front wheel bearings

[mr.mindless]

I was hoping for a local source with the Caterpillar p/n (5p-2931) but had no luck. Closest my Dodge dealer network got me with the Mopar J3238141 was in western PA. I guess I should have done better on pre-planning.

I'll be replacing the bearings in the driver side and greasing and resealing the passenger side tonight. Anyone have any results good/bad with just using RTV on that interface? that's what I'll be doing...

[amkfken]

O rings available from American Parts Depot

P/N 982 4001  $2.00 ea

I still have 2 ordered and paid for from the Eagle Nest store since last June!

[mr.mindless]

Well the orings are the least of my worries... Seeing how the hubs are put together and that one of my orings was in 2 pieces from the factory I'm not worries.

My concern is that I've bent the 1/2" plate I built my 5073 press plate from and I fear stripping the hub or breaking the bolts. Stalled a 12 ton press trying to push the hub out of the body.

Guess I'll be taking my Cummins to Cleveland next weekend at this rate, not sure what to try next. Oh well at least it has working cruise.

[mr.mindless]

Spent a couple more hours fruitlessly applying heat and force after my last post.

Then pulled out some Jeep parts and decided on my course of action.  The 27 spline D30 unit bearing and 27 spline CV seem to be a perfect match.  The bolt pattern is the same, just need to open up the hole in the knuckle a bit (3 5/8 to 3 7/8 if I remember right) so that's the path I'm going down.

I was all excited for rebuildable hubs instead of expensive unit bearings, but that's only worth anything if they'll come apart and go back together again. Traditional spindles with nuts holding bearings on sure, this pressed crap is for the birds! so to speak

[captspillane]

Dana30 unit bearing? I'm at a loss at what you mean by that. Are you replacing the entire bearing assembly with one compatible from another vehicle?

[mr.mindless]

Exactly.  I may need to play with the spline depth a little bit to get full engagement, but everything else is a little boring away from bolting right up. The bolt holes and splines are correct, wheel mounting surface is the right diameter and within 0.100" of depth. Should be pretty easy.

I'll be running a unit bearing from an 84-89 application Jeep Dana 30. I don't have pics of the part I'm actually going to use, the sample I had laying around was from a 90-99 application and is a little larger in depth and diameter. Stock brake rotor hats wouldn't clear that one.

After breaking the brake drum I initially was going to press with, I cut out a 5073 plate fro 1/2" steel, and after putting heat on it for a good hour and stalling a 12t press, I bent 1/2" plate.... And that's it.

broken drum:


plotted 5073:


drilling holes:


Set up:


Applying heat:


Bent plate, still assembled:

[mr.mindless]

I updated the subject to reflect where this thread is going...

I should have one new bearing at lunch today and the other EOB or tomorrow, I'm hoping to get to my machinist tonight or first thing tomorrow with my knuckles.

Here's the OE Eagle hub:
Flange diameter measures 5.70", hub pilot diameter measures about 3 5/8" and the knuckle steps down beyond that diameter to hold the inner seal.  I'll get it bored out to 3.75" through.



Here's the 90-99 application Jeep unit bearing, TIMKEN Part # 513084:
Bolt Quantity=5 Flange Dia=6.043" Bolt Circle Dia=4.5" Bolt Size=1/220" Wheel Pilot Dia=2.812" Brake Pilot Dia=2.832" Flange Offset=2.133" Hub Pilot Dia=3.942" Splines=27



And yet to come is the 84-89 application unit bearing, BCA/ Timken 513107

Hub Assembly; Front Wheel Bolt Quantity=5 Flange Dia=5.69" Bolt Circle Dia=4.5" Bolt Size=1/220 Wheel Pilot Dia=2.81" Brake Pilot Dia=2.83" Flange Offset=1.81" Hub Pilot Dia=3.75" Splines=27

[mr.mindless]

Got one new bearing at lunch.  The old style is much deeper, need to see how this will effect CV shaft depth and alignment, I may have to go for the newer style after all and figure out what to do for brake rotors 

\

I've got a couple things to check before I pull the trigger on milling, I think.  Still hoping to do it first thing tomorrow though.

Looking at the knuckle, I think I'll want to gusset the top where it necks down, going all the way through with that diameter will take away a lot of the material that holds the top to the body. The caliper bracket bridges the back side but I think I'd want to add some material back in for long term durability.

