• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • 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.

What Happens When Hub Is Bad?

Mich88XJ

NAXJA Forum User
Okay, so I believe my hub is pretty much shot or going pretty quick. I want to try and go home about 500 miles, but it was making a high pitched whine the other day, more pronounved in 4wd. I was wondering what is the worst that can happen with me driving on it? Like what could I break? It will be expressway for about 300 miles, and 55 for about 200. Thanks!
 
If it's a hub it will most likely overheat as you drive it. So the faster you go the worse it will be. I would stay under 55 the whole way if you can, to prevent what little grease is still in there from burning off.

On The XJ the hub is a lubed for life, sealed unit You have to replace the whole hub. It's not hard but the part can be expensive.

A bad hub is sometimes caused by over heating the brakes, which in turn burns the rubber seal and then lets moisture into the bearing, so I would check both sides.

If it gets worse when on the road, your steering will get sloppy then the front wheel will start to camber badly just before it breaks and falls off.
 
Well when I had to replace a stub shaft, it turned out to be the wrong one, so I had to put the bad one back in. We torqued it down good, but I believe that the guys that did the brakes last (my parents didn't want me to do them for some reason), didn't put the lock nut on there. Anyhow, it got loose again, so when we took it back apart again, the plastic ring that goes on the inside of the hub had been ground off somewhat, and left a string of curly plastic that was shaved off. So I think that it is kinda bad, besides that fact that the stub shaft was loose in there. I don't know, is there any way to tell without just listening to the noise?
 
Mich88XJ said:
I don't know, is there any way to tell without just listening to the noise?

Raise that tire off the ground with a jack under the axle and place one hand on top of the tire and the other on the bottom (make sure it doesn't fall!!!) and try to wiggle it top to bottom. If there is any play in it at all it is bad.

The same test will yield better results if you remove the tire and brake components and perform the same procedure on with the bearing itself.
 
If it was driven for any distance with the stub shaft retaining nut loose, the bearing is probably history. Try the wiggle test, and there is any play at all I would definitely not try to drive it 500 miles.

BTW -- your parents need to find a new mechanic, because you don't need to remove the hub or stub shaft nut to do a brake job. Once the caliper is off, the rotor comes off and the hub stays right there.
 
They did ball joints too.
 
BTW, would this be what is causing the whine? It is only in 4wd that it does it. I haven't had a chance to chek hw much fluid is in the T-Case, and it has recently gotten cold out. I will have to look. Thanks
 
this all means your gay :heart:

When are you heading home? I got the 30mm socket for the Tcase so we can check the fluid in that. And as usual if you buy the hub I'm sure we can install it.

You definitely don't wanna drive home on that baby. If you want I can check to see what price I can get for you?
 
Back
Top