• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Bad Hubs.....Again.....to much b.s.

A

andrew2516

NAXJA Forum User
Location
New Kensington, PA
I have a 93, cherokee with 5" of lift. In the summer I usually run 34x10.50's with 3.75 bs. In the winter I run 31x11.50 with like 4.50-5 bs. I replaced my hubs with ones from advance last year around this time. I only ran my 34's for about 2 months. I just took my jeep to NTB to have it aligned because, my free alignments are almost up and the guy showed me the tire flopping, and I could see it wasn't the ball joints. I didn't check this myself because I didn't expect this. The passenger side has about an inch of travel back and forth, and the drivers isn't as bad.

I can't find my recipt and advance just happens to not have a record of my transaction.

Is there any after market hub assembly that is stronger than the ones from advance? I will be on a budget and don't really want to spend more than 150 a hub.
 
An inch of play! You must be mistaken. I don't think that is possible and still have the wheel attached. OEM hubs are not ment for tires larger than stock. That is why they don't last long. I'm on my second set in 3 years, runnin 33's for only 2. I think the going rate is $150 for hubs from like Quadratec or whoever. I don't know of any beefed up units. The only options are the Warn hublock kit, swap in a bigger axle , or run a smaller tire.
 
Make sure the axle nut is torqued properly. That nut sets the preload on the bearing, and if it's too loose you can get premature wear and excessive play like you mentioned.
 
Inch of play is possible...

I had more than that...

Altho it's kinda of an illusion...

it's definately more drastic with a bigger tire...

a few millimeters at the bearing...

add 30+ inches and 50+lbs and you can really move a bad hub bearing to and fro.

Change ASAP.
 
NOw was the play from front to back or top to bottom?

If it only has play one way its not unitbearings!

So if he only moved it front to back there is no way to tell whats wrong with it without further tests
 
BingBing said:
An inch of play! You must be mistaken. I don't think that is possible and still have the wheel attached. OEM hubs are not ment for tires larger than stock. That is why they don't last long. I'm on my second set in 3 years, runnin 33's for only 2. I think the going rate is $150 for hubs from like Quadratec or whoever. I don't know of any beefed up units. The only options are the Warn hublock kit, swap in a bigger axle , or run a smaller tire.
Click to expand...

I ran 33's for 4 years and never replaced a unit hub. (on an 88)....and when I replaced ones for friends I always picked up used......
 
Yup...

Mine had play on a vertical and horizontal axis...

I had run 33's for 5+ years with some gawdawful backspaced 12" rims...

course the bearing didn't fail until 6 months after running 35's

:D
 
While I was standing there he moved it back and forth vertical ways. When he moved it though, I could see there was no play in the ball joint. I'm almost 100% sure it's the bearing.

I want to find a soltuion though, because I don't feel like changing hubs every year and I don't want to buy warn's or any other locking hub.

Think I might just wait until summer and buy some from advance again if I can't find anything else.

I'm glad I used anti seze.

I think mine are going bad because my tire is thinner than most 33's and it is sitting out so far. A 33x12.50 will sit flat sometimes even with bad ball joints(I know this because I had an older ford) I think that width gives stability.
 
Last edited:
Try tightening that nut. I got pissed because I put on a set of used hubs that I thought were good and they wobbled like that right away, then I added another 50 ft-lbs to the nut (still in spec) and they've been perfect since.
 
andrew2516 said:
While I was standing there he moved it back and forth vertical ways. When he moved it though, I could see there was no play in the ball joint. I'm almost 100% sure it's the bearing.

I want to find a soltuion though, because I don't feel like changing hubs every year and I don't want to buy warn's or any other locking hub.

Think I might just wait until summer and buy some from advance again if I can't find anything else.

I'm glad I used anti seze.

I think mine are going bad because my tire is thinner than most 33's and it is sitting out so far. A 33x12.50 will sit flat sometimes even with bad ball joints(I know this because I had an older ford) I think that width gives stability.
Click to expand...

junkyard used ones..............get from a 97 or so and it will be fine for years, Like I said I never bought new..........NEVER! 40.00 a set for used
 
I dunno about you guys...

December in Chicago is too cold to be pulling used hubs at the JY

:D
 
Gil BullyKatz said:
I dunno about you guys...

December in Chicago is too cold to be pulling used hubs at the JY

:D
Click to expand...


Here in Las Vegas it was 70 degrees today with 5 mph winds....
This is the best time of year to be working on your junk!!
 
andrew2516 said:
Are the 97+ stronger? I don't think I can find a 97+ in my junkyard. If they are stronger though I would probably just buy a new one for a 97+.
Click to expand...


they are the same strength but a different back spacing to the bearing I believe
 
vegas_baja said:
Here in Las Vegas it was 70 degrees today with 5 mph winds....
This is the best time of year to be working on your junk!!
Click to expand...

12 degrees without the wind chill...

thank you for depressing me with your first post!

:D
 
Gil BullyKatz said:
12 degrees without the wind chill...

thank you for depressing me with your first post!

:D
Click to expand...


Any time my brother...

I'm only a noob to this site, I've been involved in off-road racing my entire life and I've built many trucks along the way.
Most of them for desert which is different than crawlers, so my opinions on axles are very different.
I'll throw my .02 whenever I can.
 
Yet another suggestion to make sure you've got the axle nut torqued down TIGHT. IIRC, it's 175 ft./lbs. I doubt you can get it too tight, unless you're using an 8' cheater bar.

I've ruined at least 2 hubs by not having enough torque on that nut.
 
Make SURE you get the right hubs...not all hubs are interchangable...I replaced my hubs recently....failed from mud/water....go figure :laugh3:
 
I put my axle nut back on tight, with a giant socket wrench and a 5ft piece of 1" black pipe. Your right though, it proably wasn't 175, I didn't know that had anything to do with hub life. I will defanitly make sure I put that back on as tight as posible next time.
 
"Bottome line, stay out of the water and mud to prolong your hubs life."

Thats a pretty big part of wheeling here in western PA. I'm sure this all contributed to my 4,000 mile old hubs that are shot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
How bad was my toe?
2
Replies
21
Views
6K
Evan03
E
G
Chrysler 8.25 wheel studs for aluminum rims
Replies
10
Views
2K
kastein
kastein
M
NP 231 input shaft
Replies
3
Views
2K
RCP Phx
R
N
New Engine is Hard to Start
Replies
0
Views
52
NGThomas
N
R
1992 XJ AW4 doesn't want to shift
2
Replies
20
Views
3K
Rob Mayercik
R
Back
Top