AMC Eagle Den Forum

The Shop => Suspension, Steering, Brakes, Wheels & Tires => Topic started by: jsherrod on May 25, 2014, 09:48:33 PM

Title: wheel hub vs bearing?
Post by: jsherrod on May 25, 2014, 09:48:33 PM
so i destroyed my front wheel bearing. i am a little confused?? this is a standard bolt on hub assembly but all anyone wants me to do to my eagle is rebuild it with new bearings?? are there really now other hub assemblies that will fit?  looks like a chrysler assembly to me?
Title: Re: wheel hub vs bearing?
Post by: BenM on May 26, 2014, 02:05:43 AM
It's just a press-in front wheel drive bearing. It's not the old font stubs, and it's not the Jeep front live axles, but all are rebuildable. The early years used a ball bearing, but I think the later roller bearings press in. AMC said the front knuckles were a unit for replacement, but that's not true anymore.

I've never heard of the bearings being hard to get.
Title: Re: wheel hub vs bearing?
Post by: maximus7001 on June 20, 2014, 06:46:03 AM
Good quality bearings (Timkin) are what you want when you rebuild the hubs, cheapos just won't last. An experienced machine shop is also needed or you will be doing this again in 1000km. If you skip the O-ring you will be doing this again soon.

Here is the price breakdown per hub for here in Winnipeg:

Timkin bearings $80 special order
Machine shop $125 includes tube of grease
O-ring seal from the CAT dealer $3
2 other seals from LAPS $16

I will try to dig up the part numbers.


Title: Re: wheel hub vs bearing?
Post by: IowaEagle on June 20, 2014, 09:51:45 AM
Great reply Maximus7001
Title: Re: wheel hub vs bearing?
Post by: Draekon on June 20, 2014, 11:18:38 AM
For each hub you need
TIMKEN   SET26 (x2)
TIMKEN   3553 (x1)
TIMKEN   3942 (x1)
And the O-ring

Most shops will never have worked with hubs assemblies like ours.  The hub assemblies on Eagles are the style that for most cars, you just buy a new assembly and swap it in. I have some at a shop waiting to be worked on right now.

As BenM said, the earlier ball bearing ones are supposedly able to be rebuilt with the newer tapered bearings.  You will need to source an axle to bearing spacer, though.  That spacer is how the bearing preload is set on the tapered bearings, but the earlier style didnt need or use them.
Title: Re: wheel hub vs bearing?
Post by: Mernsy on June 20, 2014, 12:41:10 PM
Quote from: maximus7001 on June 20, 2014, 06:46:03 AM
If you skip the O-ring you will be doing this again soon.

I was told the O-ring wasn't necessary so I went without.
I put lots of miles and years on it without a problem.