Good thing you got right on it. It may be a good idea to get the other side done too as it will probably fail soon as well and you don't want to get caught far from home or a repair facility in that situation.
I am glad it worked out for you. The rear wheel bearings are a lot tougher and get lubricated with the gear oil from the differential.
It is common for trucks with larger tires to go through wheel bearings and lower ball joints too.
If you get a chance, jack up the front end and grab the top and bottom of the front tire. If you push in the top and pul out the bottom and then do the opposite, rocking it back and forth, you should be able to feel if there is any paly in the ball joint or you might feel the bushings going bad but it is usually the ball joints. Then grab the front and rear of each front tire and do the same rocking motion to check for play. This will check the tie rods for end play which can cause vibration and wnadering left and right.
The front lower ball joints are very important because if they fail completely, the front lower control or A-arm will end up on the ground and grind to a halt causing you to have no steering until it stops, possible undercarriage damage and a possible roll-over if it happens at speed.
Not to mention all this loose stuff wears out tires sooner.
Good luck and get the other wheel bearing done and check those lower ball joints and you'll be in good shape.
Dr. C
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Sunday, August 26th, 2012 AT 12:13 PM