the culprit. Does this sound like a unit bearing or something else?

I have never replaced a unit bearing. Is this something a novice can handle, or am I going to have to go to the shop? I like doing my own work whenever possible but I also don't want to bite off more than I can chew.

What am I looking at for cost on doing this job myself?

 

Could be the bearings. Best thing to do is jack the truck up and take wheels off and see what's going on. The unit bearings are an easy fix. The only hard thing about them is sometimes the seize up and it takes some pounding to knock them free.

 

As far as cost goes you can get the bearings online ALOT cheaper than your local parts store. So if you don't need the truck and you can wait for shipping that's your best bet. If you can't wait the rear only abs bearings are about 100-150 depending on quality.

 

What brand and where online is a good place to get them. I will try to jeck it up tomorrow evening to check things out.

 

I'm also interested in which brand online is best for the money.

 

just had BOTH of mine (front) go out within a month of each other...need the truck for work everyday...each bearing was over $300 dollars plus 1.5 hrs each side...not bad I guess for over 220,000 kms...you need a press to get the sealed bearing in and out...can be a real job if they are seized in the hub...

 

www.rockauto.com is cheapest most of the time, but shop around.

Jack up the wheel and tug back and forth at 3 and 9 o'clock, if there is play, it could easily be the wheel bearings.

 

Hubandbearing.com has a lifetime warranty and they're the cheapest I've seen.

 

I just did mine, 100 a piece at the local parts store and they are pretty easy to do, just 3 bolts once you get down to the hub bearing and alot of prying to peel 'er away., not to hard...i have a 96 1500 4x4