pretty sure i have a bad wheel bearing. i just rotated my tires and i noticed the right side has play up/down/left/right. to top it off i just found out i lubricated my undercarriage with grease from a torn cv boot. i have searched, and from what i understand i need a press to get the wheel bearing out, which is out of the question for me. has anyone taken it to a repair shop for this, i am curious what the cost is with parts and labor.

thanks

 

A "bad" wheel bearing will not run smooth when you spin the tire. It will sound kinda gravely, and you'd definitely hear it while driving, and it will get worse very quickly. Usually when you start hearing it, it will get worse and fail within a week or two... Sounds like you just have a loose bearing retainer nut. I would try tightening it until just snug (just till you feel additional resistance when you spin the tire, the spec is 43 ft-lbs) spin the wheel a few times and listen to see if it sounds like it's running smooth. Then back it off until there is no drag, then finger tighten it. This works great, even though it's less high tech than the spring scale method the book calls for. A bearing that is loose doesn't hurt anything, a tight bearing will fail quickly, so if in doubt looser is better.

Another idea is this might be a good time to repack your bearings (or have it done.) If you have it done they will discover if the bearing is bad and you'd get it fixed while only spending the labor charge one time to accomplish both.

 

Flamedx4 gave great advice for the standard type bearing, but the 3rd Gen uses a different type of bearing.

I have replaced one of mine. I had a lot of vibation in my RT FT wheel. When roatated by hand it felt fine. Even after tearing it down, I could not see any defect in it.

You will need a press with all the fixures and press plates. It is a bit of work to press the whole knuckle and hub assembly apart and then back together. One important thing to keep in mind is that once you start pressing it apart, you must complete the job as you destroy the bearing when you remove it. It can not be reused and once you start the job you must see it through.

My bearing replacement went very smooth, however, I had the President of the VA Chapter of TTORA come over yesterday to replace one of his. His did not go smoth at all. The outisde inner race of the bearing was seized on the hub and would not come loose and we basically blew the whole thing apart with a 30 ton press. Still can not get that race off of the hub. We are going to take that hub to a machine shop Monday and see if they can work some magic on it.

So, this is not really a job you can do yourself. You need a high capacity shop press and several specialty tools. It would be best to let the dealership tackle this job for you so if they run into the same problems we did yesterday, it is on them to make it right.

Gadget

 

thanks! this info really helps

 

I had a similar experience to Gadget.

I bought a set of used Taco manual hubs to convert my ADD. I took my spindles to the dealer to have the bearings pressed out and the new bearings / taco manual hubs pressed in. It should have cost about $200 for bench work.

One of my hubs was also seized in the bearing and with 27 tons of pressure the spindle broke. That cost me another $300 for a new spindle.

This is not a job a typical DIY should attempt. And, (for the record) I usually think just about any job can be done by a competent DIY.

 

well, seeing as how everytime i attempt to do something myself, i end up with spare parts afterward, i'm gonna take this in to have it done. i appreciate everone's info, otherwise i was gonna go in blind and tackle this on my own.

 

[[advice for the standard type bearing, but the 3rd Gen uses a different type of bearing.]]

Another "improvement," eh? Figures..s I blew a front bearing on my 85 and it seized the inner race to the spindle - spun it and galled it in place! I flushed it out best I could with Brakeclean, and (don't try this at home kids...) heated it with a torch as carefully as I could (trying not to set it on fire) and when it was good and shoved a prybar behind it, pried hard, and shot it with Brake Clean. It went "TINK!" and broke. Came right off. Then I spent like 2 days with emory cloth cleaning up the spindle and test fitting a new bearing. PITA!!

This story, by the way, is an example of what happens when you ignore wheel bearing maintenance...

 

I thought the 3rd gen bearings were sealed. If so, there would be no maintainence,

 

Exactly. No maintenance right up til the time then need to be replaced.

Gadget

 

Hi,

Is there a write-up for the replacement of the beaings of a third gen, including the pressing part?

Is it required to remove the CVs in order to have the bearings pressed? How many bearings are there per side? Other than the bearings, what other parts do I need to replace when replacing the bearings?

I've been hearing some woog-woog sounds up front lately and I was told it's coming from the bearings. But the sound doesn't seem to change with speed.

Thanks.

Edit:

Does anyone have the "equivalent" part numbers for the replacement bearings? I mean, the part numbers used by NSK, Koyo, or Timken.

 

I replaced the left bearing on mine. It was a pain. It is not necessary to remove the entire CV assembly, but the outer shaft is removed from the spindle. You have to disconnect the upper and lower ball joints. There is only one bearing, a sealed unit that is pressed into the spindle. The CV axle is splined and goes through the bearing. I recall I had to cut the brake line mount on the spindle to free the brake and line, but if you do it carefully the U-clip can be reinstalled on the mount with no trouble. Also the steering knuckle needs to be removed, which was very tight. I think I squeezed all the grease out of mine when I did it, but just filled it back up when I was done with a needle fitting.

The pressing out part was kinda scary. It took an azzload of pressure to break it loose, and when it came apart it was with a major BANG! I would definitely suggest at the minimum: gloves, eye protection, and maybe earplugs.

I did this about 2 years ago before I found the forum, otherwise I might have done a writeup on it. If I do the other side (possibility) I'll take some pics.

 

Another thought. Since you can't really tighten up the bearings like on the earlier model Flame was talking about, and just turning the wheel won't always be rough (unless its really bad), the only way I know to check them is by driving smoothly at about 25-30mph, and then make a gradual turn one way or the other. If you have a grinding or whirring noise (not tire noise) while going straight, and it gets louder or quieter while turning, that is a good indication of a bearing going bad.

I've had a few vehicles with worn front sealed bearings, and have never had one go out suddenly. They'll gradually get louder though.

 

Here's a question. Do you need a bearing packer for the front timken bearings? When you buy new bearings for the front they don't look like they have any grease in them.

 

All bearings come "clean" and are required to be "packed" prior to installation..., unless the new 3rd. gens. have their own internal lube already, don't know.

 

3rd gens use a sealed bearing assembly in the front, as mentioned above. There is no maintenance required. No packing required. Simply (!?) press in.

I haven't had the rear apart, but if it is like most other rear axle bearings I've encountered, they don't require packing either, and are lubed by the gear oil in the axle.

 

Is this the case? I was under the impression that the bearings were packed with grease and sandwiched between an inner and outer seal...

 

www.r65.org/tacoma/bearing
Those are pics of the process and required arbors/plates.

yes, but just from the hub and spindle, not from the pumpkin. (It's a goot chance to change CV boots if they show signs of wear. Here's my ditty on that....CV boot replacement write up)
1.
seals.(2x)

I don't but I bet you can find a cross referance schart on the net somewhere.
I have some old bearing at home. If you'd like, later tonight when I get home I can post the numbers on the races to help ya cross em??????

Edit: Here ya go...

 

Thank you guys for the help! Appreciate it!

SloPoke: Yes, please post the numbers. That would be a great help.

Thanks again.

 

K. Will try to rememebr to do that tonight!

 

Front wheel bearing is a Timken JRM5504S and is a Toyota P/N: 90080-36071
Rear wheel bearing is a Koyo 6308T and is a Toyota P/N: 90363-40020-77