Trust your gut...

[Mark Rinker]

...and get your truck up on the rack from time to time.

I have been hitting it pretty hard recently, averaging about 1500 miles plus per week. Had a feeling that I hadn't been under the truck in awhile, and am planning a few longer jaunts of 2500 miles roundtrip or so in May, so I dropped by my local service shop and turned them loose on the truck, while getting my 'free' tire rotation. (I always joke there is nothing free, because they often find something to charge me for...)

Sure enough, the right front wheel bearing was TOAST. No noise, no vibration, but the play once the truck was hoisted with wheels hanging was ugly. I was 500 miles from a big problem...somewhere around Chicago probably, with a big 32' boat in tow.

Dodged a bullet...back on the road today cranked out 600 miles to Platte, SD with a 28' sailboat on a custom triple axle trailer today. Platte as a fancake out there...

[Observer]

GREAT ADVICE MARK!

We often tend to wait for a problem to manifest itself ... in your case that could've been a disaster ... I'll keep your experience in mind!

[DmaxMaverick]

Good advice. Just the same, mine get checked during every [free] tire rotation, or when I feel the need.

However, let me inject this....
I have had a GM IFS truck since the modern design has been in service (about 1982). Since, I have replaced countless hubs, mine and many times more others. Many of them were like Mark described, leaving one scratching his head and counting his blessings. That said, I have yet to see, or hear of, just one catastrophic failure. No wheels flying off. No seized bearings. No "upside down in the ditch" pictures.

I drove my 2001 for about 10K miles with a bad bearing. It took that long from the first indication (vibration/rumble under load) to a noticeable play in the bearing. I would have replaced it immediately, but it just didn't shine as a bad one. They may not last as long as we would like, but durability hasn't been a question in my mind. I've repaired/replaced many SFA's due to bearing failures, and have seen a bunch of those "upside down in the ditch" pictures.

[EdHale]

How many miles on that one Mark?

130k, is that correct?

[crashz]

Its funny that this subject has come up. I just replaced a wheel bearing in my fathers 2001 K1500, which he had in the shop about a month ago. The mechanic (a trusted friend) put brakes, shocks and a passenger side wheel bearing in. He looked and the driver's side and found no play. may father couldn't have had more than 200 miles on the truck since then. By the time I replaced it, he was scared to drive it. It was popping and crunching badly even when rolling in a straight line.

In my experience, the 1/2 ton bearings seem to fail as a pair (mine & my father's) but seems like those with HD trucks do not follow that trend from what I've read on the forums. Either that, or people don't post about it.

I think I jack mine up this evening and take a look now.

[DmaxMaverick]

Just to add.....

The 2 wd (rear wheel drive) and 4 wd hubs are very different. Actually, the 2 wd hub as to be significantly more durable, because of how they are secured. A 2 wd hub has to be secure within it's design and stand alone. The design of the 4x4 hub relies on the axle spline to keep it clamped together, and it will stay that way until the hub housing assy has completely shredded. This also applies to most, if not all, GM front wheel drive vehicles. Because of this, it is important to NEVER place the full vehicle weight on a 4x4 (or front wheel drive) wheel w/o the axle nut fully torqued. Still, I haven't seen or heard of any catastrophic failures. Anyone?

[Mark Rinker]

How many miles on that one Mark?

130k, is that correct?


136k to be exact.

The leftside was done on the day I purchased the truck at ~58K. The previous owner paid for it to be done, was growling. This one was 'floppy', but not 'growly'. ;)

[Mark Rinker]

So, I am back on the rack for an oil change, tranny drain/fill and filter, rear diff change at 140K, and the CV boot has let go on the same front right corner, slinging grease all over the place... :eek:

Last oil change it was the bearing, this time the axle/boot...hmmmm.


>>> so I dropped by my local service shop and turned them loose on the truck, while getting my 'free' tire rotation. (I always joke there is nothing free, because they often find something to charge me for...) <<<

[More Power]

Hmmm... CV boots usually last for hundreds of thousands of miles, unless there's some sort of boot damage due to road debris. ;)

Jim

[MacDR50]

We just replaced a bearing on a 2006 2500HD 4x4. No warning. We had to change a tire after hitting a bad hole and the mechanic called to say the bearing was shot. Truck has only just over 50,000 kms on it. This one hauls a 9500# goose neck trailer. While we were discussing the repair one of the techs here remarked his 2006 1500 4x4 was in the shop getter both front bearings replaced. He had about 80,000 kms on the truck.

Does anyone else see a pattern here? I have since directed that all our GM pick-ups to be inspected.

[Mark Rinker]

Hmmm... CV boots usually last for hundreds of thousands of miles, unless there's some sort of boot damage due to road debris. ;)

Jim


I pointed out to the mechanic, his supervisor, and the shop owner that I had never replaced a shaft/boot in all the GM trucks I've owned since starting MRE in 2000...(that would be 10 trucks total, 9 of them 4WD from 1998 model year through 2006 model year), and this one develops a problem immediately after having the wheel bearing done?

:mad:

Well, the name of this thread still applies. "Trust Your Gut." Additionally, "Vote With Your Feet/Checkbook" LOL

[lb7lbz]

ya mark that is wierd my 01 has 275k on it now and both cvs have never been touched