SlimPickins
Escapee
One of the nice things about this forum is that only a couple of you know me... There are some advantages to anonymity when admitting to idiot moves. Mea culpa to follow..
Finally got my new control arms, bushings, brakes, wheel bearings, tie rods, sway bar connections/bushings installed, everything lubed up, torqued to spec, wheels on, jacks out, truck on the ground for the first time in months. With this 'life' stuff getting in the way of wrenching, it took A WHILE. As this was my first go at any suspension work, I felt like Tom Hanks in Cast Away when he made fire. I danced around yelling expletives at the seized bolts, challenging access, broken tools etc. that I encountered along the way. I tried to get the alignment as solid as I could by eye with plans to take it in for proper alignment this coming week. Hopped in, fired 'er up and took a roughly 3 mile drive just to settle things in and relish some. After a few initial groans, pops and squeaks worked themselves out, I was cruising high with a huge ******** grin. I did notice my steering wheel was about 50 degrees off of center but the Monty tracked pretty straight when letting go of the wheel. Things felt great until I flipped a rather tight left hand circle in a cul de sac. Pop, squeal, grind. I stopped immediately and stuck my head underneath where everything looked ok. I hesitantly felt the right hub and it was hotter than a two dollar pistol. The left side was warm but not nearly as flaming as the right. Limped it a few yards to the driveway, holding back man tears. Disassembled right side:
The washer and hub nut had spun. I was able to pry the washer out finally but the nut is stripped and stuck on the knuckle with the destroyed bearing hidden behind it I assume. Sounded like nails down a chalkboard in a sandstorm when I tried to spin it.
Was it so misaligned that the bearing just disintegrated?
Was the nut too tight? I did the bearing preload procedure per the factory manual but getting the washer's holes to align with the hub nut holes did require putting more torque on the nut than perhaps I would have liked. The breakaway measurement (digital luggage scale) was a bit out of spec on the high side but even a tad bit looser and I could feel slight wobble when pressing the hub/rotor at 12 and 6 o'clock so I went on the tighter side.
I used Lucas "Red N Tacky" grease and got it into every crevice of the bearing prior to install. I put the race in the freezer to make install easier but did grease it some as well when installing it. Everything fit together well.
Think I torched the left side as well? I haven't opened it up yet.
New hub and knuckle ordered. Good lord those are $$$.
The axle shaft looks ok..
I'll take it to a machinist to see if he can remove the nut so that I can remove hub, see the destruction and salvage the brake rotor and ABS rotor.
How do I avoid a repeat?
Be easy on me, I'm still pretty raw.
Finally got my new control arms, bushings, brakes, wheel bearings, tie rods, sway bar connections/bushings installed, everything lubed up, torqued to spec, wheels on, jacks out, truck on the ground for the first time in months. With this 'life' stuff getting in the way of wrenching, it took A WHILE. As this was my first go at any suspension work, I felt like Tom Hanks in Cast Away when he made fire. I danced around yelling expletives at the seized bolts, challenging access, broken tools etc. that I encountered along the way. I tried to get the alignment as solid as I could by eye with plans to take it in for proper alignment this coming week. Hopped in, fired 'er up and took a roughly 3 mile drive just to settle things in and relish some. After a few initial groans, pops and squeaks worked themselves out, I was cruising high with a huge ******** grin. I did notice my steering wheel was about 50 degrees off of center but the Monty tracked pretty straight when letting go of the wheel. Things felt great until I flipped a rather tight left hand circle in a cul de sac. Pop, squeal, grind. I stopped immediately and stuck my head underneath where everything looked ok. I hesitantly felt the right hub and it was hotter than a two dollar pistol. The left side was warm but not nearly as flaming as the right. Limped it a few yards to the driveway, holding back man tears. Disassembled right side:
The washer and hub nut had spun. I was able to pry the washer out finally but the nut is stripped and stuck on the knuckle with the destroyed bearing hidden behind it I assume. Sounded like nails down a chalkboard in a sandstorm when I tried to spin it.
Was it so misaligned that the bearing just disintegrated?
Was the nut too tight? I did the bearing preload procedure per the factory manual but getting the washer's holes to align with the hub nut holes did require putting more torque on the nut than perhaps I would have liked. The breakaway measurement (digital luggage scale) was a bit out of spec on the high side but even a tad bit looser and I could feel slight wobble when pressing the hub/rotor at 12 and 6 o'clock so I went on the tighter side.
I used Lucas "Red N Tacky" grease and got it into every crevice of the bearing prior to install. I put the race in the freezer to make install easier but did grease it some as well when installing it. Everything fit together well.
Think I torched the left side as well? I haven't opened it up yet.
New hub and knuckle ordered. Good lord those are $$$.
The axle shaft looks ok..
I'll take it to a machinist to see if he can remove the nut so that I can remove hub, see the destruction and salvage the brake rotor and ABS rotor.
How do I avoid a repeat?
Be easy on me, I'm still pretty raw.