Front Bearing

[jlsalani]

Hi all... couple of months ago I started getting a sound at around 70mph that sounded like plastic rubbing together. Spent some time under the truck looking for anything flapping around. Did some trimming and stuff, but didn't help. Rotated my tires, thought it helped but didn't... started getting worse, noticed it was a different sound on corners and such, came down to bad front bearing. I am not too bad at driveway mechanics so I figured I'd give it a shot... replaced them on Jeeps and such so what the heck. Purchased on at the local autoparts store... Moog for around $220. Went good, old bearing looked terrible, rust on the inside! I use the truck for mostly commuting, no real off-road or such. Got the new one in, sound gone, truck is like new.

Long story short, went to dealer for the last batch of recalls and asked how much they would charge to replace a bearing to hopefully make me feel good about doing it in the driveway. They quoted me $270!! I asked how much the Mopar bearing was.... they said about $100!! Seems pretty cheap as my experience is Mopar parts are usually quite a bit more expensive than local autoparts store ones!

Anyone else having issues with their front bearings..... what do you think about the one that is on there? Seems like it is cheap!

Going to do the other side as soon as I get some warmer weather.

I have a 2015 Outdoorsman 1500 Crew Cab 4x4

 

[huntergreen]

I would hope the Moog is better quality and will last longer. Who knows though, might come off the same assembly line with a different name.

 

[GIJoe2010]

Just curious, what was the mileage when you replaced the bearing?

I'm sitting near 60K and going through and making a list of preventative maintenance tasks to complete.

 

[jlsalani]

I was at 83K..... mostly highway miles, but I do live on a dirt road, but only about a mile in from pavement.

 

[22hemi13]

Had one done here at local dealer on my 2500 was $500 total. I have aftermarket warranty so was just $100 deductible. Went bad with 76k miles on it.

 

[turkeybird56]

There is a lot of information on Front Wheel Bearings on the ED forum. Apparently, FCA in their extreme wisdom barely lubricates the bearings. NE way, there is a link and you tube on how to remove the ABS sensor and lube those bearings well. When I start getting up in mileage, gonna pull my front wheels and lube my bearings. Just info FWIW....

 

[firebuff17]

I have about 77k in my 1500 4X4. I hardly ever drive with my windows down so I don’t know when it started but I have a squeak, metal rubbing sound most notably at low speeds. I will be doing my brakes and rotors very soon so I will investigate the noise further when I have the wheel off.



Turkeybird56
Do you happen to have a link to the video? Or what to type that you used to find it?

 

[turkeybird56]

OK, Firebuff, here U go:

https://www.ram1500diesel.com/forum/diy-how-section/11478-wheel-bearing-lubrication-how.html

http://courtsara.com/tips

 

[RedSRT4Me]

OK, Firebuff, here U go:

https://www.ram1500diesel.com/forum/diy-how-section/11478-wheel-bearing-lubrication-how.html

http://courtsara.com/tips

Great link! Thank you

 

[indept]

OK, Firebuff, here U go:

https://www.ram1500diesel.com/forum/diy-how-section/11478-wheel-bearing-lubrication-how.html

http://courtsara.com/tips

I dont know about that???
I haven't had mine apart yet since it's a year old BUT, what you're greasing is the sensor ring. The front bearings on vehicles these days are sealed. The hub bolts to the stearing knuckle and the inner race is the spline where the CV axle slides through. You're not getting any grease into the bearing at all. Its just getting put around the outside of the sensor ring which will probably be spun out once you start driving. The bearing is seald in the top section below. Thats why the sensor ring is dry, it's not directly in with the bearing rollers. That's why it looks so clean when you look in the sensor mounting hole.

 

[rwhjr]

so are there "heavy duty" bearings we can replace oem bearings with? or any that are significantly better?

i have spacers on my wheels that create some offset and if they ever do go bad id be interested to replace with something better if there is anything?

or is a wheel bearing a wheel bearing and theyre all the same essentially?

 

[indept]

so are there "heavy duty" bearings we can replace oem bearings with? or any that are significantly better?

i have spacers on my wheels that create some offset and if they ever do go bad id be interested to replace with something better if there is anything?

or is a wheel bearing a wheel bearing and theyre all the same essentially?

The picture anove is the one Autozone specs for my truck. They charge $214 for it and give a 3 yr warranty so if the mopar is 100 then go to them

 

[turkeybird56]

I dont know about that???

All I can do is pass on info. There have been a lot of failures on ED's on this issue and this is what is being done (allegedly) on this issue. Now a lot of the people who posted on this are wrench turners. I am not, LOL, so I can not attest to either this is a good/or bad idea. I am just going to put the info out there and let people decide...I am in no way advocating this, as I said, I am not a mechanic.,. I have however, lol, sat many an hour in a driveway with bearings, but of course we are talking about a lot older vehicles, not the rolling computers we have now, LOL...

Better to have information and make your own decision then no info, now this is all IMHO only.......

