Wheel Bearing/Assembly? and Manual Hub Bolts?

[Gen X]

Looking for some help with part numbers. I believe I have a bad driver side front wheel bearing. Looking at Rockauto, the needed parts appear to be bearings, races, and seals for inner and outer? They don't look too expensive. However, when doing my Youtube checks on how to replace everything, I see folks replacing a much larger part they refer to as the hub assembly. It comes with an ABS sensor already installed. I can't tell in the videos but it looks like that is a Gen 2 thing? Can anyone tell me the part numbers I need to replace all the "guts". I want to replace all the bearings, seals, whatever is in there. I've got a funky clunking noise on slow turns and think the wheel bearing is the culprit. All the ball joints and tie rods have been done.

Next question. I'm looking to upgrade to manual hubs. I know WARN is the king, but I see some complaints about the double threaded bolts used to attach them. I also see other hubs that don't come with the double threaded bolts or nuts, just the longer hex head bolts that attach the hub to it's carrier. Can I get those double threaded bolts at the local Home Depot or Lowe's? What thread pattern or length do I need? More importantly, what the hell are those actually called? I'm sure double threaded bolts is not the technical term.

 

[Bklyn.X]

For one side you need one inner and one outer bearing with race plus one grease seal (Nissan part#40232-8B500). The inner bearings I’ve bought came in a bearing/race set. The outer bearing was a bearing and race separate (I’ve used Timkin and a "set" of bearing+race is prefered).


You don’t need to replace anything else unless something else is damaged.


I don’t care for the WARN manual hubs made for our truck.

I prefer an old set of Nissan Hardbody hubs (#40250-S3900) but a doubt you’ll be able to find any.

I actually prefer our OEM Auto hub to the WARN but that’s me based on what I have witnessed first hand. Others will say they’ve run WARN for years without issue.

I’ve seen those “double threaded bolts” or “studs” come loose and “egg out” the holes in the wheel hub requiring them to be replaced. I've seen Grade 8 replacement studs break in the hub. What can I say, I no likely.


Here’s a link to a great wheel bearing service write up that will send you down a good path.


http://www.rkrenn.com/xterra/howto/bearing/bearing.htm


All that’s missing in how to change the races. You’ll need a race tool (best), a set of brass punches + skill (good enough) or some narrow wood blocks + luck (trashy street corner mechanic….what I used) to set the races.

 

[Gen X]

Thanks, very helpful info. Are the hubs you recomnend manual locking? Looks like Bay Ridge Nissan up in your neck of the woods has one for $116. The only reason I'm looking to change is because I have a broken fixed cam assembly. I can't seem to find one and read they are discontinued? Because of this we need to replace with a manual hub as that negates the need for the fixed cam. Is this correct? On mine, the plastic holding the round spring broke. I was able to get it back into place around the cam and back together. 4wd works fine but I want to get it fixed.

 

[Bklyn.X]

The Nissan Hardbody hubs (#40250-S3900) hubs I like are manual locking,

Bay Ridge Nissan has got to be the worst and I doubt they have them. They probably have never updated their inventory. One would do you no good without another for the other side but if they have it for $116 it might be worth buying as an investment...

I might have a fixed cam assembly somewhere in my parts heap, I’ll look this weekend and let you know.

 

[Prime]

Also, if you want to do away with the hubs entirely you can get a pair of drive slugs off of an 04 Pathfinder. They bolt into the holes on the hub and just lock the splines together for full time rotation. Kind of like how a 2nd gen is made.

 

[Bklyn.X]

True^
...although I never cared for that. I know the CV's and diff can take the abuse, but I'd rather have all of it disconnected and not spinning at highway speeds. I've had my manuals fail locked (easy fix) and could feel the CV spin on a turn. Not comforting.

 

[Gen X]

I like the free wheeling option too. How can I tell if there's more broken other than the fixed cam assembly? Will other pieces fall out of the hub? I'm trying to diagnose what is making the noise. I can't pin it down. It happens sometimes when I turn and sometimes it doesn't. Like I said, ball joints and tie rods done.