[captspillane]

I once confused a set of new XJ rotors that were piled next to two new Eagle rotors. I put the XJ rotors on the Eagle and didn't notice a problem until I tightened down the lug nuts. The wheel would turn fine with the lugs fingertight and then bind up as soon as they were torqued down. It confused the heck out of me until I put the two new rotors next to each other and the old Eagle rotor and figured out which was which. The XJ is nearly identical to the Eagle rotor except slightly deeper.

I'm betting an XJ rotor would make up the difference in hub depth and put the rotor back inline with the caliper where it belongs. Otherwise the deeper hub might interfere with the caliper.

I love the idea of getting a few pairs of Eagle spindles machined to accept an off the shelf bolt in wheel bearing. If you are successful I will certainly do this for all of my Eagles as well. I'm quite thankful and have given you an egg.

One question: what year and application wheel bearing did you use? I found this picture off Rockauto for a 92 XJ. It seems shallower than yours. I also found a website that says the distance between wheel mounting surface for a '87 to '93 XJ is 70.5 inches but the WMS distance for a '94 to '96 XJ is 67.7 inches. This would explain why I have a set of XJ rims with a very small backspacing while all the rest are deeper.

[mr.mindless]

I'll get some side-by-side-by-side pictures tonight while I make my plan... I need to look at the seal situation too, I'm potentially unhappy about that as well.

That's an odd year break on widths, RockAuto was telling me that 89 to 90 is the break for all the Jeeps.

Good call on the rotor position, I hadn't thought about that.  With slide pins where they are on the back side it'll be quite sensitive to that before the caliper runs out of room to slide.

[captspillane]

Wikipedia says that the XJ width was:

'87-'93 70.5"
'94-'96' 67.7"
'97-'99 67.9"
'00-'01 69.4"

If true that means that the numbers I quoted before were definately not wheel mounting surface numbers. Most of the difference is likely because of changes in rim backspacing.

I figured if there is a difference in depth of wheel bearings, then it will translate to a difference in caliper. I looked up an '87 Cherokee rotor and it was different than a '92 Cherokee rotor. A '00 Cherokee has the same rotor as a '92.

Then I hit jackpot. I found out that the '92 rotors have a 3- 3/16" height and that the '89 XJ has a "77 mm Depth" which I believe means it has a 3-1/32" height. The part numbers agree exactly with an AMC Eagle. If thats true than its highly likely that the early XJ's used the same wheel bearing and hub assembly as an Eagle. Its available as a unit for 106.89 each on Rockauto. I also found it elsewhere for 80 dollars.

[mr.mindless]

Those are definitely overall widths, not axle widths. Fullsize trucks are 67-69" WMS-WMS, so those quoted widths will be affected by wheels, tires, trim, door handles, fender flares, whatever the widest part is... Not sure if mirrors count 

Similar, but not the same - all were unit bearings not "serviceable" like the Eagles. Check out the bearing applications on Rock and you'll see the year breakdown I mentioned.

I'm OMW home to take some comparison pics and do some decision-making before hopefully a trip to the machine shop in the AM.

[hypereagle]

Those are definitely overall widths, not axle widths. Fullsize trucks are 67-69" WMS-WMS, so those quoted widths will be affected by wheels, tires, trim, door handles, fender flares, whatever the widest part is... Not sure if mirrors count 

Similar, but not the same - all were unit bearings not "serviceable" like the Eagles. Check out the bearing applications on Rock and you'll see the year breakdown I mentioned.

I'm OMW home to take some comparison pics and do some decision-making before hopefully a trip to the machine shop in the AM.

Strange? Front hubs on my 81 SX4 were serviceable.

[maddog]

same for the ones on Eagle Eyes my 1980.

[mr.mindless]

Similar, but not the same - all were unit bearings not "serviceable" like the Eagles. Check out the bearing applications on Rock and you'll see the year breakdown I mentioned.

Strange? Front hubs on my 81 SX4 were serviceable.

We were referring to the XJs.




Everything will work well with the 84-89 XJ/MJ unit bearings.  Got my knuckles gusseted, ready to head to Ontario Engine and Machine first thing in the morning to bore the holes. Plenty of comparison pics and a couple videos too tomorrow, assuming I have some time to burn at work.