Wheel Hub Life

[GreatDaneHummer]

It seems like I have been changing out wheel hub bearings on H3's for people like crazy? What is the average life expectancy you guys have seen? I have done 5 sets in the last 3 weeks now for people.

 

[amrg]

100K on each truck and still going!

 

[atvspeed4]

It seems like I have been changing out wheel hub bearings on H3's for people like crazy? What is the average life expectancy you guys have seen? I have done 5 sets in the last 3 weeks now for people.

Its not that they have a short life, its the fact that across the board H3s are getting older and this is just part of regular maintenance. On our company 06 running 37s we replaced one wheel bearing at 115,000 miles and the other has 144,000 miles with 25k of that on 37s.

My personal alpha I have 119,000 miles and factory wheel bears are still good.

 

[GreatDaneHummer]

The last set I changed had 13k miles on them with 35" tires...

 

[speedy]

Aftermarket rims? To much offset will shorten the bearing life

2006 38"Tires stock offset Hutchinson beadlock rims 140k= 1 Unit bearing

2008 stock tires and rims 145k still on originals

 

[GreatDaneHummer]

5" backspacing on pitbull rockers = 115 lbs total per wheel/tire .. same as my setup. I am on 17k so far still ok

 

[woodwardsh3]

You probably know this, but for those who don't. Do not tighten the axle nut with a impact gun. Use a torque wrench and tighten them to the proper torque setting. I used to think it did not matter, But it does it sets the preload on the bearing. I have seen that they last way longer if they are torqued down. Now I all ways buy AC delco as my original ones always last over 100,000 miles.
There are a lot of counterfeit parts out there so buy from a suppler you can trust.
Just my thought on this subject.

 

[CaseyS]

I got 283k miles out of one and I think it failed because I didn't torque the axle nut properly. The other is original and is still rolling at 335k. Have run 35s on factory rims since 68k

 

[06 H3]

The last set I changed had 13k miles on them with 35" tires...

Probably a cheap hub

 

[amrg]

On one truck I am running 35s on 5" backspacing @ approx 100 lbs total weight. It could be cheap bearings...

 

[scoreh3]

Over 111000 and still on the original set .

 

[GreatDaneHummer]

Thanks for all the feedback guys!

 

[alrock]

167,000 miles, stock wheels with 35s, original hubs. Tires have been on/off dozens of times with lug nights tightened via an impact wrench equipped with a 100 ft/lb torque stick.

 

[GreatDaneHummer]

Anyone have the exact torque spec's on all the front end bolts? Suspension etc.

 

[4speedfunk]

Are you sure the hubs are actually failing?
What was wrong that made you change them?

FWIW...I have two other vehicles (06 Chrysler 300 and 99 Suburban K2500) with ORIGINAL unit-bearing sealed hubs...195k and 220k miles.

 

[GreatDaneHummer]

Lots of noise from them and when you put it up on jacks you have lots of play with the tire/wheel. You can physically hold onto it and wiggle it around. When you remove the wheel hub you can get the same play with just your hand on it. They are toast.

 

[cgalpha08]

Anyone have the exact torque spec's on all the front end bolts? Suspension etc.

Check out schwarttzys (or however you spell it) website, he has all the maintenance manuals loaded on it, including torque specs for just about everything.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[chaos254]

I did both of mine at 108k, used ac delco bearings. I'll be happy if I get another 100k out of them

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[08H3]

How in the world are you guys getting those kind of miles out of bearings?! Only thing I can think of that I probably do more than the average person is fording. Is water really that tough on unit bearings?

 

[06 H3]

How in the world are you guys getting those kind of miles out of bearings?! Only thing I can think of that I probably do more than the average person is fording. Is water really that tough on unit bearings?

If water gets in yea. I would say driving in rain won't do anything but if your submerged in water past your hub it can possibly leak through the abs sensor. Depends on the seal on the sensor

 

[08H3]

Could be the sensor, I guess. Really does not look like a bad design though. They do have an O-Ring seal and I've never seen one that looked bad.

 

[woodwardsh3]

167,000 miles, stock wheels with 35s, original hubs. Tires have been on/off dozens of times with lug nights tightened via an impact wrench equipped with a 100 ft/lb torque stick.

It is not the lug nuts. It is the axel nut in the center of the wheel that you need to torque it by hand to set the bearing preload, and not a impact gun.

 

[08H3]

191 ft lb is the torque on the axle nut. It's critical to bearing life that you get it right. The nut is also one time use.

 

[GreatDaneHummer]

One time use on a nut?? Why not just put some loctite blue on it and set it to the correct torque?

 

[08H3]

It's a distorted thread nut, so once it is taken off the threads are no longer going to be the same. Loctite may work fine but why risk a $150 bearing over a nut you can get at Rock Auto for 75 cents? That said, I put an aftermarket shaft from O'Reilly's in my truck years ago. Unknown to me at the time, it had an oddball nut that I can't find a replacement for. I've had it off a couple times and staked the nut when reinstalling with no apparent issues.