99 f150 5.4 4x4 I think i may have a bad wheel bearing, as something is making noiise. I had to beat the old rotor off, and i would have thought that the hub would pull off also with the nut off. i had to use a sledge hammer to get the rotors off. so is there anything holding these hubs on?

thanks for your wisdom

 

That nut only holds the CV stub axle in the hub, which holds the bearings in place.

If you have 4WABS, remove the dust shield & sensor BEFORE removing the 4 bolts on the back of the steering knuckle (110-150 lb-ft). As you pull the hub out of the knuckle, make sure you PUSH the stub axle back through at the same rate so the CV boot/joint are not overextended.

Don't reuse that rotor if you beat on the friction surfaces.

 

thanks steve, thats where im at. Id like to get bigger diameter rotors,as ive got 31in tires. but i dont want to pay triple.

 

31s are nothing (barely bigger than stock) - certainly not enough to justify the expense & trouble of changing the size of the brake system. That would be a MAJOR modification, and depending on your local laws, you might have to get the truck re-certified. It's not a project for a weekend mechanic. In fact, not many pros would do it, except maybe as part of a complete axle swap.

When you find your brakes won't stop your 44s, THEN think about better brakes.

 

And if the rotors came off that hard (as mine did), the hub will be worse. Get fresh can of PB Blaster and start spraying.

 

I had to pound the rotors off mine... hubs went a few months later. The three bolts on the back of the spindle are all it takes. The hub pretty much fell out at that point (gentle tapping from the back).

-Joe

 

"Falling out" is kinda scary... They should have a LITTLE interference.