Wheel Bearing Hub Assembly Help

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Wheel Bearing Hub Assembly Help

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Blazer >> Mechanical & Maintenance >> Steering, Suspension & Drivetrain >> Wheel Bearing Hub Assembly Help

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Wheel Bearing Hub Assembly Help - 12/22/2004 11:38:35 AM

blazertom

Posts: 1
Joined: 12/22/2004
Status: offline

I am replacing the front right wheel bearing/hub assembly on my 160k 4wd 98 blazer and have a few questions...

A little history... I've owned the car since new. and have myself replaced in the past: both front drive axles and wheel bearing assemblies. Though I'm personally equipped and capable to do such repairs myself I've recently had two local shops replace: brakes, all four ball joints, and one drive axle whose outer cv joint boot was cut up and ruined as it came in contact with a mis-routed or poorly secured brake line. Shortly after that work was completed, the right front wheel bearing started making noise and quickly got worse.

During disassembly, the axle nut came off with some amount of difficulty. It was removed with a 90 psi impact wrench and an extended 1/2" drive breaker bar. The axles threads were in pretty good shape except for the top of a small area on one thread near the outboard end. That "burr" was dressed down by running the old nut up and down over the area and it cleaned up pretty good. A new nut was used for assembly.

Questions...

1. After mounting the bearing/hub assy, rotor, caliper, abs sensor lead, and axle nut washer, the new axle nut was hand threaded onto the axle until the eccentric "locking portion" of the axle nut started working. A socket and ratchet was then used to tighten the nut. Continued tighting became more and more difficult until my 90 psi impact wrench could no longer tighten the nut though the axle splines had not yet been drawn all the way through the bearing assebly. I have continued to tighten with the extended 1/2" beaker bar until I thought it no wiser. The outboard mating surface of the axle is still about 3/4" from capturing the metal/rubber inner bearing seal and the inboard mating surface of the bearing assy. My "analog" (old fashioned) pointer style torque wrench indicates more than the required 100 ft-lb has been applied. Any suggestions???

I should point out that I have NOT "unloaded the torsion bar" as the GM service manual suggests. Though I have in the past accomplished these same repairs without doing so. Thinking this may be a factor in getting the most efficient line-up of the axle/bearing spline connection, I tried raising the steering knuckle wheel assy up and down with a floor jack until just prior to lifting the weight of the vehicle up off the supporting jack stands. With all the torque on the axle nut, I was half expecting the axle to "pop" into place but it was to no avail.

Any ideas or suggestions are most welcomed and appreciated.

2. Inner bearing seal???In addition to the large o-ring seal between the bearing assy and steering knuckle, there is an inner metal/rubber bearing seal that goes between the mating surfaes of the axle and bearing. Until the axle is fully drawn up into the bearing with the axle nut, I can still access this inner bearing seal and have it centered and positioned on the axles mating surface. Is there any better way than sticking it on with a little grease, to ensure that when the axle is fully drawn up that the seal is captured and postioned in its correct location???

Thanks to any and all who may reply!

BlazerTom