Help With Wheel Bearing and Hub Assembly

[blazee]

No I didn't take any pics. Check out the link below, it tells how to do it and Swalt posted a link to a guys site that did take pics.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=365392

[JoshBarber]

thanks bud

[blazee]

It is pretty straight forward, not that bad of a job. The hardest part is getting the driveaxle out of the hub. Spray some penetrating oil on it, let it soak a few minutes, then put a board or some thing on it (to protect the threads) and hit it to break it loose. Do this before removing the three hub bolts. When putting it back in the new one, smear some axle grease on it to help it slide in. Do not pull the driveaxle out of the differential, I've read some posts where people have had 4wd problems after letting the drive axle slide too far out of the diff., appearently there is a thrust washer that falls off or something.

[JoshBarber]

do I regrease the spline before installing the new one?

[04 blazer]

Originally Posted by blazee

It is pretty straight forward, not that bad of a job. The hardest part is getting the driveaxle out of the hub. Spray some penetrating oil on it, let it soak a few minutes, then put a board or some thing on it (to protect the threads) and hit it to break it loose. Do this before removing the three hub bolts. When putting it back in the new one, smear some axle grease on it to help it slide in. Do not pull the driveaxle out of the differential, I've read some posts where people have had 4wd problems after letting the drive axle slide too far out of the diff., appearently there is a thrust washer that falls off or something.

I have had that happen to me when changing the right front (passenger) axle seal. The thrust washer will slide down from between the connector and output shaft when the axle is removed. You then have to remove the axle tube and a lot of stuff falls out when you do that.

Another tip on hub replacement: Do not use an impact wrench to install the new hub because it may damage the hub. Also, I use a large three jaw puller to remove the hub, but I realize everyone dosen't have one. They do come in handy though.

[blazee]

Originally Posted by JoshBarber

do I regrease the spline before installing the new one?

Just put some grease on the shaft before sliding into the hub.

[JoshBarber]

Did mine last night. No more hum/roar from the right front tire on hard left turns at highway speeds! Success.
Sorry BlazerLT, but I too had to beat the shit out of the old hub/bearing assembly to remove it from the shaft. I really think you need a puller as the Hanes book suggests. I was totally dumbfounded when it came to torquing the nut. I read there was some confusion as to whether it was 104ft lbs, or 180ft lbs. I saw that some said the Hanes manual said 180ft lbs for a 1998. I couldnt find it in the torque specs myself. I could only get a hold of a 150ft lb torque wrench, so I did it to 150ft lbs, and then went a C-hair further. I should be somewhere between 150 and 180. I reckon thats fine. I locktighted the three hub bolts as well.
Now I just gotta figure out what the rattles are from the left front over bumps!

[blazee]

The torque specs are on page 8-2. I think the 180 for 98 is a typo, because it has the same parts as the 99+. I only torqued mine to 103ft/lbs....that was 8,000 miles ago and still no problems.

[JoshBarber]

shit. think theres a problem with me torquing it that tight then?!

[blazee]

I don't know. Either yours is overtorqued or mine is undertorqued.
I just don't see why the 98s would be 180 and the 99+ with the same parts would be 103. I guess we'll find out.

[Bodaggit]

So...... Is it agreed that it should be 103lbs then? I'm doing mine tommorow. That doesn't seem very tight, I would have thought 180lbs would have been it, but I'm no automobile engineer or anything.

[blazee]

98 is the only one in question. Your 2001 should be 103ft/lbs

[Bodaggit]

Originally Posted by blazee

98 is the only one in question. Your 2001 should be 103ft/lbs

Alright... gotcha.

Some of the post had confused me with the talking about 99+ vehicles.

[JoshBarber]

Was I supposed to pack the bearing with grease?!

[blazee]

No, the grease is just for sliding the driveaxle in the hub. The bearings are a sealed unit a come pregreased.