Front wheel bearing/ hub assembly

bigjimhardy · **Posted:** Sat Aug 06, 2011 12:32 am

I've had a low howl coming from the front of my liberty for a short time now. I checked everything up there and finally decided it was the wheel bearing. These aren't just a replaceable bearing, you have to replace the whole hub assembly. I went down and paid the stealership $30 to tell me it would cost $550-$600 to replace my right front wheel bearing/hub assembly. :furious:

I went out on ebay and found a new hub with a lifetime warranty for $74.95 delivered. I figure around 2 hours tops to R&R it. :JEEPIN:

2006 Liberty Sport CRD 65K
Gray, Gray leather
Mostly stock
EHM,ORM
Clevis,spacer lift

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Sat Aug 06, 2011 7:45 am

Good luck getting them to honor the warranty from fleabay.should have gotten a good bearing like one made by Timkin or SKF that will actually last.

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Sat Aug 06, 2011 12:46 pm

Do lockout hub conversations only work on solid front axles? I’m saving up to buy one for my Dodge. Yukon free spin, Dynatrac lockout hub conversation, and Spyntec make them for the Dodge.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Sat Aug 06, 2011 8:02 pm

dieselenthusiast wrote:

Do lockout hub conversations only work on solid front axles? I’m saving up to buy one for my Dodge. Yukon free spin, Dynatrac lockout hub conversation, and Spyntec make them for the Dodge.

None for a KJ with IFS,would cost big $$$ to make one work.

bigjimhardy · **Posted:** Wed Aug 10, 2011 11:40 pm

tjkj2002
I did a research on the vender I purchased the hub from and found they are a very reputable dealer with a top shelf product. Maybe you shouldn't be so quick to jump to the conclusion that this is an inferior product, only time will tell???? Besides at $74.95 I can afford to change it out 5 times and still be ahead of the stealerships price.

I've had many dealings on ebay and found that if you are careful you won't get hurt purchasing there.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:01 am

bigjimhardy wrote:

tjkj2002
I did a research on the vender I purchased the hub from and found they are a very reputable dealer with a top shelf product. Maybe you shouldn't be so quick to jump to the conclusion that this is an inferior product, only time will tell???? Besides at $74.95 I can afford to change it out 5 times and still be ahead of the stealerships price.

I've had many dealings on ebay and found that if you are careful you won't get hurt purchasing there.

Yeah I've read all the "happy ending" stories about fleabay,also I said nothing about OEM bearings.

bigjimhardy · **Posted:** Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:19 am

Appears someone has had a bad experience with EBAY. :lol:

QuestMan · **Posted:** Thu Aug 11, 2011 7:19 pm

I've been noticing a little extra road noise from up front lately myself. What size socket did you need to get the hub out?

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 11, 2011 7:21 pm

QuestMan wrote:

I've been noticing a little extra road noise from up front lately myself. What size socket did you need to get the hub out?

You need a 12mm,21mm,35mm,and E14 tork socket to change the front hub bearings in a KJ,might need a puller to free the CV front the bearing and/or slide hammer to free the bearing from the knuckle.

ridenby · **Posted:** Fri Aug 12, 2011 12:18 am

Timken HA599467 I am a cheap sob,use a known good brand for something like this.

bigjimhardy · **Posted:** Fri Feb 07, 2014 12:21 pm

Well nonbelivers it's now 2014 and my ebay "cheap" part is still working well. I drive this jeep daily and couldn't be happier with my ebay part.

streetglideok · **Posted:** Sun Feb 09, 2014 12:28 pm

Bet you money if I got in it and drove it, I'd come back and say, you can't hear that bearing growling? Or lift the front end and show you the slop and say, hows that play?

jrsavoie · **Posted:** Fri Aug 22, 2014 3:17 pm

Do you have a link or part number for those bearings?

I am getting the Lightening bolt light and think it could be wheel sensors.

Is it possible to replace just the wheel speed sensors?

Any part numbers or links would be appreciated.

How many miles have you put on since you installed the cheap bearings?

I have 140,000 on the OEM bearings. The bearings are still tight.

mORE EXPENSIVE DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN BETTER QUALITY

JeepinJarhead03 · **Posted:** Fri Aug 22, 2014 7:15 pm

Noones making the more expensive vs cheaper argument sunshine, some of us have personally went through half a dozen or so lifetime warranty hubs from a certain reputable parts store and the over all logical consensus from many members, and tjkj who still r&rs for a living is that saving 40 dollars for a duracrap hub can often waste as someone said, 2hrs r&r in up wards of 6 times over 100k miles. 10hrs of my time is worth 40 bucks.

