# OEM front wheel bearing- where to get one?



## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

Does anyone know a good place to get an OEM front wheel bearing for the truck in my sig? I think my passengers' side is on its way out- dealer wants $465 for it- I've found Timken bearings online- for around $175- are these as good as OEM?

Any help is appreciated!

Thanks,
Matt


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## plowinginma (Oct 22, 2005)

Timken is a good bearing company.. I have used only Timken bearings in my race car..
and sound like the price is right!!


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## badabing1512 (Aug 28, 2008)

Timken is the original wheel bearing in the truck if im not correct, sounds ike a great deal.


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## plowinginma (Oct 22, 2005)

badabing1512;844441 said:


> Timken is the original wheel bearing in the truck if im not correct, sounds ike a great deal.


I thought that may be the case.. I wasn't positive either..


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

Ok thanks for the info- just got off the phone with my mechanic- he mentioned the symptoms the truck has ("grinding feeling" around left turns) could also be due to a bad CV joint- thoughts?

What's the cost of a new axle for the passengers' side? Symptoms of this?

Could it also just be due to the Mud terrain tires I have?


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## mcfly89 (Nov 2, 2005)

sounds like a wheel bearing to me.

ps-Timken is the best money can buy


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

Ok thanks for the info- just got off the phone with my mechanic- he mentioned the symptoms the truck has ("grinding feeling" around left turns) could also be due to a bad CV joint- thoughts?

What's the cost of a new axle for the passengers' side? Symptoms of this?

Could it also just be due to the Mud terrain tires I have?


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

Can a CV go bad if the boot is still intact (no noticeable tears in the boot)? 

What are symptoms of a bad CV?


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## ABES (Jun 10, 2007)

mkwl;844469 said:


> Can a CV go bad if the boot is still intact (no noticeable tears in the boot)?
> 
> What are symptoms of a bad CV?


Yes the boot was fine on mine but in 4wd when turning it would click very bad I replaced it and its been fine since. Preety easy job to change them out.


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

mkwl;844469 said:


> Can a CV go bad if the boot is still intact (no noticeable tears in the boot)?
> 
> Yes
> What are symptoms of a bad CV?


Mostly what you described. Should be able to jack the tire up and figure it out. If it's a guessing game, CV shafts are pretty cheap. And quicker to change than the wheel bearing.


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## mcfly89 (Nov 2, 2005)

a wheel bearing would become more noticeable when you go around a corner and make a grinding or low groaning noise. going . a CV will usually ONLY make noise (usually, not always) when turning sharply, like moving around a parking lot or something and it makes a more pronounced clicking or clunking noise as you turn the wheels more sharply.

For the record, ALWAYS buy wheel bearings with the best warranty you can get. I have had horrible luck lately with the lifetime wheel bearings from NAPA. I've had to redo cavaliers, dodge 1/2 ton trucks, chevy trucks, and a few others all containing Napa lifetime wheel bearings. At least I won't get stuck with the cost of the bearing. 

Next time around I'll check out autozone and see if theirs are Neapco bearings (very good) and also consider OEM.


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## plowinginma (Oct 22, 2005)

Well I speak for experience of course when I say you could just Ignore the problem (it was the middle of a snow storm when I heard the awful grinding noise from my wheel)..and turn up the radio .. of course your tire falls off and jams the rotor into the caliper bracket.. I then knew for sure it was a wheel bearing !!


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## Midwest BuildIt Inc (Nov 14, 2004)

mcfly89;844487 said:


> a wheel bearing would become more noticeable when you go around a corner and make a grinding or low groaning noise. going . a CV will usually ONLY make noise (usually, not always) when turning sharply, like moving around a parking lot or something and it makes a more pronounced clicking or clunking noise as you turn the wheels more sharply.
> 
> For the record, ALWAYS buy wheel bearings with the best warranty you can get. I have had horrible luck lately with the lifetime wheel bearings from NAPA. I've had to redo cavaliers, dodge 1/2 ton trucks, chevy trucks, and a few others all containing Napa lifetime wheel bearings. At least I won't get stuck with the cost of the bearing.
> 
> Next time around I'll check out autozone and see if theirs are Neapco bearings (very good) and also consider OEM.


the bearings from napa suck. ive used them and replaced them a few times. go to autozone, they sell the timken bearings. depending on your bearing set up, it may come with new wheel studs too. on my dodge you have to press out all the wheel studs to change the rotor/bearing. and the timkens from autozone come with a new set.


