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a wheel bearing/hub going bad? Grind then pop?

cherokee4fun

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Bend, Oregon
Still trying to track down my grinding then pop noise.....
This only happens on occasion....

So, I it happened again today... this is on a 90, 4wd, 241.

I decided to take the thing apart when I got home, mostly to check the brakes, u-joints, the basic standard stuff.

I pulled the hub, and checked everything, and it all seems fine. The wheel bearing is a bit rough, with a little play, but not a grinding noise or excessive play. I assume I can't put a huge load in it with my hand.

This thing has 284k on it, so I figured I just go buy a hub, but they are $100-150, so I thought before I do, I would check with all.....

Your thought, could this be the problem?

Look forward to hearing from you folks, any one had a bearing/hub go bad?

Thanks
Bob
 
x2 to on the bit rough and some play

replace it before you really wreck somethin.......if ya have a hub pack it in while driving down the road it makes for some interesting manuvers when you loose your brakes.....i speak from experience luckily i was able to drop it to first and pull a 180 onto a side street:shiver:
 
Thanks for your quick response.
It does not have much play, but I got it out and might as well replace it.

The Napa boys want $99-150, Kragens, 79-115, and the local guy wants $70, which he says is made by GMB?
Any thoughts on quality?

Thanks,
Bob
 
Try a junkyard first, see if you can find some good ones, and grab as many as you can. I've never seen them go bad on the trail, but its easyer to replace the hub and axle shaft on the trail. just something to think of. also, there were some people rebuilding them if you have a press of some sort (hydraulic, manual, etc..)
 
Thanks for your quick response.
It does not have much play, but I got it out and might as well replace it.

The Napa boys want $99-150, Kragens, 79-115, and the local guy wants $70, which he says is made by GMB?
Any thoughts on quality?

Thanks,
Bob
Shop around, once you learn how to replace them.,lather them up with antisieze, to make the replacement easier next time. Than go out out and buy the cheapest you can find, cause once it's lathered up, it's a 20 min job to do. I payed like $30 per hub assy from Parts Plus( thats at cost though).
 
Hubs are a routine maintenance item like tires or brakes. When they are worn out, you replace them.

If you are going through all the effort to pull the old hubs, why install junkyard parts of unknown quality and mileage ? Buy Timken hubs and you should be good for another 100,000+ miles. Cheap hubs are know to fail after as few as 10,000 miles.
 
So, I it happened again today... this is on a 90, 4wd, 241.
Since this is in OEM tech, I take it you are stock.

If you are stock, then you either have a 242 or 231 transfercase, as the 241OR only came in the Rubicons.

I also see it that you could have a 241OR, and are posting in OEM because the wheel bearings/ front axle is stock. If this is the case, ignore me.
 
Oops fat fingers, and a blond moment.......

My 89 has a 242, this 90 has a 231 ( command trac)
yes, it is stock.

I looked at the different bearings, and without the box, they look the same?

Should I spend the extra and get the "name brand"
Has anyone else had a issue with "inexpensive" hubs?

Thanks
 
Oops fat fingers, and a blond moment.......

My 89 has a 242, this 90 has a 231 ( command trac)
yes, it is stock.

I looked at the different bearings, and without the box, they look the same?

Should I spend the extra and get the "name brand"
Has anyone else had a issue with "inexpensive" hubs?

Thanks
I been running "cheap" hubs for over a year now on a DD. But like I said, if it takes a crap, it's a 20 minute job to change out. It takes my G/F longer to jack it up & get the wheel off, than to swap the hub assy.
 
Oops fat fingers, and a blond moment.......

My 89 has a 242, this 90 has a 231 ( command trac)
yes, it is stock.

I looked at the different bearings, and without the box, they look the same?

Should I spend the extra and get the "name brand"
Has anyone else had a issue with "inexpensive" hubs?

Thanks


i would go with a name brand on hubs. i got timken hubs for my 89 for around 100$ each.

remember to apply anti seize and to torque the hub nut to 175psi
 
This is going to sound dumb but could worn out hubs cause a loose metal rattle when going over bumps, similar to a bag of loose change?
 
Easiest test to confirm hub gone bad is to jack it up and see if there is any wobble in the tire at all. If it wobbles in every direction, it's the wheel hub. If it only wobbles up and down, or side to side, then it's something else like control arms or ball joints.

If you are broke and need short term hubs there is a seller on ebay that has some imports for $40. Once you have some more money you should replace them with good Timken units and put the cheapos on a set of spare axle shafts for trail repairs.
 
Shop around, once you learn how to replace them.,lather them up with antisieze, to make the replacement easier next time. Than go out out and buy the cheapest you can find, cause once it's lathered up, it's a 20 min job to do. I payed like $30 per hub assy from Parts Plus( thats at cost though).

Why would you do that when you would have better luck buying a good one and installing it once instead of buying several and having to tear it apart each time! :doh:

Hubs are a routine maintenance item like tires or brakes. When they are worn out, you replace them.

If you are going through all the effort to pull the old hubs, why install junkyard parts of unknown quality and mileage ? Buy Timken hubs and you should be good for another 100,000+ miles. Cheap hubs are know to fail after as few as 10,000 miles.

exactly. Why buy junkyard hubs. Thats like buying junkyard pads and rotors!
 
Why would you do that when you would have better luck buying a good one and installing it once instead of buying several and having to tear it apart each time! :doh:



Like I said it doesn't matter to me. I can have both hub assemblies out & on the floor in 20 minutes with air tools. So why spend the extra $. My cheapies have lasted over a year so far. That does not count the amount of time it takes the g/f to get the wheels off. LOL
 
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Why would you do that when you would have better luck buying a good one and installing it once instead of buying several and having to tear it apart each time! :doh:



Like I said it doesn't matter to me. I can have both hub assemblies out & on the floor in 20 minutes with air tools. So why spend the extra $. My cheapies have lasted over a year so far.

I see what you're saying but i'd rather replace them once than replace them left and right.
 
I see what you're saying but i'd rather replace them once than replace them left and right.

I've have only put 5000 miles on mine since I bought it in 2007. So maybe I'm just in a different boat than most of you. And yes it is my DD, I just live really close to work.
 
I've have only put 5000 miles on mine since I bought it in 2007. So maybe I'm just in a different boat than most of you. And yes it is my DD, I just live really close to work.
Definitely a different boat with that mileage. I put 25 or 30 thousand miles a year on my "main" Jeep. ON the other hand, I only get a year or so out of a set of universal joints, so the hubs have to come off pretty often anyway. That might be a good argument for cheap hubs if only things wore out on schedule, but they never seem to wear out at the same time.
 
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