Went through three in 30k on one side and two on the other, it's been 90k since i told them to keep that warranty and put timkens on

jrsavoie · **Posted:** Fri Aug 22, 2014 7:41 pm

JeepinJarhead03 wrote:

Noones making the more expensive vs cheaper argument sunshine, some of us have personally went through half a dozen or so lifetime warranty hubs from a certain reputable parts store and the over all logical consensus from many members, and tjkj who still r&rs for a living is that saving 40 dollars for a duracrap hub can often waste as someone said, 2hrs r&r in up wards of 6 times over 100k miles. 10hrs of my time is worth 40 bucks.

Went through three in 30k on one side and two on the other, it's been 90k since i told them to keep that warranty and put timkens on

And Timkens are not the most expensive. You can spend more, but are you getting a better product?

JeepinJarhead03 · **Posted:** Fri Aug 22, 2014 7:52 pm

Skimp on the radiator and you'll likely be putting in like 10 of those as chris d did , larger part price difference on those too but go ahead and put a specter, it only keeps your engine cool

And no they (timkens) aren't the most expensive but they are not cheap in comparison to stock house life time warranty bearings, but they are leagues ahead in quality whether you can spend more for an even better product is neither here nor there

The specter radiators are what napa and az carry and are a good hundred at least cheaper than Mopar, enough difference ppl generally won't shy to take a chance of ruining several grand in equipment, yet there's such a quality difference in specter and Mopar radiators you can't call a specter a liberty radiator, it's a antifreeze filled bomb

We don't give this info to just be giving info, we're trying to save people money and headaches other members have already suffered

65Corvair · **Posted:** Sat Aug 23, 2014 1:04 pm

QuestMan wrote:

I've been noticing a little extra road noise from up front lately myself. What size socket did you need to get the hub out?

My NAPA front CV used a 36MM nut, so you may need one of these if you do not have original CV shafts.

Leeann · **Joined:** Thu Mar 14, 2013 9:19 pm **Posts:** 523

My stock cv's axle nut took a 36mm socket, too.

JeepinJarhead03 · **Posted:** Sat Aug 23, 2014 7:26 pm

The stock nut is a 35 usually, with 36 being what if most if not all aftermarket replacements come with, just get the 36 socket like suggested, just don't do the hey this socket kinda fits routine anywhere else on the vehicle

With the CVS being of larger nut diameter and low torque for their size you'd snatch the vehicle off the jacks before boogering a 35 with a 36 and due to dirt rust and grime it may actually feel like it fits

Just don't go putting a 17 on a 15 and think you'll get away with it, I've had to rescue people who went metric on a standard and vice versa else where

And i say that with the due understanding if you're the only person in the world that some how boogers a 35 with a 36 that I'm not paying for it lol but i think even tom or troy would grab a 36 if you pulled in with unknown cv age and needed a hub.... Well dunno about Troy.. I think he's precision ocd, for good reason

You're also supposed to change the nut every time it's removed but that @#$& never happens :lol:

tommudd · **Posted:** Sat Aug 23, 2014 8:13 pm

JeepinJarhead03 wrote:

The stock nut is a 35 usually, with 36 being what if most if not all aftermarket replacements come with, just get the 36 socket like suggested, just don't do the hey this socket kinda fits routine anywhere else on the vehicle

With the CVS being of larger nut diameter and low torque for their size you'd snatch the vehicle off the jacks before boogering a 35 with a 36 and due to dirt rust and grime it may actually feel like it fits

Just don't go putting a 17 on a 15 and think you'll get away with it, I've had to rescue people who went metric on a standard and vice versa else where

And i say that with the due understanding if you're the only person in the world that some how boogers a 35 with a 36 that I'm not paying for it lol but i think even tom or troy would grab a 36 if you pulled in with unknown cv age and needed a hub.... Well dunno about Troy.. I think he's precision ocd, for good reason

You're also supposed to change the nut every time it's removed but that @#$& never happens :lol:

So I'm not OCD but Troy is ?? :shock:

I grab and whatever fits and takes it off.................
Not sure how many "new" nuts i have laying in my tool box. Someday I'm going to make my wife a bracelet out of them :wink:

Front wheel bearing/ hub assembly

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