2001 1500 2WD front wheel bearings

JS305

MEMBER
2001 DODGE RAM
V8
2WD
AUTOMATIC
150,000 MILES

2001 Ram 1500 2WD
This truck has sealed front wheel bearings. Can these be replaced without replacing the hub assembly (spindle, etc.)?

Saturday, November 27th, 2010 AT 6:19 PM

5 Replies

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,873 POSTS

The hub assembly IS the wheel bearing assembly. It is held onto the spindle with three or four bolts from the back side. The hardest part is separating the bearing from the spindle. Use a flat chisel between them to get it started, or if it isn't rusted in too tightly, you might be able to just loosen the bolts half way and hit them with a hammer. Don't hit so hard as to damage them. Also be aware the brake splash shield is sandwiched in there. Be sure to flatten any damage you cause to it so the new bearing sits flush. Don't put any vehicle weight on the new bearing until the axle nut is torqued to specs or it will be damaged and become noisy.

Caradiodoc

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Saturday, November 27th, 2010 AT 6:30 PM

CARADIODOC

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Woops. I overlooked that you stated 2wd. Those are standard tapered wheel bearings and are not sealed.

Caradiodoc

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Saturday, November 27th, 2010 AT 6:34 PM

JS305

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3 POSTS

My truck has sealed bearings. The rotors come off when the lug nuts and the calipers are removed. I haven't looked any deeper than that, but I was told they were sealed and not serviceable, only replacing the "assembly" is possible. It looks like the bearings can be removed from the spindle to me. Just wanted a confirmation or a reason not to do it that way.

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Saturday, November 27th, 2010 AT 7:53 PM

CARADIODOC

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Just so I'm clear, you have a two-wheel-drive, right? 99 percent of the trucks out there are 4wd that use the sealed assemblies. I worked on a lot of these as the only suspension and alignment specialist for nine years at a very nice family-owned Chrysler / Dodge dealership, but even I had to look up the 2wd version in a service manual. Don't know that I ever had one apart, that I can remember.

So, yes, take them apart like normal. You were given information for the more common 4wd.

Caradiodoc

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Saturday, November 27th, 2010 AT 8:32 PM

JS305

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I bought this truck a couple of years ago and part of the deal I made was that the seller (a used car lot) would get the front end aligned and check and repack the wheel bearings. I usually do that myself but it was going to be free. After the fact I was told, and later looked for myself, that it was a sealed unit. Evidently the 01's and maybe the 00's were this way. I have a 97 and a 96 with the conventional setup. Anyway, there is a tiny bit of play in one of them, no noise that I can hear. The movement can't be seen but I can feel it just a bit. On others I have simply snugged the nut up some if I didn't want to take it all apart but I'm not seeing this one that way.

Thanks for the answers.