Front Wheel Bearing 92 4wd

I need to replace my front wheel bearing on both wheels. I see many options out there.
What are the best wheel bearings to get? What are all the components I'll need? Such as Seal, Grease, Grease Bearing packer, tools?
Any sites I should look for the bearing?
I'm having a buddy come over and help. Just want to make sure I have what we'll need, in case he doesn't bring a tool or two.

I also need to replace my outer tie rod on passenger side. Should the inner tie rod be replaced as well? Is it really needed it in good condition? What are the positives and negatives? And then, what about the tie rods on the other side, should I replace them as well?
Same question about mfg.'s on the tie rods too.

Thanks

 

To properly set the bearing preload you really need a pull-scale that you hook onto one of the wheel studs and see how much tension you have on the scale before the hub and bearing turns. This is best best done before the brake pads are installed and it might be a good idea to see what the break away torque is before you take the preload nuts loose just as a reference point as you head into the disassembly. If there is little to no preload and there is very real movement of the wheel when set back on the hub with a few snugged lugs than the bearing is loose and not properly set. This is often the case with our 2nd Gens being as old as they are and with PO who was shade tree mechanic. I think the spec in the FSM is around 10 lbf. of pull resistance to get the preload set correctly. But you need to spin things by hand to get the grease to distribute onto the race-way and bearing cage after you get things more or less situated with the first preload nut threaded onto the spindle. Then the washer plate with internal tangs that are bent to capture the inner nut and then the second outer nut. As these nuts create a double nutted assembly the second nut will push the first nut in which will increase the preload so you will need to back off the first nut a small amount of a turn as you come up in setting the pair as a double nutted and tight assembly with the correct preload on the bearings. So there are two things going on, the preload on the bearings and the double nutted torque to hold that preload constant. Once that is done then bend the tangs on the anti-rotation washer that is between the nuts; one tang in and one tang out so each nut is captive to the washer. I hammer this washer flat after I remove it during disassembly.

The other tool is the big old deep socket for the spindle nuts that are used to set the preload. But if you are handy with a cold chisel and hammer you can knock these nuts loose and tighten although they do get a bit beat up in doing this to them. You cannot set the proper toque on theses nuts eight with the cold chisel. Also there are two threaded holes in the drive-hub that are used to pop the cone washers and drive-hub loose from the wheel-hub. You need to use a pair of ≥ grade eight bolts or you will be sorry. Dog pointing the end of these bolts is a good idea or if you have some bolts around from a 3VZ-E head that are used to secure the camshaft bearing caps onto the head they are really perfect for this job as they have a really excellent dog pointed end which holds form under the pressure needed to pop these drive-hubs loose... The paper gasket will get screwed up and torn so remove it and use Halomar gasket maker to seal up where the paper gasket used to be. Some PB-blaster shot into the dowel pin holes is a good idea as well. It makes this whole process a breeze the next time you need to do this when a CV snaps out on the trail.

A press is nice to drive the bearing races into and out of the wheel hub. But I have done this with a brass drift and 5 lb sledge with careful nudging all around the race way to get it out and the new one in. The start is the hard part as these are press fit assemblies and without the press and tools to drive the raceway in it can be a bit of a frustration. But remember you do have a bottle jack under the rear seat! As for bearings SKF, NTK or the OEM Toyota would be up on the list. Stay as far away as you can for the crap from China and India. I will bet you the metallurgy and heat treating will not be right and the bearing life will be finite if you use the stuff from these countries.

As for grease these bearings are actually quite large when you consider the base circle for the tapered rollers because of the drive axle going through the center. So any decent wheel bearing grease can be massaged by hand into the bearing cages and getting a paker is not really needed unless you really don't like getting your nail beds dirty. Filling the entire hub is a waste so just make sure the raceways and cage are liberally coated and worked into with no air and you should be good to go for well over 100K miles. As for the seals you will need to replace the inner one that harbors the inner wheel bearing because you will destroy it in removing the bearing. There is a second seal on the backing plate that keeps the brake dust from getting at the inner seal your call on replacing that one. I will fill the lip up with a smear of grease during reassembly to be sure the seal is nice and slippery on the hub's surfaces.

