Checking Unit Bearings

Wheels on with really forceful rocking in and out on the top of the tire (tire on the ground) I can feel just the slightest amount of play. With the tire in the air I can not generate enough force to feel the play, it takes a reinforced rocking of the chassis side to side to make it happen. New TRE's, good ball joints, new track bar bushings/bearing, good track bar bracket and braces (welded to a 3/16" plated unibody), new control arm ends, new steering box, CROK plate and intermediate steering shaft (chasing death wobble).

Is there ANY acceptable amount of play in a unit bearing?

John

Did you replace everything you listed including ball joints after you developed death wobble.

AFAIK there should be no play whatsoever in the unit bearings but I would think you would hear something while driving before the bearings deteriorated to the point that they would cause the wobble. I'm sure someone will chime in if I am wrong about that.

I would look very carefully at the ball joints if they are not brand new.

My unit bearings had play I could both feel and see by holding the wheel at 12 and 6 o' clock, but made no noise until the day one of them failed outright.

Any sign of looseness or roughness in a unit bearing is unacceptable and grounds for replacement.
I had one blow out in my 4X4 Dakota, at 70MPH, that almost sent me off the side of the freeway. Worse death wobble imaginable.
It had check out fine just a few weeks before.

Pelican said:

Did you replace everything you listed including ball joints after you developed death wobble.

AFAIK there should be no play whatsoever in the unit bearings but I would think you would hear something while driving before the bearings deteriorated to the point that they would cause the wobble. I'm sure someone will chime in if I am wrong about that.

I would look very carefully at the ball joints if they are not brand new.

Click to expand...

Everything listed was installed new after the DW started, except for the ball joints. I had 3 shops check them. I have done it half dozen times plus had a couple friends look at them. No movement at all in the ball joints that anyone can detect. I have had bad ball joints before and it was really visible when testing with a prybar, but no DW.

I guess a pair of unit bearings is the next step.

Thanks.

John