Help With Wheel Bearing and Hub Assembly

[blazee]

My 98 Blazer 4dr 4wd has a whinning noise coming from the right front, the noise is acompanied by a vibration, while turning left it gets worse and when turning right it goes away. I'm guessing that it is a wheel bearing and because you can't just replace the wheel bearing on this model, I will be replacing the wheel bearing and hub assembly.
Before I start.... does anybody have any other suggestions on what the problem could be?
If not.... how difficult of a job is this?
Any tips or tricks I should know?
Any special tools required?
Is there an online guide or instructions that I could use?

I'm thankful for any help I can get.

[Fractured1]

The wheal bearing is pretty straight forward...before jacking the blazer up remove the cotter pin and break the spindle nut loose (just break it loose, do not remove yet)...Jack it up and support the vehicle, remove the wheel, the spindle nut and then the brakes...slide the rotor off and trace the wires from the abs wheel sensor back on the frame and unplug it...remove the three bolts from behind the bearing assemble and you might have to give it a tap from behind with a hammer, I reccomend a brass one but you can get away with a block of wood and a regular one should slide off from that point..

[ricksza]

Be careful, use a jack stand. You will also have to drive the axle shaft back through the hub before it slides off. Use a punch in the center of the axle shaft as to not hit the threads.

[blazee]

Thanks alot guys, just changed it out today. Piece of cake, Drives great.

[chcknugget]

How much did this cost you? I get a slight annoying hum from 35 mph to 60 and want to decide whether to fix it or live with it.

I've ridden in vehicles with bad bearings and this definetely isn't as bad. It's not a grinding but a pulsating hum.

[rlith]

I hope you did a preload torque of 180 ft pounds. If you under or over torqued it, your bearings will be shot again within a 1000 miles.

[blazee]

I read in an earlier post to torque it to 103 ft/lbs so that is what I did.
I Bought Everything at Advance Auto. Here is the price list:
Wheel Bearing/Hub Assembly........$136.88
36mm Deep Well Socket..............$ 17.49
1/2 Drive Torque Wrench.............$ 35.88

[rlith]

103 is WAY too low! it's spec is 180 ft pounds... In fact it should have been on the tag included with your hub

[blazee]

I have put 200 miles on it...too late to retorque?

I just looked it up in my Haynes book, it says
"through 98..180ft/lbs"
"99 and up...103ft/lbs"
just missed it by one year. no specs on the tag.

[JParrott]

Rlith-not calling you out here, but I'm concerned with the 103 lb/ft being way too low. The specs I got from 3 different GM dealers here in Allentown PA were for 103 lb/ft. I also have the same specs rated from my Haynes manual (180 lb/ft noted through 1998) (103 lb/ft 1999 and up). I've replaced both hubs on my 2000 LS with these settings almost 8000 to 10,000 miles ago with no problems yet. However, If my information is mistaken, it needs to be corrected ASAP before someone tears something up or worse, get's hurt. I'm pretty sure the post(s) he's referring to are mine. You need to provide proof in one way or the other. I would post something, but the best I can do is to give names and phone numbers to the shops that I called and post the number of the haynes manual I used.

On a side note, both hub assy's I purchased did NOT come with torque specs. I purchased mine from Advance Auto and Autozone specifically, can't remember the brand, and no offense, but I'd believe the dealership shops and a haynes manual over some guy posting on this message board.

I just want to make sure I haven't given bad info to anyone.

If the Haynes manual is right and people just can't be arsed to read the directions first, then I'm Ok cause we agree spec wise.

[blazee]

Originally Posted by JParrott

I'm pretty sure the post(s) he's referring to are mine.

Yes, the post was yours in reference to a 2000 Blazer. I have a Haynes book....guess I should have used it....didn't know that chevy had changed anything these years.

[blazee]

After more research I don't believe it really matters.Here why:

Haynes Says-
"through 98..180ft/lbs"
"99 and up...103ft/lbs"

I checked Advance Auto and AutoZone for 98,99,and 00 models they both show the same wheel bearing/hub assembly for all three model years.... None of the front end parts are different only the recommended specs as told by Haynes. I believe this was probably a typo.EXAMPLE..... The Service manuel for my 96 Impala SS told me to torque my ball joints to 125ft/lbs....Chevy said that the Chilton Book and they're own service manuels were wrong that the proper torque is 83ft/lbs. hey mistakes happen.

Anyone disagree?

[dcjones]

I am going to be replacing my hub and wheel bearing assembly on my 2000 4wd Blazer. I read the posts about setting the torque to 180 vs. 103 ft lbs. I have never done this job before so I must ask, what bolts are are you talking about? I have the Hayne's manual for the 1995-2001 S10, Sonoma, Blazer, and Jimmy (24071) in front of me and the chapter (Chapter 10 Suspension and Steering Systems) that shows how to replace the hub and wheel bearing assembly indicates the spec for the 4wd hub and bearing assembly bolts is 77 ft lbs. Looking down all of the specs at the beginning of the chapter I don't see any spec of 180 or 103 ft lbs. What bolts are you talking about?

[blazee]

We are talking about the nut for the front driveaxle. (the big one that takes a 36mm deep-well socket.) The driveaxle goes through the hub assembly and this nut goes on to hold it in place. The spec for this one is at the begining of Chapter 8. Page 8-2


Front driveaxle (4wd models)
Hub nut
Through 1998.....................180
1999 and later....................103

[JoshBarber]

don't suppose you took photos of the process by any chance? thinking about doing my front right hub this weekend. Any helpful hints?