Ok here's the deal?..I've searched for roughly 2 hours on google and here for a possible resolution but haven't gotten any where? At least somewhere to start.

Vehicle: 2004 F150 5.4L 2WD BONE stock!!.Has the steel wheels with the center cap just over the lugs. Emphasis on 2wd cause I read a lot of sorta my prob but with 4wd and IWE's and what not?
my problem:
2 months ago started to get a small hum in the front right wheel area..I thought ok no prob. Sounds like a wheel bearing. I let it go till last night as the noise didn't get much more audible in the past 2 months. Pulled off the rotor and such, got the giant C clip out, pressed the bearing real easy! Did it at my shop cause I have fancy 100t hydraulic press. Got the new bearing. It was a timken. I wiped the inside of the rotor nice and shiny as well as the spindle. Pressed the new bearing in nicely after I had to machine down a tool that covered little more than half of the putter race so I wouldnt put all the force on the center where it's 2 parts. Install with new nut torqued to 295+-1. Still have the humm?!!..Even before I did all this(which reall wasn't that hard)I did 15-20mph roll left to right..going left made the noise a lot more noticeable, going right noise goes away. straight line. noise is there. So I assumed wheel bearing.
So new bearing installed, still made the same noise, then I went on ahead and rotated the tires since it sorta sounds like big knobbies or something?..still there!..didn't get any quieter or go away which sucks and didn't get any louder either which maybe means it probably wasn't the bearing in the first place?..
So after reading this short story?.. What route should I take next? The truck drives nice and straight with no hands, even brakes the same. The front tires before I rotated have even wear. I put it of the lift to get the front off the ground to do the wiggle the wheel test on both sides. nice and tight! This truck is babied sadly. the most the bed has seen was a 34 gallon aquarium and stand?..harsher than cardboard boxes..
can some someone please point me in the right direction?.. Or maybe even say?!.."I had that exact problem, this is what'cha do!!"
last add on really fast! As I said earlier the truck tracks straight, the brakes are fantastic!.Theres no shake at all with this noise even if the brakes are applied. Any more questions please feel free to ask?!!..THANKS for READING!!


ed

 

any opinions bump

 

i had the same problem since i bought my 04 2wd 7 months ago. The noise was bad the vibration worse but i kept rolling along ignoring it finally after an 800mi road trip the bearings went out completely so I fixed it. the fact that you were able to find bearings that worked amazes me although my races were torn up and the inner and outer races actually welded them selves together. after spending 4hrs goin to every part shops i couldnt find bearings that would fit. I was luckilly enough to meet some awesome guys working at a local Oriellys auto parts and we came up with the solution. Somewhere along the lines ford realized there wheel bearings/assemblies were garbage and went to a one piece cast hub assembly rotor and all is one piece. although it was about 70 dollars more at 86 bucks a pop i went ahead and installed this set up. took about 15 minutes with an impact and big breaker bars and another 10 for new pads.

 

Adam, unless I don't understand at all what you are saying, the one piece hub/rotor is what came on all F-150's from '04 on. That and the Timken "all in one" bearing came out in '04 on the F-150 and there should have been no problem finding a bearing for it. I replaced one in my SIL's '07. The rotors are cheap junk and often need replacing anyway so you just buy a rotor with the bearing already in it.

 

The noise was bad the vibration worse but i kept rolling along ignoring it finally after an 800mi road trip the bearings went out completely so I fixed it.

 

I replaced both left and right bearings in my truck multiple times over the course of 8 months and they kept going out. What was really happening was that the ford hub/rotor where the bearing pressed into had a very small amount of play in it, it was worn out, which made then entire bearing ride loose inside the hub. Get the new 2 piece centric settup and you will be alright. Mines been going strong for over 8 months now. no noises nothing.

 

So any ideas with my problem? I've looked in the fenderwell to make sure nothing was rubbing on the tire. Nothing is. Rotated tires. Still the same. These tires are still the same ones from when I first got the truck used about 7 months prior. At that time there wasn't any noise. Just got the tires remounted an balanced for ****s and giggles since the tires still have about 75-80% tread. Still there..There's no vibrations shakes wobbles or clunking, just that noise in the FR wheel area.

 

on muy 06 it calls for a new rotor/wheel bearing assy. i had to do both sides. the only way you replace just the bearing is if you have aftermarket rotors. i believe

 

Not so. I replaced a front wheel bearing in my SIL's '07 F-150 2wd with a new Timken bearing from Rock Auto. It shouldn't make any difference since the aftermarket and the OEM rotors are all the same (2WD).

 

OP read here:
https://www.f150online.com/forums/20...ing-drama.html
and here:
https://www.f150online.com/forums/20...placement.html

Common thoughts are the 4x2 design is fine if it works, but once it give you problems change it out to the 4x4 design.

 

Thanks slo. I'll look into that..Just a thought then I'll be done with this thread? I have access to a 98 2wd F150 with the 2 piece bearings. Could I essentially swap out the entire spindle assembly rotors,calipers and all over to the 04? then get an alignment after wards?...thanks guys!!!


ed

 

Lugs are 5 bolt on the 98 and 6 bolt on the '04-up. I don't think there's any possibility it'd work. Totally different.

 

How did you press the bearing out? Just tried with a 100 Ton Press, and only the bottom/inner race and bearing busted out. It looks like the hub is two or three different pieces. I have the aftermarket two pieces rotor/hubs installed. Thanks....

Joe