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How-to

1986 Ford Bronco Dana 44 Front Wheel Bearing Install, Timken

1986 Ford Bronco · Install · Moderate

Documented by SuperMotors from Sixlitre’s photos

The front hub of a 1986 Ford Bronco is stripped down to the Dana 44 spindle so the inner and outer wheel bearings can be replaced with Timken parts. The photos cover sourcing the bearings, disassembling the hub, separating the hub from the rotor, packing the bearings, and setting the bearing lock nut.

  1. Step 1

    Source the inner and outer bearings before starting the job. Sixlitre bought Timken bearings from a bearing supply house for $13.23 CDN (inners) and $14.51 CDN (outers), which was cheaper than the offshore brand from the jobber.

    Timken bearings from a bearing supply house turned out to be cheaper than my jobber's off shore brand. Inners (left) were $13.23 CDN and ou… (1986 Ford Bronco)

  2. Step 2

    Remove the caliper, then take off the plastic twist lock. Sixlitre notes Ford charges $64 CDN for this part and intends to repaint the faded original with red spray paint instead of buying a new one.

    First thing off, after the caliper. Ford wants $64 CDN for this red(now pink) faded plastic twist lock. Guess I'll be yarding again soon wi… (1986 Ford Bronco)

  3. Step 3

    Back out the twelve alan screws. Sixlitre reports they came out easily because they were new dealer screws fitted the previous year with anti-seize lube on them.

    Thank goodness my buddy made me buy 12 brand new alan screws from the dealer last year. They came out easily with all the anti-seize lube o… (1986 Ford Bronco)

  4. Step 4

    Remove the single philips screw that holds the next ring in place, then work that ring out. Sixlitre found digging the ring out to be the awkward part of the teardown.

    Only one philips holds the next ring on. (1986 Ford Bronco) Digging this ring out is easier said than done. (1986 Ford Bronco)

  5. Step 5

    Remove the next ring, which comes away easily. Pull the following piece off using the alan screws as handholds.

    This however was easy to remove. (1986 Ford Bronco) This pulled out really easily with the alan screws to hold on to. (1986 Ford Bronco)

  6. Step 6

    Drift out the five wheel lug studs, then separate the hub from the rotor with a cold chisel and hammer. Sixlitre took this step because the rotor was being replaced.

    After drifting out the 5 wheel lug studs, seperate the hub from the rotor with a cold chisel, hammer and finese(if you're changing the roto… (1986 Ford Bronco)

  7. Step 7

    Pack the new bearings with a bearing packer. Sixlitre rates the packer highly for this job.

    If the guy who invented this bearing packer ain't up for sainthood, he ought to get a knighthood or something. It's great. (1986 Ford Bronco)

  8. Step 8

    Fit the correct socket for the bearing nut before torquing. Sixlitre found that the socket on the left, sold as fitting Broncos, did not fit; the socket on the right is the one for these Fords.

    The socket on the right is the one for our Ford's. The one on the left claims to do Bronco's but it just ain't so ! (1986 Ford Bronco)

  9. Step 9

    Torque the bearings to 70 lbs to seat them, back the nut off a quarter turn, then re-torque to 15-20 ft/lbs. Sixlitre gives these figures for the 1986 Dana 44 manual hub bearings on this truck.

    With my kind of 1986 Dana 44 manual hub bearings they wanted 70lbs to seat them, then back off a 1/4 turn and re-torque to 15-20 ft/lbs. (1986 Ford Bronco)

  10. Step 10

    With the bearing lock nut torqued, clean out the remaining grease and coat everything in anti-seize. Sixlitre uses anti-seize because grease does not work at -45.

    After the bearing lock nut is torqued, clean out the remaining grease and coat everything in anti-seize. That's what works up here at -45,… (1986 Ford Bronco)

  11. Step 11

    The album's photos end here, so no further reassembly is shown.

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