wheel assembly came off at 60mph
#11
CF Veteran
I agree this is not a maintenance issue. A suspension check should be performed at minimum once a year and ideally every oil change. Why, to find loose parts b4 they fail. Even without suspension checks; most cases(but not all)...the driver will get a clue.....abs light, you will hear a growl, squeak , the steering will be off-center.
Most quick lube shops and home oil changers fail to do a suspension check.
#2 don't buy cheap replacement bearings. If you get a $50 bearing you will be changing it again in one year.
Most quick lube shops and home oil changers fail to do a suspension check.
#2 don't buy cheap replacement bearings. If you get a $50 bearing you will be changing it again in one year.
As to the OP’s issue (and recognizing the original post is several years old) - you can see in one photo that the end of the axle shaft is snapped off - that’s the reason why the bearing separated. The wheel bearing designs for that era truck were tapered and relied on accurate torque of the axle shaft nut to hold the bearing and races together. With the end of the axle shaft and nut gone, there was nothing to keep the bearing together and it separated.
The cause of the axle shaft breaking off could have been due to inaccurate torque from a previous repair or wheel bearing play (the OP mentioned bearing noise prior to failure).
I only know this because, in my pre-professional days, I once replaced a wheel bearing on a 2004 suburban with the help of a friend. What we both failed to notice at the time was that the end of the axle shaft was snapped off, just like in the OP’s photo, and when we took it for a test drive, we made it about 3 blocks before the bearing separated and the front right corner dropped without warning. All praise be to God as There weren’t any serious injuries or insurance claims to be filed despite this happening on a very busy street, but I’ll never forget that so long as my mind doesn’t separate due to broken axles either.
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tech2 (May 1st, 2021)
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