Wheel bearing tips

andrew.wenmoth · **Posted:** Mon Mar 14, 2016 5:09 pm

Hey all,
Got a drivers side wheel bearing and cv going bad, clunking and ticking and the whole nine. Got a moog wheel bearing sitting next to me now, napa refurb cv on order to arrive tomorrow. What im asking for is any tips before i start in t-24 hours? Any advice is great. Oh, got a 35,36mm socket as well as the e14 torx ive heard about sitting here too. Going to spray everything down with some pb blaster tonight to hopefully loosen it up nice. Thanks for any tips!

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tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Mar 14, 2016 7:04 pm

Fairly easy to do, you have the tools that it takes it seems so you're good to go.
Of course will have to remove the clevis to get the CV out , sway bar lower bolt removed etc

andrew.wenmoth · **Posted:** Mon Mar 14, 2016 8:11 pm

Thanks tom! I was definately planning on removing the clevis. Gonna throw a little clevis lift on when it goes back together too. Thoughts on removing the whole knuckle to take the bearing out or do they usually come out pretty easy?

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Mountainman · **Posted:** Tue Mar 15, 2016 12:53 am

If I remember correctly, it's pretty tough to get the CV out without pulling the whole knuckle, and the ones I've seen, the torx bolts are rusted in there pretty good, so having it on the deck would help a lot. hmm, a good impact would be a huge bonus I think.

Function > Form · **Posted:** Tue Mar 15, 2016 11:43 am

Don't foget to loosen the axle nut while it's on the ground. To get the axle out, yeah pretty unavoidable to remove almost everything. I've left the tie rod attached only, removing lbj, ubj and sway and I think you can get it out. Might as well swap in a new sway link if you need one.

Personally I wouldn't use an impact wrench on the e14s...they are pretty small and you could damage the heads, but that's just me (we have lots of salt up here too - just liberally apply the PBB). I usually use a 3/8" ratchet and add a 1/2" x 2ft pipe on the end for a little more leverage. Doesn't usually take any more than that.

You might want to have a ratchet strap on hand to pull your clevis back vertically in line to attach to your shock too.

Good luck, Andrew!

andrew.wenmoth · **Posted:** Tue Mar 15, 2016 12:42 pm

The axle nut... Thats something ive seen and was just going to tackle it when i got to it... So pop the center cap on my wheel? I have moabs if that changes things... Im unsure as to how to get to the axle nut with the wheel on otherwise... Unless you mean the other side on the ground but with an open diff wont it just spin anyways? Someone weigh in?

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G.O.A.T. · **Joined:** Wed Jan 27, 2016 1:11 am **Posts:** 149

If you step on the brakes with the wheel removed, then loosen the nut. Then proceeded to take off the rest.

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andrew.wenmoth · **Posted:** Tue Mar 15, 2016 1:01 pm

Cool thanks, that was kind of my plan, or use a pry bar in the studs seeing as how it doesnt matter if they get muffed up

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Mountainman · **Posted:** Tue Mar 15, 2016 1:27 pm

Yeah, pop the center cap, wedge a pry bar, or a good impact, all three work, but it's easiest to do it with the weight on the tire to break it loose.

andrew.wenmoth · **Posted:** Tue Mar 15, 2016 11:46 pm

Thanks everyone for the tips, got wheel bearing/hub and cv installed in about 2 hours, with bev and dealing with my buddies 4 year old sneaking around "helping". Gonna recheck the torque on everything tomorrow and call it good!

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Function > Form · **Posted:** Wed Mar 16, 2016 10:20 am

Nice work!

andrew.wenmoth · **Posted:** Wed Mar 16, 2016 12:53 pm

Well, was going to call it good, went for a drive this morning and the clunk when turning left (what ive researched to be bad drivers cv) has returned. Any ideas? Think the napa reman was bad out of the box? Anyone? Clunk is actually worse i think im gonna park it till i figure it out or have to take it to the stealership [UNAMUSED FACE]

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Function > Form · **Posted:** Wed Mar 16, 2016 1:28 pm

It would be strange for a CV to make a 'clunk' sound actually. The 'click click click' sound (faster as speed increases) is what it does when turning usually.

