Wheel bearings on truck

[padlin]

We just drove from Sedona to Mesa AZ, on the way I noticed the truck has an issue when I turn left, even changing lanes. Thinking I had a tire issue I made an appt for Thursday at a local shop. The service mgr mentioned it sounds like a wheel bearing.

Question, if it is a bad bearing do I only get the bad one replaced, or more then the 1 figuring I can take it to my regular mechanic when I get home a month and 5k miles from now.

Never had a bearing go bad before. Truck has 82k on it if it matters.

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by padlin

We just drove from Sedona to Mesa AZ, on the way I noticed the truck has an issue when I turn left, even changing lanes. Thinking I had a tire issue I made an appt for Thursday at a local shop. The service mgr mentioned it sounds like a wheel bearing.

Question, if it is a bad bearing do I only get the bad one replaced, or more then the 1 figuring I can take it to my regular mechanic when I get home a month and 5k miles from now.

Never had a bearing go bad before. Truck has 82k on it if it matters.

I’ve had a front wheel bearing go bad but it’s been a while. If it were me, I’d get the analysis, try to read the service manager, have him give me a price. If it sounds reasonable and it looks and sounds like they know their stuff, might as well get them both done. I’d wait for it or at least be there when it comes apart so I could see my bearing and not someone else’s they kept on the shelf to impress people. It happens. There is trust and then there’s also the possibility of dishonesty, it’s a crap shoot. I burned up a rear wheel bearing in California once. Limped to a case tractor dealership after buying the bearing and gasket at the ford dealership. It was on a Saturday so only the parts window was open at Ford. The parts guy called Case for me and the guy said bring it in. Two rough looking guys took it apart, cut the bearing off the axle with a torch and never nicked the axle, put it back together and I never had another problem with it. Charged me very minimally and I tipped them enough to buy a case of beer. You never know. Good luck.
Iowa Dave

[Brian B-P]

On one hand, if the bearing is just worn out, the other one likely is as well and it would make sense to change both.

On the other hand, if it is a defective bearing there is no reason to expect the other side to be bad... and there's probably little if any cost savings in doing both at once.

I would inspect closely and replace only the sides that are defective... especially since this is a hub-bearing-carrier assembly which is straightforward to replace and can't be saved by fixing it earlier. It looks like there are different part numbers for with and without the payload package (so in this case the payload package is not a just a different pair of rear springs), so make sure you get the right one.

The exception might be that if you are replacing brake pads and rotors at the same time, there would be saving in labour effort (but perhaps not labour cost) to do the bearing assembly at the same time.

I put at least a couple hundred thousand kilometres on each vehicle (Toyota, Datsun, Triumph, Honda, Mazda, Ford) and the only one that has ever worn out a wheel bearing was our old Chev pickup; that one was my fault because I didn't realize it had primitive non-sealed front wheel bearings like a trailer that needed maintenance (it was a long time ago). I don't consider wheel bearings to be normal wear items... especially at 82,000 miles.

[thiggins]

I also have a 2012 F-150. Here's an excellent video of the bearing replacement. I wouldn't bother replacing the others unless they have symptoms. This video also shows you how to check them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcNxBq_Wy6g

[Iowa Dave]

Life and wheel bearings, both pretty much a crap shoot. I rather bounce them bones off the felt than rest my bones on silk taking an eternal nap. “Baby needs a new pair of shoes.”
Iowa Dave

[advenas]

Originally Posted by padlin

We just drove from Sedona to Mesa AZ, on the way I noticed the truck has an issue when I turn left, even changing lanes. Thinking I had a tire issue I made an appt for Thursday at a local shop. The service mgr mentioned it sounds like a wheel bearing.

Question, if it is a bad bearing do I only get the bad one replaced, or more then the 1 figuring I can take it to my regular mechanic when I get home a month and 5k miles from now.

Never had a bearing go bad before. Truck has 82k on it if it matters.

I had a front wheel bearing seize up on me once. Bad deal. Great way to loose a wheel. I agree with Iowa Dave...get a read on the guy doing the work to see if he knows his stuff, honest, etc. Check to make sure seals are good and dirt isn't getting in side. And I'd at least check the other bearing and have it re-packed.

[thiggins]

Originally Posted by advenas

I had a front wheel bearing seize up on me once. Bad deal. Great way to loose a wheel. I agree with Iowa Dave...get a read on the guy doing the work to see if he knows his stuff, honest, etc. Check to make sure seals are good and dirt isn't getting in side. And I'd at least check the other bearing and have it re-packed.

If you watch the video, you'll see the bearings come in a "wheel bearing and hub assembly". It is replaced as a sealed unit and is not serviceable. In a good garage with qualified technicians, it looks like a half-hour job.

[padlin]

Thanks all.

Going with Gunnell's Tire and Service here in Mesa, best reviews I could find, for what that's worth.
I do have the max payload pkg, hopefully they can get parts.

If it's the bearing.

