Wheel bearings and upper ball joints

[Stacy Waldrep]

I've got a 2004 Sport Trac 4x4 that started making a bad grinding noise at the driver side front wheel last night. I just jacked it up and the wheel has a ton of movement with very little pressure. It also is rough to spin by hand. I'm surprised the wheel didn't fall off while I was driving last night. Anyway, I need to replace the wheel bearing assembly but I also noticed on both sides a little bit of play in the upper ball joints. I have a few questions about both items before I order parts.



1. I see the the Timken wheel bearing assembly on Rock Auto only has a 1 year warranty whereas the same part number Timken assembly at Autozone has a 3 year warranty. Any thoughts on that? The Rock Auto is a little cheaper and the closest Autozone is an hour from me. Do you think the increased warranty is worth the distance and $10 more dollars?



2. My truck has 175,000 miles on it. Should I go ahead and replace the passenger side wheel bearing assembly too? It had no play in it and seemed to spin smoothly.



3. Concerning the upper ball joints, is it possible to replace just the ball joint in the stock upper arm or do most people buy the whole arm with the new ball joint already in it?



Thanks for the help,

Stacy

 

[Mark K 2]

Buy Moog wheel bearings. I replaced both sides at the same time. You need to buy new upper control arms when replacing the upper ball joints.

 

[Stacy Waldrep]

I was thinking about the Moog wheel bearing assemblies and they do have a 3 year warranty from Rock Auto. I just hear a lot of people on here recommending the Timken one.

 

[swshawaii]

3. Concerning the upper ball joints, is it possible to replace just the ball joint in the stock upper arm or do most people buy the whole arm with the new ball joint already in it?

 

[Stacy Waldrep]

Thanks swshawaii. Anybody else have any opinions on Moog vs Timken wheel bearing assemblies?

 

[Taylor Corn]

I have Timken on mine replaced last year and no issues. Also, changed the upper arms with built in ball joints, Raybestos, fit perfectly. Change both sides, you're due.

 

[Mrlunchbox]

For me its 50/50 Moog I think is one of the best. With that being said I have used alot of Timken bearings as well. No issues wit either brand ever.

 

[Stacy Waldrep]

Ok, I replaced my front wheel bearing assemblies, upper control arms, and added the caster/camber kit. I bought all Moog products. They all appear to be good quality and went in without too much trouble. The only thing I'm worried about is the caster/camber kit. The upper control arms are pretty tight in the frame brackets and are a little tough to move. I'm afraid the washers or the bolts will round off when the technician tries to move the control arm during the alignment. It seems like a combination of pry bar and turning the bolts will have to be done. I think my mounting brackets are a little bit bent from some overtightening in the past possibly. This makes moving the control arm with the caster/camber kit very hard. Hopefully it will work out though.