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bad bearing?


wilson
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I replaced both of my cv axles yesterday. it was super easy thanks to info I got from ya'll. thanks! when I went to take apart the auto locking hub on the passenger side I noticied that I was able to actually shimmy the axle a bit with the snap ring still in place. and later with the wheel in place.

In two wheel drive she drives like butter. when 4wheel is engaged, there is what i can only describe as a roughness(bad bearing feeling?) which seems to be localized from that front passenger wheel.

she pulls like a bitch to the right in 4 wheel. pulls left in two wheel. the left pull is probably just an alignment issue

my questions are these.questions are based on my theory that it is a wheel bearing

 

A. why only 4wheel? is there just more pressure onn the bearing when locked in 4wheel?

 

B. what is involved in replacing them? press? special tools?

 

My other theory is based on the pull right. perhaps the hub is bad and I'm only getting three wheel drive.

whata ya think?

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check your alignment and check your strut rod bushings(compression/tesnsion rod). In 2wd the wheels are pushing on the rods and in 4wd the wheels are pulling on them.

 

there are thicker snap rings that can be put on the CV axle that reduce shimmy. you want .030" of play or less IIRC

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Yes, some play is normal so don't worry.

 

To check your wheel bearings, have everything assembles and tight with the wheel mounted. Jack up one side and grab your tire top and bottom. push/pull with opposite hand. If you feel play, your wheel bearings need adjusting or replacing.

 

All 3 of my pathys needed wheel bearing work when I got them. The first just needed a repack and adjustment along with the thrid. The second was a bit crunchy when I tightened them up so i replaced all of them. To me it's one of the standard inspect/adjust/replace items when you first get a car.

 

B

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check your alignment and check your strut rod bushings(compression/tesnsion rod). In 2wd the wheels are pushing on the rods and in 4wd the wheels are pulling on them.

 

there are thicker snap rings that can be put on the CV axle that reduce shimmy. you want .030" of play or less IIRC

 

by shimmy I mean front to back and up and down not in and out. does that make sense?

Edited by wilson
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Yes, some play is normal so don't worry.

 

To check your wheel bearings, have everything assembles and tight with the wheel mounted. Jack up one side and grab your tire top and bottom. push/pull with opposite hand. If you feel play, your wheel bearings need adjusting or replacing.

 

All 3 of my pathys needed wheel bearing work when I got them. The first just needed a repack and adjustment along with the thrid. The second was a bit crunchy when I tightened them up so i replaced all of them. To me it's one of the standard inspect/adjust/replace items when you first get a car.

 

B

 

how difficult is this job. it looks like I would need a bearing lock nut tool. what else is there to thin about? are the bearings pressed into place? our can they be put in by hand? I really don't know where to begin. is there a how-to i'm missing on the site?

 

thanks

wilson

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The job is easy but you need a press (or hammers/drift pins) and a little experience. I'm not sure you need to replace them, but if you do, order the bearings and remove the rotors. Take them to a tire and brake place and ask them to remove the old races and install the new ones. Go home and reinstall everything. Double check in 50 miles. Triple check in 1000 miles. :shrug:

 

B

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I'm somewhere between novice and shadetree when it comes to mechanics, so whenever I have to do something I have never done before, I go to my local junkyard and pull apart one of their vehicles first just to see how it all goes together. No damage done messing up a junkyard pathfinder, and that way you have the experience to bring home.

 

Good luck

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Well if its a bearing you can jack the front up and pull and push on the front wheels to see if they move or not,if they move its ether a bearing or ball-joint,if there dont move then its nether one and something else...

 

yeah, as I said above the wheel jiggles. does anyone have an alternative to the kv40105400 wheel bearing lock nut tool? besides the punch/screwdriver method. Im looking for something that can get me proper torque... I wanna give that a whirl before replacing anything.

 

also, since it only happens in four wheel, I suspect it may be the needle bearing that rides inside the spindle. anyone have experience replacing that baby?

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Yes, I believe one person welded tabs on a socket and another milled down a socket so it had tabs. Both is more effort to me than just buying the damn tool.

 

 

yeah, as I said above the wheel jiggles. does anyone have an alternative to the kv40105400 wheel bearing lock nut tool? besides the punch/screwdriver method. Im looking for something that can get me proper torque... I wanna give that a whirl before replacing anything.

 

also, since it only happens in four wheel, I suspect it may be the needle bearing that rides inside the spindle. anyone have experience replacing that baby?

 

 

really? nothing? not even precise1? thats a first...

I use punch/screw driver method so I had nothing to contribute. ;)

 

And i really don't know what needle bearings you are talking about. :shrug:

 

B

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Yeah, no needle bearings in the hub. There are some in the tri-bearing part of the CV, but they are caged. Only time they tend to go bad is if the truck is driven for long distances with a torn boot. All kinds of crud gets thrown up inside and all the grease comes out.

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And i really don't know what needle bearings you are talking about. :shrug:

 

B

 

in the FSM front axle section. page FA-16 or 918. There is what is called a needle bearing in the exploded view. inside the knuckle spindle. seems like it would only grind if it was in four wheel. and yes, I have been driving it a looooooooong time with a torn boot.

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  • 11 years later...
On 1/27/2010 at 3:28 PM, wilson said:

 

in the FSM front axle section. page FA-16 or 918. There is what is called a needle bearing in the exploded view. inside the knuckle spindle. seems like it would only grind if it was in four wheel. and yes, I have been driving it a looooooooong time with a torn boot.

still around wilson? Wondering if you solved this.

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