Wheel Bearing Question

"Boots Crofoot" wrote in news:1160837498 snipped-for-privacy@sp6iad.superfeed.net:

Another jack water response. One design, one part regardless of 4x2 or 4x4. while more expensive than the old design, a lot less failure, especially on the 4x4s. Because one, they are better sealed and two, they have more bearing surface. And the better seal is important because most rigs only get the bearings repacked if its taken to a shop for a brake job and the rotors turned. But GM hasn't gone this route in 2002, Course the writer also neglects that the rice rocket trucks have gone to this design as well, in fact they went to it first. The 2002 S-10 still uses the old design. uses bearing set #6 for the inner, and set #32 for the outer. Must be a bloody foreigner, or he's forgotten he part of the US work force he holds such contempt for. Clean, dry, and inspect the bearings and races. any discoloration or mars replace both bearing and race. Pack bearings with a high quality grease meant for wheel bearing use with disc brakes, I like the red stuff from Kendal, I am to lazy to get up and go in the garage and get the correct name. They got some blue stuff works pretty good to. Valvoline has some great wheel bearing grease as well. Replace the inner seal with a new one. I like to pack the area between the races with grease as well. Tighten the bearing nut fairly snugly to seat the bearings, spin the rotor a few times, and then back off one flat of the nut. This isn't king kong time, a pair of

6 inch slip joint pliers (generically called channel locks, or water pump pliers) is all the tool you need.

Whitelightning

One of my old students came by last spring at my high school autoshop and wanted to lift his Suburban so he could take a look at the front end to determine his noise. We lifted it and checked the normal suspension components, nothing wrong then I grabbed the Rt Frt wheel and whoa loose as a goose. Rt frt wheel bearing is shot. This was an 02 Burb I believe. Called around for wheel bearings and found out this was a dealer item, hmmm. Called local Chevy dealer and when he told me 545.00 for the bearing/hub, I asked the parts guy ,an old friend how he sleeps at night, he knocked the price down 517.00, damn. It appears the same steering knuckle is used on 2wd and

4wd just a different hub assy. My opinion is that the engineering masterpiece is terrible, the older cup and cone and seal parts shouldn't have been more than $30. Ron's Burb had 62K on it when the wheel bearing went bad. I think time will tell about a single bearing supporting a large vehicle even though the stub axle is only a few inches long the angular thrust against the bearing must be tremendous. BTW my neighbors Durango has the same problem, an 01 his bearing is available at NAPA for $195.

Autozone has had that part for 5 years, Timken SP450301, $228.00, been used since the 2000 model year. There was a muck up if it had 6 lug for one or two years where it used a different hub assembly, but that one was available as well in Timken. Its not one bearing its two cone style bearings about the size of what we used to see on a 3/4 or 1 ton 4x4.. some of the ricers uses ball bearings instead of tapered rollers, a lot less surface area in that set up, in which case I agree with your assessment.

Whitelightning