front end seems loose

[Devil Dog08]

been noticeing the front end seems a littlle loose . went to NTB today for oil change and when the truck was on the lift the mech. noticed the left front wheel had a little play in it.the right side was fine. the three questions i have are can the wheel bearing being a little loose cause this looseness in the steering when changing lanes ? also it always seems to be the left side that needs to be replaced this will be the 3rd set im doing in three years what can be causing this .the last question is i usually get the bearings from auto zone does anyone think it could be the poor quality of there brand bearings .what brand do you guys go with? like always thanks for all your help

 

[Krafty]

if the bearings are manufactured and installed correctly they should last nearly 15 years without issue depending on how you use your vehicle.

look into other things that may be causing them to wear out, improperly aligned front end, ball joints.

either way they should last longer than that.

 

[Devil Dog08]

if the bearings are manufactured and installed correctly they should last nearly 15 years without issue depending on how you use your vehicle.

look into other things that may be causing them to wear out, improperly aligned front end, ball joints.

either way they should last longer than that.

the trucks alignment is fine. the ball joints are fine too. i am really baffeled by this. also i meant to tell you every time i change the left bearings i always have to use a torch to get inner bearing off. it is always stuck on the axle . i was thinking the axle may be a bit bent and this is what is causing the problem

 

[Justshootme84]

It's certainly possible that your spindle is warped or damaged. That's the part that the bearings ride inside and outside of. If you've had to cut off a seized bearing in the past, the heat could warp or score it. Not sure what year model your bronco is? The 90's models with the ABS sensors add more cost to the spindle. Might check out Bronco Graveyard to compare prices. I do not buy any parts at AutoZone due to their poor quality on several items. I would recommend Timken brand wheel bearings. Be sure the locking hub rings are properly torqued, too, and that the bearings are not wearing out from that. Miesk5 has a great website with tons of links if you want to learn more about wheel bearings. Look for one of his posts and click on his signature, or look in the Tech Articles forum. JSM84

 

[Devil Dog08]

It's certainly possible that your spindle is warped or damaged. That's the part that the bearings ride inside and outside of. If you've had to cut off a seized bearing in the past, the heat could warp or score it. Not sure what year model your bronco is? The 90's models with the ABS sensors add more cost to the spindle. Might check out Bronco Graveyard to compare prices. I do not buy any parts at AutoZone due to their poor quality on several items. I would recommend Timken brand wheel bearings. Be sure the locking hub rings are properly torqued, too, and that the bearings are not wearing out from that. Miesk5 has a great website with tons of links if you want to learn more about wheel bearings. Look for one of his posts and click on his signature, or look in the Tech Articles forum. JSM84

thanks for the reply i agree im going to use autozone for wipers and air fresheners only but i do like there prices .but i guess thats where the saying came from long after the price is forgotten the quality still remains. is it best to buy these timken bearings on line . by the way it is a 95 full size 5.8 .thanks for your help and the link

 

[Justshootme84]

I get most parts like bearings and u-joints from my local A-Line Auto/ CarQuest store, but have found some at Bronco Graveyard or RockAuto. It's best to have a parts person at the local store that knows their stuff, so you don't get the wrong parts.