[Iowa Dave]

O I C. I didn't realize it was a sealed assembly. I do know they conk out sometimes and there's usually a vibration and low hum at road speed. Perhaps you could get an Internet reading on the cost of the part so you would know how much heart medicine to take in the morning. I have a feeling, as they used to say, " They don't give them things away." Costs money to go racin'
Iowa Dave

[Rossue]

A buddy has a similar vintage F-150 Ecoboost and he had a wheel bearing around same mileage then a head gasket around 112K.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by thiggins

I also have a 2012 F-150. Here's an excellent video of the bearing replacement. I wouldn't bother replacing the others unless they have symptoms. This video also shows you how to check them...

Pretty good video to show what is involved... even if they guy has some "creative" ideas in terminology (calls an M12 bolt an "18 mm bolt", calls a spline a gear...) It would be nice if he brushed off the protruding bolt threads a bit to minimize thread damage on removal, and especially if re-using them. And, of course, don't forget to re-install the brake dust shield (he did ), wear safety glasses when using air tools, and don't tighten bolts with an impact (see how the caliper bolts were already at least the spec'd torque before he put a torque wrench on them?)

The video includes a mention of the IWE and needle bearings... so I had to look that up. It turns out that Ford uses a vacuum-actuated disconnect device (which they call an Integrated Wheel End system) between the axle shaft and the hub; it's the automatic hub disconnecting system. It's not part of what gets replaced with the hub-bearing-carrier assembly, but it could produce grinding noises, too (especially in 2WD, when it is disconnected so there is relative rotation between its parts). Even the needle bearings which support the skinny end of the axle shaft (and are part of the hub-bearing-carrier assembly) could grind... but only in 2WD. These are not likely the source of the noise, because if they are bad the noise should depend on being in 2WD or 4WD, and not depend on turning.

[thiggins]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

O I C. I didn't realize it was a sealed assembly. I do know they conk out sometimes and there's usually a vibration and low hum at road speed. Perhaps you could get an Internet reading on the cost of the part so you would know how much heart medicine to take in the morning. I have a feeling, as they used to say, " They don't give them things away." Costs money to go racin'
Iowa Dave

The part is around $150:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...O34TW24ICYDPBJ

[thiggins]

Here is another excellent video covering the vacuum hub replacement on our Ford trucks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqihvBDPEZc

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by thiggins

The part is around $150:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...O34TW24ICYDPBJ

Just a caution that may not be the right part number with the heavy duty payload package.

RockAuto is a great place to check too:
2012 FORD F-150 3.5L V6 Turbocharged Wheel Bearing & Hub Assembly | RockAuto

[Oldtimer]

I had to change mine out on my old Ford 4x4 then they cost me $75 each got them thru Orieys took me about 3 hrs to do but that included beer breaks

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by thiggins

The part is around $150:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...O34TW24ICYDPBJ

🤔Interesting, $150 for this assembly looks cheap. Seems like 4 wheel drives in general are using similar throw away set ups. Old style hubs with bearings that could be packed, usually when you did a brake job every 30 to 50k, could theoretically last forever. I can see how this style setup saves time (labor cost) if not longevity.

[thiggins]

Originally Posted by Oldtimer

I had to change mine out on my old Ford 4x4 then they cost me $75 each got them thru Orieys took me about 3 hrs to do but that included beer breaks

Good deal ! These videos have saved me a bunch of money too. I love YouTube...sometimes.



Having a real lift would surely makes things much easier.

[Iowa Dave]

$150 or in that neighborhood sounds reasonable to me. Moog parts always used to be pretty darn good too. Hope it all works out for you. Don’t look like it will break you up in business.
Iowa Dave

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Chotch

Seems like 4 wheel drives in general are using similar throw away set ups.

Cars, SUVs, trucks; FWD, RWD, 4WD... just about everything lighter than a medium-duty truck now uses sealed bearings, and if you're lucky that means one of these bolt-in assemblies rather than pressed-in bearing sets.

For an F-150 the 2WD version looks a little different because it doesn't have the hole, needle bearing set, and drive spline for the shaft. Some of the 2WD units (I'm thinking of Chev Tahoes I've seen) look strange because they have a splined centre bore just like the 4WD, but with no shaft in it - that looks like someone just pulled out the front shafts of a 4WD and left the hole.

Although I'm not a fan of "throwaway" parts, these routinely last the life of the vehicle (although apparently not Bob's ) so that doesn't seem unreasonable to me.

[Chotch]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Cars, SUVs, trucks; FWD, RWD, 4WD... just about everything lighter than a medium-duty truck now uses sealed bearings, and if you're lucky that means one of these bolt-in assemblies rather than pressed-in bearing sets.

For an F-150 the 2WD version looks a little different because it doesn't have the hole, needle bearing set, and drive spline for the shaft. Some of the 2WD units (I'm thinking of Chev Tahoes I've seen) look strange because they have a splined centre bore just like the 4WD, but with no shaft in it - that looks like someone just pulled out the front shafts of a 4WD and left the hole.

Although I'm not a fan of "throwaway" parts, these routinely last the life of the vehicle (although apparently not Bob's ) so that doesn't seem unreasonable to me.

Not too long ago I replaced bearing set up on a Subaru, pretty much same, was quite surprised not what I expected. But it worked ok and that set is probably lighter than old style hub.


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