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Need suggestions on replacement front hub bearings

S

stockli

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Ft. Collins
89 Limited
d 30 front axle
Everything on the jeep is stock right now. Leading up to a slow gradual 3 inch lift.

I wonder if you guys could give me a suggestion on front hub bearings for my 89. I have a lot of noise coming out of the front end. It sounds like roling over rumble strips, just not as loud. The noise increases with speed and sounds worst around 25 mph.

Since I need to swap the bearings should I upgrade? Suggestions? Anything I can use from a JY for an upgrade?
 
Autozone sells Timkin unit bearings at a good price. That is about the only thing I would buy at AZ for my XJ.
 
stockli said:
89 Limited
d 30 front axle
Everything on the jeep is stock right now. Leading up to a slow gradual 3 inch lift.

I wonder if you guys could give me a suggestion on front hub bearings for my 89. I have a lot of noise coming out of the front end. It sounds like roling over rumble strips, just not as loud. The noise increases with speed and sounds worst around 25 mph.

Since I need to swap the bearings should I upgrade? Suggestions? Anything I can use from a JY for an upgrade?
Click to expand...

Since you will have the hubs out, might as well swap in new u-joints.
 
Do I have to replace the entire hub assembly or can you just replace the bearings?

Is this a giant PITA? or pretty straight forward? (as far as just swapping the bearings not the whole assembly.
 
the xj uses a unit bearing, you replace the entire thing unfortunately... there is no serviceable bearings per se. allthough i do think the early early xj's had a serviceable bearing, but thats irrelevant
it can be straight forward, if you have the right size socket (26mm?) and an air powered impact.

it can be a major PITA without these, or if your jeep has been sitting on those unit bearings for it's entire life in snow and gutterwater.
 
xcm said:
the xj uses a unit bearing, you replace the entire thing unfortunately... there is no serviceable bearings per se. allthough i do think the early early xj's had a serviceable bearing, but thats irrelevant
it can be straight forward, if you have the right size socket (26mm?) and an air powered impact.

it can be a major PITA without these, or if your jeep has been sitting on those unit bearings for it's entire life in snow and gutterwater.
Click to expand...
I believe it's 36mm. The three rear bolts are 12 point 13mm.
 
Like XCM has suggested, the older unit bearings (up to 1990, I believe) have replaceable parts. But you might need up to 30 tons to separate and press everything together. The time you spend there is better spent just replacing the assembly. Few parts stores are going to have the loose parts either --- so that might raise the cost up as well (further making entire replacement a better option).


The large nut is 36 mm and the rear bolts are 13mm (per mud's post).
 
Since you live in Illinois I would presume the vehicle spent most of its life in the snow...
Heard horror stories about the rust and trying to remove the hub from the steering knuckle.
You might want to SOAK the 13mm bolts and the hub with PB Blaster for several days before you try to remove them.

Charles
 
1 7/16 is what i use, although im always on the lookout for a 36mm at flea markets and garage sales and such. it's always nice to have the right tool
 
I have never broken a 12 point hub bolt. I have rounded them off, but that's easily solved by cleaning the remaining rust off the head and welding a nut onto it.

I bit the bullet and spent like 10 bucks on a 36mm socket at Sears. It's held up so far. I like to pop the 36mm nut off (or at least break it loose) with the tire still on the ground, because it can be difficult to do otherwise.

Torque the hub nut to 175 ft-lbs when you install the new bearing or you will be buying another new one soon.

You can junk the rotor dust shields if you so desire, I never put them back on. Antiseize the hell out of everything before reinstalling. Also don't worry about being a little enthusiastic with the BFH to get the old unit bearing out, since it's already trashed.

Old unit bearings make good spare tire brackets for tire carrier bumpers.
 
I'm thinking replacement f. wheel bearing will be coming up soon, so if the whole hub has to be replaced, I'm thinking "fit free wheeling hubs".

I'm sure they're available for XJ's - anyone out there got any views?
 
Actually my passenger side hub came out easily even though it was rusty as heck.

How did you guys get the bearing pressed in? Just walk the hub bolts in a little at a time equally?
 
Yup, exactly how I did it in fact.
 
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