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flagstaff arizona, thanks for the manual pdf. sorry i was so slow to get the gears moving as to how this is done, i think i was exclusively searching videos specific to 97 c1500’s and got myself really confused in a youtube rabbit hole, but everything makes sense to me nowHere's the relevant text from the 1998 service manual. Their explanation isn't the best, but it's all I have handy for you.
You're evidently in AZ. Whereabouts?
Took my '97 in for a wheel alignment just before a road trip. Buddy's shop. Known him for years. 10 employees.I work in a machine shop ( as a welder) and we press bearings all of the time. The owner of our shop ( it's a mom and pop place, only 12 employees) said one day, that, 90 percent of the bearings that front end mechanics say are bad, are not bad at all. If the bearings are loose, then the nut that holds them, is most likely loose just a little. Should you pull them and check, yes. There are a bunch of videos on wheel bearings on YouTube. Just type in c1500 wheel bearings. 2 WD front disc brake wheel bearing replacement is almost all the same. Doesn't matter what year.
Pick up the truck & the wrench says the passenger side bearing was loose. He tightened it.
Idk either. Most of the knowledgeable guys are long. I even had issues with techs doing it at the dealership level. It seems alignments is the next step up from lube tech and while they're taught how to run the alignment rack either by the equipment retailer doing a demo in shop, a brief demonstration in vo-tech or someone else of little experience there's little understanding of the how and why of what it is there doing.IDK who is teaching these technicians about wheel bearings, but they are not doing a very good job of it. And, it's everywhere you go. It is very hard to find a good front end shop, where they really know what they are doing.
That's what I did on mine (C2500). Pulled them, cleaned and regreased then back together properly tightening the nut. That was 3000+ miles ago and they are still fine despite some signs of damage. They will be replaced soon when new rotors go on. Meantimes I check for play and roughness every 500 miles or so.I work in a machine shop ( as a welder) and we press bearings all of the time. The owner of our shop ( it's a mom and pop place, only 12 employees) said one day, that, 90 percent of the bearings that front end mechanics say are bad, are not bad at all. If the bearings are loose, then the nut that holds them, is most likely loose just a little. Should you pull them and check, yes. There are a bunch of videos on wheel bearings on YouTube. Just type in c1500 wheel bearings. 2 WD front disc brake wheel bearing replacement is almost all the same. Doesn't matter what year.
My sophomore year I decided that the regular school was more than I could take so I signed up for automotive mechanics at vo-tech. Very first lesson was replacing, repacking and adjusting preload on front wheel bearings. And like someone mentioned earlier here, repacking these front wheel bearings was routine maintenance back then. This was early 70's and I still remember it like it was yesterday. And that Shakespeare I had to read in regular school? Well I don't remember a word of that crap.....and I don't want to. Lol! No offense to those who like that sort of reading. Just wasn't for me.