Wheel Bearing Replacement - think I stripped out the O-ring?

I replaced my left front wheel bearing/hub and this got stripped out from around the axel in the process.

I think it may be an O-ring, but it is really a coiled spring.

Can I drive a bit without it until I can get a new one installed?

1. What is the official part name?
2. What is it's function?

I'm prolly gonna have to pull the entire assembly back off just to replace this.

 

Hard to say what that is. It would be helpful to take the picture next to a dollar bill or a ruler so we can get a perspective of size. However, there are “springs” that coil around seals. They function to apply positive pressure around the seal so they don’t leak.

 

I added a banana for scale...

Long dimension is about 5 inches - About the radius of the aperture that the axel pokes through in the knuckle (?) that the hub/bearing assembly mounts onto.

 

This spring is normally in the wheel seal on the inboard face of the spindle. You can drive on pavement with the seal missing/degraded. Off-road, it will reduce the life of the bearing as it will allow more water and dirt to get into the spindle cavity.

Most FWD passenger cars don't have that seal. After several years, come bearing replacement time, the bearing is rust-seized to the spindle and needs to be chiseled out with an air hammer. Tacomas don't have this issue.

 

To replace that seal, you will need to remove the bearing, then undo the two bolts connecting the spindle to the steering stop, to swing the spindle clear of the CV axle.

 

Is this the part?

https://www.oemgenuineparts.com/oem-parts/toyota-bearing-o-ring-90301a0005

 

It’s not an oring it’s a metal spring and that part is not sold separate. The garter spring comes as part of the knuckle seal.

 

No. It's item 10 in the diagram.

Widely available in the aftermarket under P/N 710573 from Timken and National: https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=2472774&cc=1445515&pt=1860
Also available as SKF 28739.

The Toyota online catalog doesn't seem to give the correct P/N.

 

I replaced my wheel bearings 30k miles (~3 years) ago. wheeled a decent amount. been in some mud. still OK. I noticed that part laying on the ground AFTER I completed the install and never went back and fixed it it's still going strong. I figure I may be more prone to a leak but it's held fine.

 

^You're relying entirely on the seal in the bearing itself, which is how most other vehicles are set up (Frontier, Wrangler, Colorado...)

Many Colorado wheel bearings don't fail "mechanically". Rather, the magnetic tone ring on the bearing cracks due to rust, resulting in ABS codes.

 

OEM part number