The drag-link which couples the steering arm and idler arm together is on ball joints with tapers and they tend to allow the drag-link to rotate as they wear out. This adds to the poor steering feel on the 2nd Gens. There are too many degrees of freedom in this steering linkage as things get loose with wear and enough time the free play gets really awful. So take a look at the play in the idler arm as the plastic sleeve bearings on the shaft, if original, will have disintegrated or will disintegrate on the first off road outing. See 4Crawler.com for replacement advice or you can replace the plastic sleeves from him or McMaster-Carr which has brass bushings that will fit the OEM Toyota shaft and housing. Way higher PV values with brass over plastic. If the end of the idler arm moves up and down when you try to turn the passenger side front wheel bu hand the bushings are shot on the housing and/or the ball joint in the end of the arm is shot and you will see the movement. My 91 at 240K still has the OEM tie-rods but the idler arm has been replaced with a Markforged brand unit that has one of the bigger diameter shafts in it for the idler arm assembly and the PS box has been rebuilt with new seals because it started puking ATF! I'm Running 31's on OEM wheels and she tracks great down the freeway at >80 MPH all with the original OEM tie rods.

 

Thanks for all this information ATGPARKER. It's a lot to digest for sure. Curious, if or what you know about National's bearings? Their warranty seems to be much better than the others.
I don't have deep pockets, but I'll check some more for SKF and NTK and see what I can find.

 

National has been around for a while in looking over the web page they manufacture in PA. Take a look at Rock Auto, the list is extensive for wheel bearings. Timken is USA and FAG are familiar names and SKF is there too. Any of these I would trust. But you will also see the close-out stuff that's real cheap and the brands are not anything I have ever heard of before. Centric is prolific but I am not sure were they come from?

When you get your bearings make sure the race and bearing caged rollers are supplied together as a set and keep them from getting mixed up when you install everything. One side at a time is usually best!

Be supper anal about keeping everything super clean. Have plenty of B-12 chem tool on hand to wash away any dirt on the hub and spindle. Lots of shop towels and lint free cloths to clean the races with once they are installed into the hub. And don't spin any of the caged rollers on the race way without being greased up first.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-KOYO-Jap...et-For-84-95-TOYOTA-4RUNNER-4WD-/253072330732

Keep your bearings original, these are what you seek. If you go to any of the big box stores, Napa, Checker, Autozone, Orileys, your gonna get CHINESE bearings.

 

I agree with this guy get koyo bearings. You can get them from car quest or advanced auto. Both owned by world pac who is an excellent source for Japanese parts outside of dealerships.

 

I just dealt with this, I was shocked that here locally all I could find was Chinese bearings. I use Napa Auto parts quite a bit, especially for anything electronic. Anyway I called in, went to pickup the bearings, they handed me the Napa Gold Line parts, right on the back of the boxes “made in China”.

I swear you could hear a pin drop for about 5 seconds in the store, I looked at the girl....“China are you serious“ just came out of my mouth. Anyway I took them home looked through everything and they forgot to give me the inner races. So I called asked why they didn’t include them when I asked for the complete hub set. Told them I’d return in the morning. Which gave me time to think, do I want Chinese bearings in my Japanese truck......NOPE.

I returned everything in the morning and went on a Quest to find originals locally, which after 2 days I found it couldn’t be done.

 

Thanks guys. Now, I'm torn. I have much respect for all I've seen ATGPARKER say. I love buying American Made Products. Though, I don't have a problem with Japan. And, I've seen another post for a different forum also suggest KOYO. Maybe, that person is one of you guys, not sure.
With the USA made stuff, I might have to piece some things together. I know I can get Inner and Races together. But, haven't seen too many that also include the seals. One of the links given above is the complete kit, with KOYO.
Anyhow, I'll continue my research, (while at work because we are soooo slow-lol), and see what kind of kits i can find using USA products, if possible.

 

Totally Bummed.

Just got my SKF Bearing. Front Outers, Made in China. Front Inners, Made in Japan.
SKF Seals, Made in Mexico.

 

I’d send it back if you can, I get the whole made in America thing but your truck came with Japanese bearing and I’d replace them with the same. I totally agree with atgparker, god knows where or what standard the Chinese bearings were made to, not a chance I’m willing to take and that’s a big job on a 4x4. I want the original quality that’s lasted 200,000 miles plus.

And I’m not sure how old you are but this is a job your probably only gonna do once, if you do it with the right parts that’s it you’ll forget about it. Chinese bearings are gonna leave that trace of doubt in my mind, I like to sleep at night.

 

Thanks BTHP. Yes, I am returning them. I bought some BECK/ARNLEY Bearings from Rock Auto. In the pictures they show, "Japan," and then, "KOYO." Hopefully, this is what they send me. If not, I'll return those too.