wheel bearings

[timmytim]

My front driver side wheel bearings are bad on my truck...I havent replaced wheel bearings on these trucks yet.Will I have to pull the drum,brake shoe and all or can i unbolt the brake back plate from the spindle and remove drum and brake as one unit? Trying to get out of tearing it all the way down

[fordman]

just the drum is all that needs to come off.

[rjewkes]

the outer bearing wil come of after you remove the wheel, remove the dust cap, remove the cotter pin, the nut lock, the nut and pull the drum 2 in. toward push it back in set these aside if the front bearing will be reused(for $3.56 for master pro why would you reuse it?) keep it as clean as possable. Then remove the drum, you may have to back the brake adjuster off until the drum will clear the brakes. Then once the hub/drum are off, as the front drums are also the hub on the 67 -72 model years, remove the oil and grease seal remove the bearing. check the inner and outer bearing races for damage r wear.

i am doig this today on the same side, just can't get either race to move i just wanna replace them along with te bearing especaily how nastily the metal on metal sound of a dead bearing was going on.

[timmytim]

I replaced bearings and races but I must not set the races because everytime i take for a test drive nut loosens up and wheel wobbles

[fordman]

to reinstall the nut for tightness you put the nut on by hand and get it pushing the washer and bearing into place. then with soem pliers put it on the nut. spin the tire and tigthen the nut. you get the nut as tight as you can without going crazy and the wheel still spins freely. then you must put the nut retention cap over the nut and put the cotter key through the key hole in the spindle. if you cant get the key hole and the retention cap to line up barley loosen the nut so that it will reposition the retention cap and properly line up the hole. if the races are in properly you shoul dbe able to see it when you take the drum back off. they should be back in places liek the old ones were seated at.

[timmytim]

Ive done all that fordman thats why i think the races are not set

[fordman]

ok i was being too detailed. i guess it could be the races arent completely seated in the drum. i have never acutally replaced a race in one of these drums but i did on a GM once.

[thebannister8]

make sure your inside bearing is up to snuff aswell...the outside bearing needs to be seated before any installation...it's possible you may need a machine shop to press it in...take it apart...clean it all up...put the bearing in the freezer for awhile...try to seat the bearing with a socket that is closest in size to the bearing but will allow full entry of the bearing...place a piece of wood over the socket and tap lightly and slowely to seat the bearing...check often to make sure it's going in straight...listen closely for a change in tone and feel...if the other side is seated...compare the bearing depth to that

[timmytim]

Welp i got the races set and wheel bearing installed correctly. I took the passenger drum off and used it as a guide. I also bought a race driver set made job much easier. No subsutite for the correct tool.

[timmytim]

For some reason now my front brakes are scrubing. They where fine b4 I replaced wheel bearing. Anyone know the cause?

[fordman]

my guess is the shoes had a wear pattern in them according to the old wheel bearings. and now rub because they arent used to being straight like they were from the factory. you can live with it until the shoes wear back down or you can adjust them maybe. or replace the shoes.

[timmytim]

thats what i was thinking fordman but wasnt sure.

[timmytim]

I may buy some new shoes autozone has them for 14 bucks.I got to replace the wheel cylinders on the front anyway. Before I do the brakes though I need to find me a one man brake bleeder that doesnt need comp. air..

[fordman]

i have one. its called my wife.

[timmytim]

haha thank goddness for wifes