Front wheel bearing going bad? Need advice

[rjirvine]

I bought a 97 ext cab silverado last month. It has 162k miles on it. It's an extended cab with a 4.3l engine and is 4x4. The poor beast had been neglected for awhile. I drove it from Boston to Delaware with no problems. I changed the front/rear diff fluids, transaxle fluid, cap/rotor, air filter, lower radiator hose, a/c blower motor a bunch of light bulbs and of course washed and waxed it and steam cleaned the interior. I hadn't driven it since I did all of this, and while driving it to work today everything was fine until I went around a curve in the road and I got a deep whrrr whrrr whrr sound. I pulled off the road and made sure nothing was leaking, dangling etc. I drove it back to my house and tried turning the wheel to the left and right to see if the sound would change..it did a little. I applied the brakes while giving it gas to see if was a rotor or something, and the brakes were working, but no sound change or pulling left or right. I checked the front diff fluid and everything looked fine. I pulled the left wheel off and looked at everything, A-OK. I pulled the right wheel and the hub has some axial play in it...so I'm thinking the wheel bearing/hub assy is shot. I pulled the caliper off and degreased everything in case of any impending work I have to do. From what I gather, the hub/bearing assy is a one piece assy for about $200. Of course the bolts are rusty, so I sprayed some PB Blaster on them for good measure. I tried to loosen them and a 15mm wrench is too big, 14 mm too small. 9/16ths too small, 5/8ths too big...am I gonna have to buy a 19/32nds wrench or something? Anybody got any tips on replacing the hub assy? Looks like i'm going to have to buy a big socket for the nut and maybe a puller for the hub? I hope this fixes it, but I'm curious as to why it would do this all of a sudden and I didn't have any problems on a 400 mile drive before I started fixing it up...any thoughts?

[maxwedge]

Why not have it done, buy all these tools? The bolts are rusty, so that's why nothing seems to fit.

[99redsilverado]

sell the 97, get a 99-up then ask us again.....

[BlenderWizard]

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=290556

[rjirvine]

Actually, I do own a 99 and up truck. A 2000 Silverado, and also an 88 K1500 and a 97 K1500. I realize there is a c/k forum, however I usually post to this forum for my 2000 truck since I have gotten good advice in the past from people here, figured I'd ask on this forum (thinking that people who have a newer truck have probably had an older model in the past). Frankly, I had expected a little more than "Why don't you just take it in and have it done" or "buy a new truck and then we'll talk to you".

[maxwedge]

MY suggestion to you was based on the difficulty you will face doing this, rusted bolts that no wrench you have fits, number one the likely hood they may break as a result of possibly not having heat available to you and the additional expense of doing the job seems to me to warrant having it done. You may spend possibly 100.00 in proper tools here which is your choice of course. That's the situation shapes up the way I saw it. Step by step directions are available on autozone.com/repairinfo.

[BlenderWizard]

Or you could talk to the c/k guys who might have had the same problem. I have had older trucks, but nothing newer than a 84. Don't complain because you asked in the wrong forum and we don't have an answer for you.

[BlenderWizard]

get a set of these: http://www.mitools.com/combinations.php
I have the set at the bottom and love it