cliffy

I am going to be replacing my left front wheel hub in the near future, maybe this weekend. I have no lift and was going to grab one from the Autozone for ease. Any solid suggestions that will not break the bank, I was looking on the A1 site and they appear to have a set for a little more than what a single hub would cost me. The 2nd question is on the back of the hub it has those three bolts that you can only remove with a 12mm 12pt socket, I was watching the videos on youtube and there is one video that suggests using a bolt with a regular head but still in the metric dimensions. Pros and cons to this approach ? Thanks for the advice.

freegdr

Buying local always easier if a return is needed. Me personally put factory bolts back in . Why change something that works. A few extra bucks on better hubs the way Id go .

SteveMongr

^ I second that. Buy quality wheel bearings if you want them to last and be safe. Recommended to replace both if one is bad.
12 point 12mm sockets is common and cheap. A set of replacement bolts would cost over $20

Cheddarnut

And now a third confirmation of the advice above. Leave the factory bolts, buy two bearings local. Unless you are running through deep mud and water while wheeling, you aren't likely to be changing them again anytime soon.

cruiser54

I just noticed your signature!!

Thanks for the morning chuckle.

HEAP of JEEP

I had to use regular hex bolts, just because I needed the job done to get to work in the morning, and it was Sunday, so the dealership was closed and I couldn't get my hands on the 12 points factory bolts. If your original bolts come out without issue, then just reuse them. 5 of the 6, on mine, were beyond using again, so I did what I had to do. Picked up 5 of the class 10.9 flange head bolts, and they have worked fine, but I don't see any reason why it would be considered "better". Stick with factory, if you can.

I found my hubs at Advanced... the Moog brand was on sale, plus I found a $50 coupon online. Got out of there with both hubs for around $120.

Here's the video of the fun I had... Keep in mind that I'm a relative noob when it comes to vehicle repairs... Also my 96 is a lifelong Michigan Jeep, and I'm willing to put money on it that these were the original hubs... so the rust and corrosion in just getting those 12 point bolts out was a nightmare to deal with, but with enough heat and a long enough breaker bar, they eventually came out.

skife

I've used expensive and cheap hubs, I have a $50 rock auto part on mine now, wheeled it and whooped on it for the past 15k miles.

Most important part of a hub install is making sure you torque the axle nut to spec. IIRC 145ft/lbs

cliffy

Thanks for all of the suggestions and advice, I will check back in.

Cheddarnut

1976gmc20

Could somebody explain to me the mechanics behind this ???


What exactly is that nut holding? Once you take out the three little bolts and separate the sealed hub/spindle from the knuckle, the axle just slides right out of the housing, correct?


On the full size solid front axles that I've worked on, the axle shaft is held into the housing by the hollow spindle that bolts onto the knuckle with six 3/8" studs, and there's just a snap ring on the end of the axle splines. (I had to replace the needle bearings inside the spindle several times during the two years that I was in Alaska, but never in all my other years of owning full size GM 4x4s)

DFlintstone

My 02, it holds the axle spline engaged good and solid. Btw my bolts are 13mm, (12 point). I thought they all were.

Also you can use a long 3/8 extension as a rod, and the power steering to pop the hub loose. You put the extension in a hole, (the one to the rear IIRC) and brace against whatever it is it hit's there, then turn the wheel bingo! Worked great for me.

BlueRidgeMark

Now, that is good timing!

I just searched on a video for this, and there you are! Very helpful, Heap. Thanks very much.



I'm doing my brakes (front & rear) and decided I should do the hubs, too, since the are almost certainly original with 247k on them.

BlueRidgeMark

Hey, Heap, I just watched your other video on doing the U-joints. At about the 5:15 mark or so, you are pounding on the joint to free things up after removing the clips. I can suggest a better way. Use a couple of big impact sockets, preferably deep well type. You need one under the yoke, and one above.

For the lower one, find one that is small enough to support the end of the yoke, but large enough that it will allow the joint itself (the end of it) to slide down inside the socket as you drive it out.

For the top side, find one that is just a bit smaller than the end of the joint, so when you beat on it, you are beating on the joint only, not the yoke.

That way you aren't putting any load on the yoke itself. All the energy is going into moving the joint, and none into the yoke. That way you don't bend the yoke all to smithereens.

By the way, I worked a project up in your neck of the woods about 12 years ago or so. In the winter, of course.

Pretty country up there!

cliffy

Found a nice online coupon for advance auto, the hub cost me $45.00. It went in without a hitch with original hardware. Thanks again for the support.