2wd front wheel play?

repacked front bearings 6k miles ago (june 2018). Now I feel notable play top to bottom, but every little front to back. Should i re tighten them?

2003 2wd 2.4L 5sp, 78k miles(not a typo)

central florida

 

A slight play is acceptable, as the bearing warms up the play will be taken up. Yours sounds like more than that.

I would readjust it, it doesn't take much time. You don't have to repack.

I like to bang on the wheel for a quick check and if its a hollow type sound its still too loose.

 

how readjust? Same as when I repacked?

 

Pop the cap off, pull the cotter pin, snug up the nut, back it off, snug it up again until play is gone. Re-assemble.

Big thing is to not go too tight, you don't need to pull it all apart. Some times you can do it with the wheel still on.

 

Hand tight snug? while spin wheel?

 

Bingo, there's lots of youtube videos on how to adjust them. But its quite simple.

 

Couldn't find any vids on retighten. All i see hav me torqueing, then loosen

 

If it's loose should i b able to feel that by pulling straight out and pushing in over and over a few times?

 

well i needed a wrench to break it loose. it wasn't that tight but my fingers on greasy nut couldn't loosen it.

when I said top to bottom in my 1st post i didnt mean up and down I meant in and out, just side side to side is in and out.

Look: https://vimeo.com/508991889
and https://vimeo.com/508994853
and should it make this noise? press as hard as I can it goes from 5/8 to 1 full revolution, here: https://vimeo.com/509000089
that noise dont sound right

 

thoughts?

 

The "noise" is from the pads rubbing on the disc. No worry there.

Have you checked the ball joints on the upper/lower control arms?
Have you checked the tie rod joints?

The "play" you're sensing could be in the suspension components.


FWIW, I don't know if this is the correct procedure for the Tacoma.
When I pulled a folding camper I would service the wheel bearings. The final steps were to tighten the axle nut while rotating the wheel until I couldn't turn the wheel by hand, then back the nut off to the next cotter pin slot, install cotter pin......finish up. This would seat the inner and outer Timkin bearings. Then recheck after 100 miles.

 

Like this at 12:36 or is that too tight? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6smTU_SnPg&feature=emb_logo

 

Fixed.

My right bearing nut was loose. Maybe the left was too.

Remember 4 February 2021 both wheels no wiggle left to right, but slight wiggle top to bottom. Right side slightly more.

Repacked all four bearings 5k mi ago. No wiggle after 500 and 1k miles, but now top to bottom wiggle.

So, a few days ago I removed the wheels and then could not right left or top bottom wiggle. Reinstall wheels and the added leverage allowed me to top bottom wiggle. However, the wheel weight was stopping right left wiggle (I think Id have to lift the wheel slightly to right left wiggle). On right side w\o wheel I could pull push the hub-rotar and feel, hear, and see it move in and out. Still, i could not right left or top bottom wiggle it (not enough leverage?). I reinstalled wheel and that extra weight prevented pull-push movement.
Cleaned and inspected all bearings, races, and spindles. All were fine. The right spindle had some black marks, but felt smooth. Lucky me.

I did notice something with my upper ball joint(s), but that is unrelated, so I started another thread for it. See "Ball joint issue?"

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