Replaced my front bearing and...

...so I got all finished and turned the hub with my hands but it still didn't want to turn freely unlike the passenger side.

The bearing was clearly the cause of all the noise and vibrations I was having, as it was dry, dirty and looked terrible. Also, the noise and vibrations went away after changing it and I notice that turning is smoother, but I still don't understand why it won't spin freely?

I plan on changing the passenger side out soon. The no spin on the driver side was the main reason i decided to go for the driver side first

Any suggests would be greatly appreciated!

 

Just a couple of thoughts:

* When you say it will not spin freely does that mean you should be able to give the tire a whirl and have it continue to spin for a bit like a bicycle might?
* Do you have the front axle engaged by any chance (if you have a 4WD)?
* Are you sure the brake pads are not hanging up with the disc?
* Did you torque the axle nut to precise specs? This is very important.
* Did you press the bearing onto the hub yourself or have it done and was it pressed properly? This is also important as you can't just press most anywhere.
* Was additional grease added to the bearing possibly making it stiffer?
New bearings tend to be somewhat stiffer but not so tight that the wheel/tire has to be forced.

* Is the tire off the ground? Ha, just kidding you.

 

Not much info there.
Describe your truck ( 5-lug?, 6-lug?, 4wd? , ADD front axles?)
Why did you change out the bearing in the first place?

 

Thanks for the reply,
So...
Yes, I was expecting the driver side to spin like a bicycle wheel like the passenger side.
Front axle was disengaged as I hadn't been in 4wd recently.
Caliper and rotor weren't installed yet, I bolted the bearing assembly on and immediately went to turn the hub by the studs and there was binding.
I pressed the bearing onto the hub using a press and a large socket that fit the diameter of the inner race of the bearing.
No extra grease added to the bearing itself, I did apply a very small amount to the axle splines.
Axle nut was not installed yet

Thanks again for any advice!

 

Tan Rick, sorry, my truck is 2005 Off road double cab 4x4 4.0 v6
Not sure what ADD front axle means...

I was having vibrations while driving straight and turning left only... so I was surprised to find that of the two front wheels that the drivers side was the one that wouldn't spin freely initially, so I went for this one first. Will be changing the other this week sometime.

The new parts silenced the vibrations/noise, test SAT.

Thanks...

 

I've done several of these and am fresh from doing mine. It should not spin freely as a bicycle. They are different types of bearings not to mention the size. All my used bearings would spin pretty easily but the new ones are typically somewhat more difficult because they have not yet seated and the grease not dispersed. For the ones I did recently I mentally noted that they too were stiff but now that some miles have racked up they spin nice and smooth, but still not like a bicycle.

Make sure you properly torque the axle nut as more bearings have probably been destroyed by both under- and over-torque as anything else.

FYI, I don't know what type of bearings you used but ToyMoCo has quietly upgraded the fronts to what am calling a HD version. They have one more roller bearing on both sides of the module and the rollers are longer. They are only available at the dealer and cost a little more but if you plan on keeping your truck a long time they are probably worth it.

 

ADD is Automatic Differential Disconnect. It is Toyota's way of allowing 'push-button' engagement of 4WD. After 2000, all Tacomas have it, so you do. This means that your hubs are directly connected to the CV's so that the CV's spin ALL THE TIME, even while in 2WD. This is one reason why the wheels don't spin very freely, since you are also spinning rather heavy CV axles.

I have old-fashioned manual locking hubs, so my wheels would spin much more freely compared to yours (CV's don't spin when in 2WD, which has the added benefit of longer-lasting CV boots). I've never worked on ADD type axles, but I think the DS wheel spins more than just the CV, so might feel a bit more resistance on that side.

 

Seal friction means the bearing will not spin that freely. Your passenger side bearing might be need replacement soon...

 

Keep in mind that while the CV shafts on both sides spin with the wheel, the driver side CV additionally spins (in 2wd) both side gears and the spider gears in the diff carrier.

 

Excellent! Big thanks to all of you for the great information! I was wondering if there was some extra mechanical mojo goin on for the drivers side. Also makes perfect since that an older bearing would spin more freely. I will be changing the passenger side soon.

Thank you for the great info!