Also, sometimes, with the noise on a slow turn usually to the right, it feels like my truck "slides" a little. Kind of like the tire is on a ball and it "rolls" a bit to the left then catches traction again. I don't have any idea what the issue is, some other part in the steering setup? I've stopped by the garage a couple times but they can't seem to figure it out. I'm waiting for a nice day to get the front end on jack stands and try to go over everything. Get a big pry bar out and check that all is tight. Any idea what I should be looking at? This post started with the thought I have bad bearings, but I haven't actually had it up to shake the wheel and check.

 

[SRStaff]

Nissan has OEM studs and nuts to fit the Warn manual hubs. That is what I run on my Warn manual hubs.

 

[granitex]

it is much more likely that you have a bad rod end, and or upper control arm bushings. the actual wheel bearings almost never go bad. that being said they do need an occasional service of cleaning, inspecting, and re packing.

I always had at least one set of everything that I would need to swap them out, which I still have sitting around, but have only had to change one side, once.

 

[Gen X]

Alright, got under this yesterday. Pulled, pushed, pryed, and shook the hell out of it. As far as bearings; driver side had some play when shaking the wheel top to bottom and made a "clickey, clickey" sound. Passenger side had a little play but no sound. Given the parts are not expensive, probably just going to do both sides with new bearings, races, and seals.

granitex gets a square. I got a pry bar in and worked the UCA bushings. Rear driver side bushing made the loud "snap, pop" sound I've been hearing. Passenger front seemed to have more flex than the others. How much movement should there be on rubber bushings?

Given pulling the UCAs to put in poly bushings is a pretty big undertaking, might as well wrap those poly bushings in new lifted UCAs. Gonna post a WTB thread, if anyone has extended UCAs they want to part with I'd be interested.

 

[Gen X]

The noise is getting louder. I don't have the $$ or time to get lifted UCAs at the moment. I'm assuming buying a whole new UCA with ball joint included is easier than trying to put in new UCA bushings correct? Moog bushings are about $15 compared to $65 for a UCA. I see some use a ball joint press to get the bushings out. Is that feasible? Or should I just save frustration and get the new UCA?

 

[granitex]

there should be no movement in the bushings, and the movement that you described could still be rod ends and ball joints,

as far as the hub questions go I ran a set of mile markers for years without issue, just remember to use lock tight on the studs as well as the lock washers.

The mile markers do not stick out as far as the warn hubs if that matters to you.

 

[Gen X]

Intersting that this thread got revived. I was coming to look it up as I need to buy the studs for manual hubs. Where can I get them? SRStaff said Nissan has OEM studs but I'm having trouble finding them. Warn sells some but they are pricey. Anyone have part numders for others? Or has someone been able to get something similar from Home Depot, Lowes, or maybe another hardware store? I was thinking of going in with one of the auto locker studs to find the thread count and seeing if I could locate some sort of bolt that would work.

 

[SRStaff]

They are OEM Pathfinder studs. 97 with the full time 4WD hubs.

 

[Gen X]

Ok, I've got some manual 4wd hubs on the way. A few questions to ensure I get them on correctly. Can someone let me know which pieces are removed from the attached diagram when switching to manual hubs? Is it just the fixed cam assembly and the spindle washer? When putting the new manual hub on, do I need to add any grease? Should I just smear some on the spindle for good measure?

 

[Bklyn.X]

Normally the lock washer/screw stay, "fixed cam assembly" delete. Some folks keep the "spindle washer and "snap ring", I never did. "Auto-lock free-running hub assembly" delete. What hubs did you get? New/used?

 

[Gen X]

Thanks. I went with a set of AVMs from eBay. They came in today. Quite solid and I like the hardware theycame with. I'll post photos in my build thread when I do the install.

Do I need to add some grease to the spindle when putting these on?