Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Hi all,

I need to how much play is acceptable in a wheel bearing. If I jack up the front wheels of my ute and then grab the top and bottom of the tyre and wiggle it back and forth?

I have done this and I have approximately 2mm back and forth movement on a 31in tyre.

It's a rough measurement I know but I have had two professionals look at it and one said the bearings are stuffed and the other said they are a little worn but nothing to worry about.

How much is/isn't acceptable?

Any thoughts?

Thanks guys.

id replace them before they do more damage..

TOM

NO play is acceptable. Fix (if adjustable) or replace.

ill agree, if you have any doubt about wheel bearings replace them,

if there is a little bit of movement, pull them out, give them a real good clean up and check the condition, if they are okay, repack them with grease and adjust them up.

a couple of hours on the weekend is nothing compared to one siezing up on the open road somewhere

Thanks guys. It is going back to the mechanics tomorrow and I'll get all the mechanics there to give me their opinion. They will be doing any work that is required. I don't have the time at the moment. Been going to the same place for years so I trust them.

Just found it weird that one place said they were stuffed and another said it was acceptable.

Utemad wrote:Thanks guys. It is going back to the mechanics tomorrow and I'll get all the mechanics there to give me their opinion. They will be doing any work that is required. I don't have the time at the moment. Been going to the same place for years so I trust them.

Just found it weird that one place said they were stuffed and another said it was acceptable.

just remember its your car.. and you are the one paying.. so tell the mecahnic what you want done..

if he 'reckons that they'll be alright' just tell him to replace them anyway..

TOM

just remeber to check the swivel hub bearings too, cos they wear as well have caught me out b4

Big Red Toy wrote:just remeber to check the swivel hub bearings too, cos they wear as well have caught me out b4

IFS vehicles don't have them. Do they?

I went back to the mechanic today and they assured me they are fine. They don't see the need to replace them.

They reckon that as they have been regreased before that they don't get as much preload put on them when they are retightened after greasing. Something like that anyway. They don't make any noise either.

So I'll take their word for it for now but when I get more time I might get the manual out and pull them down for my own amusement.

Thanks all.

Big Red Toy wrote:just remeber to check the swivel hub bearings too, cos they wear as well have caught me out b4

Okay I just realised I never said this was for a 1997 Rodeo. Not the vehicle in the avatar.

Hey how ya doin

In my opinion I would be repacking the front bearings, and lubing the hubs. I was a holden tech and think if you have anymore than 1mm movement its time to repack.
Should take about 1.5hrs to totally repack and adjust front end, maybe more if your at home on the ground.

Here is a quick run down on repacking... im trying to make it as easy as possible to read and do, so make sure you read 1st then do it as you go, print it out,, im also writing this as if you have NO CLUE what to do....

BERE WITH ME

The TF rodeos are easy as to do, just make sure when you pull your hubs off, you mark all the housings with a centre punch or something to let you know which position you pulled it off from, so it all bolts up the same.

Crack your wheel nuts while vehicle is on the ground...dont undo them yet, just crack em..

Jack vehicle under jack position, fit a jack stand under chassie, let it down slowly untill chassie meets the stand, then remove the jack.. Continue undoing all your wheel nuts....

1
Crack all the bolts holding outer cap, hub lock, and axel assembly (the out cap lock will need to be removed to get to the hex bolts though..
This is easest with a rattle gun, but if no rattle gun, you will need someone to put there foot on the brake while you Crack the bolts (they can be extreeeeeeemly tight. 10mm on the outer cap (easy, but these bolts are very soft OK, good fitting tools please), from memery 6mm allen key next (really you will need a good quality hex tool), then 17mm or 15mm bolts holding the axel housing on the disc. ( I havnt done wheel bearings in TF since 99, so ima little rusty ok..lol...These sizes may be wrong....

Once the outer cap is removed (remove in the 4x2 position) NOT in 4x4, Get a pair of circlip pliers and remove the circlip holding the axle. remove the hex bolts holding the locking hub then remove the whole housing.

OK, have you cracked them 17mm bolts around the disc yet, if so, you can now remove all them bolts and set aside.

Once this has been done. its now time to unscrew the bearing nut, you will probly only need to fit a the phillips screw driver in one of the holes and unscrew anti clockwise. Note To remove the nut, there will be a round locking shim, this has heaps of holes around it, and there will be 3 screws holding this, once removed the lock shim will come out by pulling. Then simply unscrew the bearing nut and remove the whole assembly holding the outer bearing so you dont drop it.

Remove the rear seal with a large flat screw driver, get it between the seal and the bearing and twist,,, YOU HAD YOUR WEETIES OR WHAT!!!!

Clean the bearings, hubs etc etc...solvent cleaner works a treat, kero, etc even petrol will do...once clean blow out with compressed air..
Inspect the bearing for burn marks, wear marks, etc....



1)
To repack your bearings just put a dollop of bearing grease on your palm of your hand.
2)
with the bearing in the oppisite hand, squash the widest side of the bearing into the grease working down to your palm, try to push the grease into and through the bearing
3)
work around the whole bearing in this fashion untill grease is seen ontop of the bearing as you push it through.... NOTE THIS IS HARD TO EXPLAIN - EASY TO DO BUT!!!

OR GET A BLOODY BEARING PACKER, lolllllll

The idea is to scrape the grease into the bearing using the palm of your hand (running the bearing across your hand
Can you comprehend this???????


lol

Once that has been done, Grease up the inner bearing cup, fit the inner bearing into the cup and replace the bearing seal. This can be done with a hammer, just make sure you hit the metal on the seal as square as possible, making sure not to bend it. Just hit it untill its flush with the housing, this has a different noise as the hammer is hitting the housing not the seal. (you will have to tap it going around and around the seal, make sure it goes in square)

It is also advised to get some grease on your finger and run it around the seal lip, so it has some lube when you turn it later....
Can you comprehend this??????lol!!!!!

once fitted, clean up the stub, and slide the housing onto the stub. insert the outer bearing and fit the nut, wind it up till it has seated the bearing!!!!! tighten all 17mm or 15mm nuts on the housing, Tight....I cant remember the NM but it is very tight..

TO tension the nut

What I done was simple.

use a phillips screwdriver and hammer and seat the bearing,,,you have to hit the screw driver on the shaft while it is inside one of the holes in the nut untill it is tight (clock wise). you now have to spin the disc, this will be easier if you have a spanner or shifter etc, just put the eye end over a stud and wind the assembly as fast as you can.
Lever it off the housing..
Now you will hear the air escape inside the bearings, you can now back the nut off and tension with just a tiny bit of preload, only by hand or just the smallest amount of tap from a hammer (hit on the shaft of screw driver while it is inside a hole in the nut ) (clock wise like your doing it up)

Fit the lock nut and screw in screws.

Fit the hub lock housing, and refit the circlip. Tighten the hex bolts.

Now grease the inner housing with some bearing grease.

Refit the outer lock cap, making sure all your marks have lined up...

You have now repacked and pre loaded one side of your vehicle... well done Son!!!!!!.. lol.....!!!!!!!!!

Does this all make sence!!!

you can now fit the wheel drop it down and start the other side...
If your handy you can do it.


Beats sending it in and paying some bloke 200 to repack wheel bearings...


Hope it helps.

Casey

Thanks kc_ksom you're an absolute legend

I understand completely what you're talking about. I have regreased the hubs before and have helped someone with a similar thing on a 2wd car before so I am sure I'll be able to do this. Plenty of spanners that are itching to get dirty again too.

This is why this forum is so great!