Newbie looking for parts leads...

Good day all and thanks in advance for your input!

My 185,000 mi. '03 2WD SR5 w/4.7L developed bearing noise that I'd swear was rear wheel sourced. After a few 80mph miles I felt the rear axle at near each bearing and neither was warm. Felt the nose of the diff. and it was hot (guessing 140-150deg.).

Recommendations for good (Timken pref.) bearing sources??

 

RockAuto or Summit Racing. Don't buy auto parts on scAmazon, fleaBay, WallyMart, etc. due to knockoff problems, they have zero control over their supply chain and/or sellers to avoid knockoffs entering it, or landing on your porch.

Koyo is OEM, I believe. Timken and SKF are fine.

But legitimately, have you confirmed you have ample fluid, the CORRECT fluid (esp. if you have LSD rear), and your vent valve (little stubby) on top of your diff housing are both good? If not, it would end up as you say. Dealing with the rear wheel bearings on these trucks is an absolute BITCH and tough to get right.

if you dont have a wub-wub-wub and wiggle test doesn't show evidence of bearing issues, and you're not seeing blowby on the wheel seals (which can also be caused by excess pressure from that $10-15 vent going bad), then I wouldn't be remotely considering doing the rear wheel bearings.

 

Thanks Shifty... tot. agree on the sources you sugg. avoiding. And no, haven't ck'd fluid or vent yet (going to put on the lift in the nxt hr or so) but the noise and heat symptoms put me 95% confident that it's pinion brgs. Wheel seals good & dry.

 

Ah. Pinion bearings. Though you were talking about wheel bearings. Whoosh, right over my head. I totally read that as “felt each side of the axle and was warm”.

Coffee hasn’t kicked in yet. I’m operating with a handicap.

 

.... no worries, I've had enough coffee already for both of us!

 

Jack up your rear end, and run the truck at speed, have a friend or lady friend to closely listen to each side near the rear.
My passenger rear wheel bearing went out at 165k and you could definitely tell which side and where the noise was coming from while up in the air, “experts” at camp confirmed

 

Welcome from LA (Lower Alabama)!