Question Pre March 99 vs Post March 99 Hubs - Interchangeability?

[dpantazis]

Dragon- search here for the TSB info, you can get those parts with the part numbers from the TSB.

DaveBen- you seem surprised that the bearings are unit bearings and that Ford is the bad guy. Most of the manufacturers have gone to unit bearings for both cars and trucks for almost 10 years. What is your gripe?

dynatracs- you can rebuild the entire front end twice for the cost of a dynatrac conversion kit. why-because you like obsolescence and old technology so much?

 

[Dragon]

thanks Dpantazis

 

[Stroked68]

I spent the better part of the day trying to help my roommate get his 2000 F350 front bearings out, only to find that they are the unit bearings and can't be serviced. Ordered a pair from Ford and the truck sat for a few days. I do not like this kind of stuff that Ford pulls.

Dave

Agreed! I like the old days when you pull the wheel bearings out and repack them and EVERYTHING had grease fittings haha. I hate this sealed bearing crap!

 

[Dragon]

Well...I found the problem... NO O-RING WAS INSTALLED ON THE HUB AT THE FACTORY!!!! NO WONDER I HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS LEFT FRONT HUB SINCE THE DAY I PURCHASED THIS TRUCK BRAND NEW!



Also, the hub looks like it didn't seal properly around the knuckle flange. I am going to put a thin coat of gasket sealer there when I reinstall it, just to keep water from entering from the flange. At least the axle tube is clean, but my axle is chewed up. I don't know if it can be fixed or not...

Another day, another dollar...(that I can't afford to spend right now)

 

[dpantazis]

dragan-

let me make sure i get this right, in 12 years you have not serviced your hubs and because the oring is missing, you are concluding that it was not installed at the factory?

i think that is a bit of a stretch.

 

[Dragon]

No...I never pulled the hubs. I always had the dealer do it, and apparently they never actually serviced them even after all of my bitching & complaining about it. I have though serviced the auto-locking hubs at least yearly but never noticed a problem until recently. Why would the o-ring be missing then? Either the dealer left it out, or the factory, but I have no way of knowing. I do say it is Ford's fault. Oh well. Next time I will heed the warning. When you develop a problem, do it yourself instead of relying on someone else...

EDIT: Well, well, well...after looking at the hub, I decided to measure the rotor flange. It's 13 MM!!!!!!!!!! So, this leads me to believe that the dealer replaced it (possibly under TSB 99-12-12) and used the wrong (post 3/99) hub! Now, to pull apart the passenger side and see if it's FUBAR too!

 

[JLDickmon]

dude, don't necessarily blame the dealer, or Ford.
Poop happens.
Most likely, the wear-ever seal didn't wear forever and the moisture entered that way.. or through a broken vacuum line, or who knows a hundred different other ways.. unit bearings are sealed on both sides of the hub, so irregardless, a hub failing has nothing to do with it. It's just a failed hub.

Why Ford decided to change the brake/bearing setup in the middle of a model year still baffles me; But suffice to say, you measure the heights of your brake rotors, and that tells you what hubs to use. The later rotors are deeper.

And I find it completely within the realm of possibility, that you could have two different setups side to side.

 

[Tbar]

No...I never pulled the hubs. I always had the dealer do it, and apparently they never actually serviced them even after all of my bitching & complaining about it. I have though serviced the auto-locking hubs at least yearly but never noticed a problem until recently. Why would the o-ring be missing then? Either the dealer left it out, or the factory, but I have no way of knowing. I do say it is Ford's fault. Oh well. Next time I will heed the warning. When you develop a problem, do it yourself instead of relying on someone else...

EDIT: Well, well, well...after looking at the hub, I decided to measure the rotor flange. It's 13 MM!!!!!!!!!! So, this leads me to believe that the dealer replaced it (possibly under TSB 99-12-12) and used the wrong (post 3/99) hub! Now, to pull apart the passenger side and see if it's FUBAR too!

You cannot guess hub/brake component part numbers on these 99 year model trucks. I know from experience it is an act of futility. Contact the dealership.....give them your VIN number.....get the part numbers and order the parts.

Regarding your missing oring I strongly suspect that hub has been replaced before. Anyone not familar with these trucks will not know that the inner oring is sold separately and won't install it. Again.....I know this from experience.

Did you buy your truck new?
Was it ever wrecked?
Was the hub ever replaced?


Tbar

 

[JLDickmon]

I just looked a little closer and yeah, there should be an O-ring on the backside of the hub.. but; it's to seal the chamber for ESOF hubs.

I stand by what I said. The bearing failed because the bearing failed.

and if it seemed like I was picking on you, that wasn't my intent. Sometimes $h!t happens, and you just gotta wipe and move on..

 

[Dragon]

JL, No problem man. I understand completely!

TBar, thanks...I bought the truck new. I was never in an accident and I don't know for sure if the hub was ever replaced. I do know that I have had it to the dealer many times for the left front issues I have had. I am going to pull the right front apart today and check that hub flange thickness.

The local dealer gave me these part numbers for my VIN.
Wheel Hub: F81Z1104BH
Auto Locking Hub: 1C3Z3B396CB

Now I have to get the Ford P/N for the outer driver's side axle (I can't find it anywhere on the web & the Dana/Spicer manual for that D50 front end says "See Manufacturer" for the hub, knuckle and axle). Thank goodness the knuckle is OK. I am definitely going to replace my rotors & pads also.

Here is the link to the outer axle...
I hate to ask, but does anyone have suggestions on rotors?