Bigger bearings on a c1500?

[ethanmccll]

My truck goes through wheel bearings every 3-4,000 miles or so because of the 35’s and awful South Carolina roads. I’m wondering if there’s any upgraded hub I can go with that isn’t a 8 lug rotor. I’m not necessarily opposed to 6 lug swapping my truck if it’s necessary to run a bigger hub.

 

[b454rat]

Gotta be something else going on. I’ve been to NC and tbe roads are t nearly as bad as north east roads, especially NYS roads. Granted the 35s prolly don’t help but going thru them that quick doesn’t sound right…

 

[454cid]

OP, how are you setting them up? Assuming you're only replacing the the rollers and not the races, what kind of shape are the races in? How are you greasing them? What are you using for grease? What's telling you that your bearing are bad again?

 

[GoToGuy]

Has to something else also going on. Why are you using 35's , a specific need?

 

[Hipster]

got to agree, 35's leads to a lift kit/spindles being involved. Vibrations from wore out component in one place etc, can create excessive wear elsewhere, bad alignment angles/specs etc. bearing and races need to be replaced as a matched sets, not whatever no-name non-descript races and a random set of whatever bearings were on the shelf, timkin bearing go on timkin races.... sks bearings on sks races etc. don't mix and match brands . unknown new ones that come in new rotors get removed and tossed in the can. How are you setting pre-load?

 

[ethanmccll]

OP, how are you setting them up? Assuming you're only replacing the the rollers and not the races, what kind of shape are the races in? How are you greasing them? What are you using for grease? What's telling you that your bearing are bad again?

Whenever I replace a bearing I inspect the race. No scratches or grooves in it. Packing them by hand with just regular old red bearing grease. Cleaning the hub out best I can. And usually before I replace them the old bearings either make excessive noise or there is a significant amount of up and down play in the wheel

 

[ethanmccll]

got to agree, 35's leads to a lift kit/spindles being involved. Vibrations from wore out component in one place etc, can create excessive wear elsewhere, bad alignment angles/specs etc. bearing and races need to be replaced as a matched sets, not whatever no-name non-descript races and a random set of whatever bearings were on the shelf, timkin bearing go on timkin races.... sks bearings on sks races etc. don't mix and match brands . unknown new ones that come in new rotors get removed and tossed in the can. How are you setting pre-load?

I’ll be sure next time I get a set I’ll replace the races. I usually just get the bearings from autozone and it’s whatever their in store brand is. To set preload I spin the rotor forwards as I tighten the spindle nut and once I feel drag on the rotor I back the nut off till I can get a cotter pin in it.

 

[ethanmccll]

Has to something else also going on. Why are you using 35's , a specific need?

They look cool

 

[Schurkey]

I usually just get the bearings from autozone and it’s whatever their in store brand is.

Very likely bottom-feeder Communist Crap.

But even so, they shouldn't fail that often.

To set preload I spin the rotor forwards as I tighten the spindle nut and once I feel drag on the rotor I back the nut off till I can get a cotter pin in it.

So...you're grossly over-tightening the bearings. They've probably still got preload when the cotter pin is shoved-in. No wonder they fail.

Having failed the bearings, the races are damaged. They all have to be replaced; and driven-in smoothly and evenly without damage to the races...or the rotor/hub.

Follow the actual GM procedure for wheel bearing adjustment, (Example: Page 3C--11 of the '88 C/K service manual) and see what happens. Spin the rotor while tightening the nut to the specified torque of 12 ft/lbs, instead of so friggin' tight the rotor has drag.

Back off the nut to "just loose".

Back off nut as needed from "just loose", but not more than 1/2 flat, to align cotter pin hole.

Having done it "by the book" a few times, I now do it "by feel", with the final step being to remove all bearing clearance with two fingers turning the nut, then backing-off enough to get the cotter pin in. It's another way of assuring that I set my free-play from "just loose" after having aligned the bearing rollers with higher torque.

Tapered Roller wheel bearings operate with a minimal amount (GM Spec for clearance is .001--.008, but nobody is going to actually measure it) of FREE-PLAY, not "preload". "Preload" is for 1950s-and-prior BALL wheel bearings.

For the record, the best/slickest/simplest/fastest way to pack wheel bearings is what is now sold as the Gearwrench wheel bearing packer, but which used to be sold by the company that invented the thing.
www.amazon.com/GearWrench-2775D-Hand-Bearing-Packer/dp/B0002NYDYE/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3H6W78BF64D2K

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Lisle has a competing product, and Amazon shows about a hundred brands of cheap-junk knock-offs.

There is a single thing I'd warn you about using this bearing packer. They tell you to place the inner bearing on the packer small-side down, the outer bearing small-side down on top of the inner, the upper "cone" part of the packing tool on top of the inner bearing. But then PUT A SHOP RAG OR PAPER TOWEL on top of that. Then put the whole works on the floor, step on the towel to squeeze the grease into and through both bearings. That way the dirt on your shoe doesn't contaminate the grease.

I have two of 'em--one with Valvoline "red" grease for cars and trucks, one filled with marine "waterproof" grease for boat trailers.

 

[454cid]

Schurkey, what about the inner seal seating? Is there a torque then loosen procedure?