I'd check the condition of your sway bar end links, lbj and ubj also. Could also be the intermediate shaft between the two cvs.

Under what conditions does it do it? big/small bump, warm/cold, always when turning or sometimes going straight, etc.

Did you do your final torque/tighten of the susp parts when the jeep was on the ground?

andrew.wenmoth · **Posted:** Wed Mar 16, 2016 3:59 pm

rechecked all the torque on the ubj, lbj, hub bolts, axle nut, brake bracket/caliper bolts, sway bar end link bolts. theyre all torqued right. no tears in any of the cv boots from install, hub is nice and tight and smooth still. i'm stumped. so heres the breakdown
1) new wheel bearing and cv shaft installed on drivers side. Moog and NAPA reman
2) clunk that sounds like something is binding and releasing when turning left specifically, almost always reproduce it turning left, and on occaision when traveling straight if its decently bumpy. feels and sounds like it has to be the drivers side.
3) sitting on OME 926's and 948's, factory top plate, rancho shocks. lifted in july, alignment right after, got an alignment last friday after the clunk started getting more pronounced. got an alignment thinking something got knocked around in the winter and pothole season after. also, now that i'm in athens i'm going to get an alignment yearly if not every 6 months (if you've seen the roads down here in town you'd know why)
4)wheels are moabs with duratrac 245/75s that were used but still have a decent amount of tread
5) don't do hardly any wheeling, a few dirt roads here and there, was planning on doing some trail rides here in the spring but not till i get this all figured out.
6) tomorrow when i get off work i will check my ubj and lbj, theres no play that i can see in them, but i'll put it up on all 4 jackstands and give them hell to see if they move, (call my buddy over my little 140lb frame can't do much to move alot of these parts haha)
one other question, my bottom clevis bolts seem to be sitting low as far as the circle of the bushing is concerned. anyone elses' do this? if they are supposed to sit flush and round that may be the start of this issue, simply worn out bushings. I didnt think that they would get worn out enough for this over 83k miles though.
i f anyone has any suggestions or other questions i'll be more than happy to answer.

G.O.A.T. · **Joined:** Wed Jan 27, 2016 1:11 am **Posts:** 149

andrew.wenmoth wrote:

Well, was going to call it good, went for a drive this morning and the clunk when turning left (what ive researched to be bad drivers cv) has returned. Any ideas? Think the napa reman was bad out of the box? Anyone? Clunk is actually worse i think im gonna park it till i figure it out or have to take it to the stealership [UNAMUSED FACE]

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Is it a single clunk or a clunk, clunk, clunk?

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andrew.wenmoth · **Posted:** Wed Mar 16, 2016 10:52 pm

Single, sometimes double. Almost like a pop when something lets go? And the double is like letting go and snapping back. Kind of like snapping your fingers only metallic dampened with rubber and supporting like 1k lbs if that makes any sense.... Ill try and mount my phone somewhere tomorrow in/around the wheel well and take a video... Just got a super strong suction mount for my lifeproof...

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Function > Form · **Posted:** Thu Mar 17, 2016 8:47 am

To me, it sounds like the sway links aren't on correctly. It is easy to get them to the right torque, but still not be seated correctly on the bar. It would make those sounds.

andrew.wenmoth · **Posted:** Thu Mar 17, 2016 9:01 am

Any tips on getting them seated correctly being semi lifted? When i lifted i undid both of them, obviously this time i didnt i only did drivers side. It was a bear getting it hooked back up when i was buttoning up. Anyone have any better than factory end links?

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andrew.wenmoth · **Posted:** Thu Mar 17, 2016 10:16 am

Just saw jba has extended links. Gonna disconnect after work tonigjt and see if that fixes it. If so, 1) thanks for all your help and 2) jba will be getting an order from me!

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Function > Form · **Posted:** Thu Mar 17, 2016 11:28 am

I have stock links with my 3" lift, they are fine.

Wheel bearing tips

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