You need the axle nut tool. make sure you read the manual closely for the torque you need to set the bearings then back the nut off to something like 5ft-lbs and pre fill the hubs with oil or you will make it about 50km.

 

check the caliper for sticking. usually if a bearing was that hot it would have seized and the hub would have gone blewy ! If you pull trailers a lot check both sides. A lot of radial pressure is put on those rear bearings.

 

if youre getting smoke and its not the bearing, could be yourbrake caliper siezed and is overheating the assembly. could have leaked throuh the boots too causing smoke. i just replaced my hub bearings on both sides so if anything is needed LMK. Napa as well as online retailers has the tool you need for the click/locking nut.

 

I've had a hub that looked like it was smoking but my caliper drug the brake for so long that it was causing grease to smoke that was behind the dust shield

 

Just to beat a dead horse my original rear/front wheel bearings are 21 yrs old and only had 2-3 fluid changes. I've had to re-grease the caliper slide pins every year after winter or they start to stick. Also check the parking brake. these have little miniature type drum style parking brakes. I drove like 20 minutes with mine because the light is so finicky. I was able to release it without melting stuff but man it was embarassing and now i have a system to make sure i don't do it again because ive been to lazy to replace/repair the little pressure switch for the parking light lol.

 

Thanks for all the info guys. I ended up pulling everything apart tonight......although the inside of the rotor and the parking brake pads were soaked in oil....the bearings all looked great. They spun nice and smooth, and they look almost like new.

At this point...I'm thinking that maybe the axle tube seal started leaking a while ago...getting oil on everything. And then maybe the caliper started to drag....getting everything hot enough to start smoking off the oil? At this point since I've got it all apart....and the truck has 240K miles on it....I think I'm just going to go ahead and replace the axle shaft bearings, axle seal, AND the caliper...and put new brake pads on it. Kind of a weird scenario...but I can't think of anything else that would cause all the smoke.

 

I think thats a good plan of attack. IDK what u plan but i was able to tap out and tap in new races and bearings ( i went with oem ford, but napa or like stores carry KOYO/timken brand. and i went with the OEM seals too. Napa has the tool for like 40-50 bucks iirc. good luck with it. i need to replace my rear right parking brake.. the freaking sticking when i use it. what an anoyance lol