F-250 Wheel bearings....knuckle seal???

[okiepowerstroke]

On my 02 F-250 i had to replace the front driver wheel bearings about 3-4 months ago. It was a heck of a job removing the studs from the bearing. Anyway i was driving it today and hear a clicking noise from what sounds to be the same bearing. seems to possibly hear a grinding sound also.

I grabbed the knuckle/u-joint Right out side of the wheel bearing and i have around 1/4" of play horizontal and also noticed between the knuckle and the bearing there is what looks to be a seal ...or maybe a dust cover just laying there..
Does this sound like the bearing is failing or what is this seal??

That got me to look at the passenger side, and noticed there is a seal just like the one i am talking about just laying there on the opposite side of the knuckle toward the center of the axle (axle seal???). What do these seal? Are they seals?


1st picture is the driver side, the side the wheel bearing was replaced a few months ago. Showing the "seal" or whatever it is just laying there.
2nd picture is the passenger side showing the seal on the opposite side of the knuckle just laying there.

Any suggestions what is going on?

[okiepowerstroke]

Took truck out for a short drive on my lunch break, and could not duplicate the sound... Noticed a staple in my tire, maybe that was the clicking sound???

BUT do notice that the seal on the bearing i just replaced is just flopping there... and on passenger side the ??axle seal?? is just flopping there too... Are these actually seals or dust covers?

[Codum]

I think ford calls it a dust cover. When I replaced my ball joints, my ford dealer sold me a set of them and the seals, two seals per side and one dust cover. When I took my axle out the do the ball joints I noticed my dust covers were also just sitting there. As for the play behind the unibearing, mine do the same. I have replaced my unbearings twice. Each side went out within 10k of each other. Roughly every 125k. If you are hearing the grinding intermittently I bet it's the other unibearing. Maybe your hearing is better than mine, I could not tell which side had failed based on the sound. It always sounded to be the drivers side. Mine were intermittently for 100 miles, speed changes and or bumps in the road would make it come and go!

[okiepowerstroke]

thanks for your help!

[7.3powerstroke99]

Im replacing my passenger side bearings on a 99 7.3 SD 4x4. So far I have the entire hub off and am to the point in the picture. The book says to tap on a seal from behind the knuckle until its out. Then from what I understand the whole axle slides out revealing the bearings? Any help with this would be great. I dont want to break anything while tapping on the seal and would like to make sure im doing this write.

Thanks in advance

[7.3powerstroke99]

someone out there has done this........ anyone ?

[Codum]

From looking at the picture you have already removed the bearings, unless the 99 model is different. The four bolt holes I see in the picture is where the unibearing assembly mounts. If you tap on the back side, you will be removing the axle. This will allow you to replace the axle seals (inner and outer) and dust cover. No bearings in there! If your wheel bearings need replacing you have to replace the unibearing assembly.

[7.3powerstroke99]

Originally Posted by Codum

From looking at the picture you have already removed the bearings, unless the 99 model is different. The four bolt holes I see in the picture is where the unibearing assembly mounts. If you tap on the back side, you will be removing the axle. This will allow you to replace the axle seals (inner and outer) and dust cover. No bearings in there! If your wheel bearings need replacing you have to replace the unibearing assembly.

There are needle bearings in the assembly that bolts on to the four bolt holes. but I haven't found the wheel bearings That I got from napa. Ive done several wheel bearings on other vehicles, but not on this truck yet so its alittle new to me. Has anyone out there replaced wheel bearings on a 99 7.3 PSD 4x4?

[Codum]

Not sure what napa sold you, but it is not the wheel bearings for your truck. The wheel bearings are sealed inside the unihub assembly. The unihub assembly is the piece that bolts up to the four bolt holes. It spins and has eight studs attached to it where the wheel mounts. Maybe napa sold you the rear wheel bearings?

[Codum]

I just looked online at Napa. They have two types of bearings for a 99 superduty. One type for the two wheel drive and one type for the four wheel drive. You have a four will drive so you will need the unibearing hub assembly with bearings sealed inside. If they sold you bearings only, they must be for a two wheel drive.