Wheel Bearings?? Please help!

[cblackb]

Hello All, I just discovered something that can't be good and now my truck is down. I've noticed that the truck has been wandering and pulling to the right for the last few weeks (no strange noises though). I jacked up the passenger side and wigged the wheel...left to right is good, up and down however..my god it moves and inch in either direction!!! The wheel won't turn very well either, like it's stuck. I tore down that side down to the unit bearing and the axle shaft moves up and down really easily. What do you think this is?? The dealership is closed today so I can't get any parts yet but tomorrow I'm wanting to fix this. Do you think the axle is ok? I just serviced the needle bearings and put new o-rings in the unit/wheel bearings last summer and all was fine. I've got 115,000 on it now. Just for S-n-G's I jacked up the driver side, the wheel is nice and tight and spins really easily. Tell me what you think cause I've got two days to get this fixed. Thanks!!!!

[Dave]

Ball joints are shot and possibly wheel bearings

[Maintain]

It doesn't spin very well because the wheel is not perfectly aligned and the brake pads are rubbing into the rotor.

Just replace the unit bearing and make sure you replace the yellow O ring when you do it. You can use the bad wheel bearing to press on the new knuckle seal.

Powerstrokeshop.com - PSD and Ford Superduty Parts sells a complete kit with just about everything you need!

[cblackb]

Hey thanks for the quick replies. Well the brake rotor is off, the only thing still bolted on is the unit bearing assembly. I really yanked on the wheel hard and could not get the ball joints to move, so think they are probably ok but the axle shaft itself really has a lot of play in it, u-joint looks ok though. So Marty do you think since the axle has been flopping around so much that it's ok, would just a new unit bearing do the trick you think?

[stewy]

how about the ball joints, is the movement there when you wiggle. if the axle shaft is moving thats what is sounds like.

[Maintain]

Originally Posted by cblackb

I've noticed that the truck has been wandering and pulling to the right

Originally Posted by cblackb

wigged the wheel... up and down moves and inch in either direction!!! The wheel won't turn very well either, like it's stuck.

These two quotes lead me to believe that this is a wheel bearing issue since you stated the ball joints do not move.

Originally Posted by cblackb

I tore down that side down to the unit bearing and the axle shaft moves up and down really easily.

This is normal.

[cblackb]

Ok it's all fixed and feels 100% better going down the road now. 321 dollars for the unit bearing and new ABS sensor. The axle was fine, this bearing must have starting going out and progressed quickly, it probably would have left me stranded in another couple weeks. I would love to be able to get this old one apart and rebuild it, might save me 300 bucks in the future. Thanks for the help!

[Maintain]

G'luck getting it apart and back together in one piece... many have tried - I don't think any have been successful.

Glad you got her fixed...