Recently I did some work on my front driver's side wheel assembly, and I wanted to share this information with others who might not know the inner workings of that assembly.
Notes:
1. The following information is for a 1991 GW wiht a D44 front axle.
2. The following items were replaced:
Rotor
Wheel Bearings
Hub Grease Seal
Spindle Bearing
Spindle Grease Seal
Brake Pads
Picture #1:
This is a picture of the hub/rotor assembly with the tire/wheel removed:
Picture #2:
This is a picture of what I found when the hub cap was removed. This is the drive gear held in place by a snap ring. After removing the snap ring, I had to pull the drive gear out using a hooked probe. The grease was all dried and hard so it did not want to come out.
Picture #3:
This is a picture of the hub after it was separated from the rotor. I drove out the wheel studs by putting a nut on the end of them and hitting them with a hammer.
Picture #4:
This is a picture of the inside of the hub after the wheel bearings and outer races were removed, and after much cleaning. You can see where the outer races seat against the raised part in the middle.
Picture #5:
This is a picture of the hub with the two new bearings installed and packed in grease. Also note the sleeve between the outer bearing and the drive gear teeth. This was the confusing part. My service manual indicates that there should be a pressure spring and a spring cup inbetween the drive gear and the outer bearing, but mine did not have them. I went to the dealership, and they had exploded views that showed either the spring and spring cup or this sleeve, which is just a spacer. After seeing that, I was content to leave the sleeve in place.
Picture #6:
This is a picture of the spindle with the two spindle nuts and lock washer. The point is to show what has to be removed to get the hub/rotor assembly off of the spindle. When installing, the service manual said to torque the first (inner) nut to 50 ft-lbs while turning the wheel to seat the bearings, then back off 1/6 of a turn. Then when the lock washer is put on, the first nut may need to be adjusted because it has a peg that fits into one of the holes on the lock washer. Then the second (outer) nut is torqued to 50 ft-lbs to keep it all in place.
Picture #7:
This is a picture of the steering knuckle and spindle after the brake caliper suppor bracket has been removed.
Picture #8:
This is a picture of the spindle, with the nuts installed, after it has been removed.
Picture #9:
This is a picture of the inside of the spindle and its bearing.
(To be added in next post, maximum number of pictures is 8.)
Picture #10:
This is a picture of the spindle axle and shows one part of the old grease seal and where the spindle bearing rides. The grease seal is actually made up of three parts. Two rubber parts and a plastic disc. When I got the bearing replacement kit, it only came with the two rubber parts, which was fine because the plastic disk was in good shape.
(To be added in next post, maximum number of pictures is 8.)
I hope you found this tour of the wheel assembly informative. Obviously this is for the beginners who have never done this before (like me). I have plans to replace the bearings in the passenger's side wheel assembly on another weekend.
Notes:
1. The following information is for a 1991 GW wiht a D44 front axle.
2. The following items were replaced:
Rotor
Wheel Bearings
Hub Grease Seal
Spindle Bearing
Spindle Grease Seal
Brake Pads
Picture #1:
This is a picture of the hub/rotor assembly with the tire/wheel removed:
Picture #2:
This is a picture of what I found when the hub cap was removed. This is the drive gear held in place by a snap ring. After removing the snap ring, I had to pull the drive gear out using a hooked probe. The grease was all dried and hard so it did not want to come out.
Picture #3:
This is a picture of the hub after it was separated from the rotor. I drove out the wheel studs by putting a nut on the end of them and hitting them with a hammer.
Picture #4:
This is a picture of the inside of the hub after the wheel bearings and outer races were removed, and after much cleaning. You can see where the outer races seat against the raised part in the middle.
Picture #5:
This is a picture of the hub with the two new bearings installed and packed in grease. Also note the sleeve between the outer bearing and the drive gear teeth. This was the confusing part. My service manual indicates that there should be a pressure spring and a spring cup inbetween the drive gear and the outer bearing, but mine did not have them. I went to the dealership, and they had exploded views that showed either the spring and spring cup or this sleeve, which is just a spacer. After seeing that, I was content to leave the sleeve in place.
Picture #6:
This is a picture of the spindle with the two spindle nuts and lock washer. The point is to show what has to be removed to get the hub/rotor assembly off of the spindle. When installing, the service manual said to torque the first (inner) nut to 50 ft-lbs while turning the wheel to seat the bearings, then back off 1/6 of a turn. Then when the lock washer is put on, the first nut may need to be adjusted because it has a peg that fits into one of the holes on the lock washer. Then the second (outer) nut is torqued to 50 ft-lbs to keep it all in place.
Picture #7:
This is a picture of the steering knuckle and spindle after the brake caliper suppor bracket has been removed.
Picture #8:
This is a picture of the spindle, with the nuts installed, after it has been removed.
Picture #9:
This is a picture of the inside of the spindle and its bearing.
(To be added in next post, maximum number of pictures is 8.)
Picture #10:
This is a picture of the spindle axle and shows one part of the old grease seal and where the spindle bearing rides. The grease seal is actually made up of three parts. Two rubber parts and a plastic disc. When I got the bearing replacement kit, it only came with the two rubber parts, which was fine because the plastic disk was in good shape.
(To be added in next post, maximum number of pictures is 8.)
I hope you found this tour of the wheel assembly informative. Obviously this is for the beginners who have never done this before (like me). I have plans to replace the bearings in the passenger's side wheel assembly on another weekend.
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