Wheel Bearing Problems...

[Bodaggit]

I've been having some terrible problems with Wheel Bearings on a work truck that I've been driving.

It's a 1999 Dode Ram 1500 4x4 extended cab. I use it as a surveying vehicle and it gets taken off road quite often. Lately the wheel bearing haven't been very dependable at all, one side has had three replaced withing the last six months. The other side has had two, but I'm waiting on the third one now.

I'm getting pretty good at changing them beside the road now, since two of the wheel bearing have just decided to go all at once and left me stranded with the wheel sitting cocked inward. I'm just glad they are pretty easy to change.

There must be something I am doing wrong for them to be going at as often as they are, but I can't imagine what it would be. Is there some step I may be missing, everything is getting torqued up to the specifications in the Haynes manual, is there something wrong with those maybe?

It's got to the point where I amgoing to start keeping a spare in the truck with me along with the necessary tools so I can just change it next time it starts going bad.

[fredjacksonsan]

It does sound like there may be something more that the bearings. When installing, they're being packed with grease, right?

You said off road a lot....how much is a lot, and how rough are the roads? Are you fording deep water frequently? Water can get into your wheel bearings and contaminate the grease, greatly shortening their life.

I'd also check at the parts counter next time for some heavier duty bearings if they're available.

[fredjacksonsan]

Forgot to ask; after you've taken them out, what do the old bearings look like?

Are the spindles smooth, or are they rough?

[scoutinkeith]

if they are the same bearings as my 99 1500 4x4, (which I assume they are), then they are "non servicable", so you can't pack them with grease before instilation, or look at them after you take them out.
dose the truck have oversized tires on it? bigger tires, and as mentioned above, water crossing, can make them wear out quicker.
with it being off road a lot, how often is the alignment checked? if it's to far out of alignment(toe in or out) it could be putting extra stress on the bearings.
next time you pick some up, at least get ones with a lifetime waranty, that way you wont' have to pay for them all the time, and if they are available, get some heavy duty ones.

[Bodaggit]

Yeah, I already figured out the lifetime warranty thing. Didn't take long to do that.

I really don't go through deep water all that often, and even then it is below axle height. Off road often means just about everyday.... Sometimes it's not bad, don't even use 4x4, and somedays it stays in 4x4 for the better part of the day.

We use it to survey in strip mines with, or mountain top removal mines, whatever they call them in your area. It did really good up until a few months ago, never had the first problem out of a bearing, and now they go like crazy seems like. It usually isn't thick mud we are going through either, just really slimey stuff.

[1thunder]

Dodge also burns bearings if you have a bad body ground causes electrical burns. It attempts to ground through bearings just add more grounds from engine to battery to body cant hurt