# Front Wheel Bearing problems



## sedonix (Sep 11, 2007)

I'm on my third set of front wheel bearings for my Toyota corolla sr5 conversion and am starting to think it is fundamental problem. The rear is where the real overload is but no problems there. Front is overweight with 6 batts but would not think so bad that it eats bearings in about 500 miles. Could be though as they are ball bearings not roller. They are real beefy looking Timkens with split inner race and a real pain to press off and on. Anybody else having bearing trouble? I'm not looking forward to having to modify the spindles and hubs for roller bearings.


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## DavidDymaxion (Dec 1, 2008)

Are the races square to the axle and each other? Are you sure you have the right size? What kind of grease are you using? Are you tightening them correctly? On some cars you need to spin the wheel while tightening with a torque wrench. I had a case where cheap bearings lasted just a few days, but the new car dealer bearings lasted a long time. For my car, racers say the stock bearings are best, Timkens next best, and cheapo generic bearings are likely junk.

This is reaching, but a possibility: A single track day in my gas car will ruin the car's front bearings. The heat from the brakes cooks them to death. I also think my wife cooked front wheel bearings on another car as she has a bad habit of riding the brakes down hills rather than downshifting. Do you descend steep hills? Might the brakes be dragging?


sedonix said:


> I'm on my third set of front wheel bearings for my Toyota corolla sr5 conversion and am starting to think it is fundamental problem. The rear is where the real overload is but no problems there. Front is overweight with 6 batts but would not think so bad that it eats bearings in about 500 miles. Could be though as they are ball bearings not roller. They are real beefy looking Timkens with split inner race and a real pain to press off and on. Anybody else having bearing trouble? I'm not looking forward to having to modify the spindles and hubs for roller bearings.


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## Jimdear2 (Oct 12, 2008)

sedonix said:


> I'm on my third set of front wheel bearings for my Toyota corolla sr5 conversion and am starting to think it is fundamental problem. The rear is where the real overload is but no problems there. Front is overweight with 6 batts but would not think so bad that it eats bearings in about 500 miles. Could be though as they are ball bearings not roller. They are real beefy looking Timkens with split inner race and a real pain to press off and on. Anybody else having bearing trouble? I'm not looking forward to having to modify the spindles and hubs for roller bearings.


What year is your Toyota. Are you tightening the nut correctly? I looked up a 1990 Corolla FWD and the spec was 137 foot lbs. If you do not tighten this type of bearing (for FWD) correctly you will distroy it very fast. Even the smallest bit of loosness or overtightening and you will shortly have trash.

Once I know the year I'll check service bulletins and other info to see what help may be out there.

Jim


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## piotrsko (Dec 9, 2007)

do you KNOW what the front actually weighs? 6 batteries could be like 500 lbs extra over the stock weight. How much lower does you car sit compared to a stock ditto of the same vintage? If it is 3 or 4 inches lower, you are really overweight. for about 10 bucks you can get a certified scale at a truck stop to do the axles for you.

However it sounds like the problem is a poor quality bearing that is installed incorrectly, too tight or too loose so that the balls aren't running in the center of the race, but wearing the race edges, a very common problem with ball bearings. I had an axle spacer get mashed in my bug once which had the same result until I got new spacers.


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