 

[PaulTGarrett]

I had one of those gawd forsaken piece of crap bearings seize on me at highway speed while towing a trailer... Folded the right front wheel under the front end, destroying and bending every thing connected to it. It was only my driving skills and a whole lot of upper arm strength fighting to hold the wheel straight that kept things from becoming tragic. This was on Christmas Eve and it took everything I had to keep from killing a minivan full of kids in the next lane. After the dust settled, I had to replace everything outboard of the differential including all the steering linkage. If I could have sued Dana and FCA I would have, and trust me, I did consult an attorney. Those are a poor and dangerous design.

I have also helped a friend by rebuilding his left side front end after one of those bearings froze up on him in the Ocala forest while he was hunting. Had to damn near take a service truck into the woods to fix his truck so he could drive it out.

If I -ever- find out what ******* engineer at Dana came up with the idea of those bearings, I swear I will kick them in the nuts so hard that their great-great grandfather will feel it back through time...

As far as I am concerned, there is not one damn thing "heavy duty" about those unit bearings and never will be. If you want heavy duty, replace them with a full-floating spindle bearing setup with locking hubs. That is what is going on my 2012 as soon as I can afford it.

 

[KiltedCelt01]

I had one of those gawd forsaken piece of crap bearings seize on me at highway speed while towing a trailer... Folded the right front wheel under the front end, destroying and bending every thing connected to it. It was only my driving skills and a whole lot of upper arm strength fighting to hold the wheel straight that kept things from becoming tragic. This was on Christmas Eve and it took everything I had to keep from killing a minivan full of kids in the next lane. After the dust settled, I had to replace everything outboard of the differential including all the steering linkage. If I could have sued Dana and FCA I would have, and trust me, I did consult an attorney. Those are a poor and dangerous design.

I have also helped a friend by rebuilding his left side front end after one of those bearings froze up on him in the Ocala forest while he was hunting. Had to damn near take a service truck into the woods to fix his truck so he could drive it out.

If I -ever- find out what ******* engineer at Dana came up with the idea of those bearings, I swear I will kick them in the nuts so hard that their great-great grandfather will feel it back through time...

As far as I am concerned, there is not one damn thing "heavy duty" about those unit bearings and never will be. If you want heavy duty, replace them with a full-floating spindle bearing setup with locking hubs. That is what is going on my 2012 as soon as I can afford it.

Where do you buy the locking hub, full floating spindle bearing set up? My driver’s side bearing went out on me earlier this year while I was on the way home from work.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Wild one]

I had one of those gawd forsaken piece of crap bearings seize on me at highway speed while towing a trailer... Folded the right front wheel under the front end, destroying and bending every thing connected to it. It was only my driving skills and a whole lot of upper arm strength fighting to hold the wheel straight that kept things from becoming tragic. This was on Christmas Eve and it took everything I had to keep from killing a minivan full of kids in the next lane. After the dust settled, I had to replace everything outboard of the differential including all the steering linkage. If I could have sued Dana and FCA I would have, and trust me, I did consult an attorney. Those are a poor and dangerous design.

I have also helped a friend by rebuilding his left side front end after one of those bearings froze up on him in the Ocala forest while he was hunting. Had to damn near take a service truck into the woods to fix his truck so he could drive it out.

If I -ever- find out what ******* engineer at Dana came up with the idea of those bearings, I swear I will kick them in the nuts so hard that their great-great grandfather will feel it back through time...

As far as I am concerned, there is not one damn thing "heavy duty" about those unit bearings and never will be. If you want heavy duty, replace them with a full-floating spindle bearing setup with locking hubs. That is what is going on my 2012 as soon as I can afford it.

GM's aren't any better,i've piled up 2 front wheel bearings on my 3/4 ton GM in less then 80,000 miles,first one went at 6,000 miles,replaced under warrenty,and the other one made it to 78,000 miles before going out .I now have the shop who does the maintenance on our company vehicles do a bearing check every oil change.So far my personal vehicles which are FCA have never piled up a bearing,knock on wood,lol

 

[PaulTGarrett]

Where do you buy the locking hub, full floating spindle bearing set up? My driver’s side bearing went out on me earlier this year while I was on the way home from work.

I'm looking at the Dynatrac Spin Free kit... There are a few kits on the market, this one is looking the best to me.

https://www.dynatrac.com/free-spin-...-2018-dodge-2500-and-3500-with-warn-hubs.html

 

[indept]

I'm looking at the Dynatrac Spin Free kit... There are a few kits on the market, this one is looking the best to me.

https://www.dynatrac.com/free-spin-...-2018-dodge-2500-and-3500-with-warn-hubs.html

How is that any better, you still have a bearing that can seize once it gets worn out. Looks like a pretty small bearing at that.

 

[crash68]

How is that any better, you still have a bearing that can seize once it gets worn out. Looks like a pretty small bearing at that.

The bearings are a standard size, serviceable and easily replaced. The cartridge bearing the factory uses is not serviceable at all.
Plus that kit let's you unlock the front axle, less rotating mass so better fuel economy.

 

[indept]

Nice.