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## ahoron (Jan 22, 2007)

Bought a timken from advanced less than a year later abs speed sensor malfunctioned. Bought ac delco from rockauto.com. driver side is from napa 3+ years old


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## plowinginma (Oct 22, 2005)

ahoron;844518 said:


> Bought a timken from advanced less than a year later abs speed sensor malfunctioned. Bought ac delco from rockauto.com. driver side is from napa 3+ years old


Thinking about this some more ... Didn't GM have a recall on just this issue? I am almost positive they did...


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## mcfly89 (Nov 2, 2005)

Just called to confirm...Napa no longer carries Timken. i've never had a timken fail unreasonably. the lifetime bearings I got from napa were japanese if i remember right. SKS and some other brand...as much as I love napa, I wont buy any more of their u joints or wheel bearings. 

timken bearings and spicer or neapco joints are still the best I have used, but they are rebranded so many times its hard to tell what you're actually getting.


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## Joesno (Dec 8, 2008)

youve got a bad u joint. cheap and semi easy to replace


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## mcfly89 (Nov 2, 2005)

Joesno;844561 said:


> youve got a bad u joint. cheap and semi easy to replace


what would a U-joint in his driveshaft have to do with a grinding noise while he turns left?


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

Sharp turns WILL bring out the worst of u-joints, but only in 4wd. Clicking noise is likely a CV joint. Grinding is more likely to be wheel bearing. Usually wheel bearings will be more noisy when you load them up, like in a turn at speed.


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## zerolatency (Sep 14, 2009)

if its a wheelbearing its a constant hum or grinding. When you are going down the road when you pitch the wheel away from the bad bearing the hum gets louder because the weight of the truck shifts onto the bearing. A cv joint makes a clicking noise. yes they can go out if the boot is still intact but in my experience the wheel bearings tend to go out sooner and much more frequently than the cv joints, especially after a couple years of the plow adding a little extra crush weight to the bearing.

The best way to test is jack it up, put it on stands, have someone put it in 4x4 and CAREFULLY let the wheels spin at idle. Use an auto stethoscope much like http://www.carparts.com/PERFORMANCE-TOOL-AUTOMOTIVE-STETHOSCOPE/GP_2017895_N__10618.car?zmam=73771597&zmas=17&zmac=100&zmap=10618-2017895 and touch the wheel bearing housing, if one side is louder than the other you know what it is. Just make sure it is the constant growl or its not the wheel bearing.


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## mcfly89 (Nov 2, 2005)

zerolatency;844656 said:


> if its a wheelbearing its a constant hum or grinding. When you are going down the road when you pitch the wheel away from the bad bearing the hum gets louder because the weight of the truck shifts onto the bearing. A cv joint makes a clicking noise. yes they can go out if the boot is still intact but in my experience the wheel bearings tend to go out sooner and much more frequently than the cv joints, especially after a couple years of the plow adding a little extra crush weight to the bearing.
> 
> The best way to test is jack it up, put it on stands, have someone put it in 4x4 and CAREFULLY let the wheels spin at idle. Use an auto stethoscope much like http://www.carparts.com/PERFORMANCE-TOOL-AUTOMOTIVE-STETHOSCOPE/GP_2017895_N__10618.car?zmam=73771597&zmas=17&zmac=100&zmap=10618-2017895 and touch the wheel bearing housing, if one side is louder than the other you know what it is. Just make sure it is the constant growl or its not the wheel bearing.


GREAT POST I broke my 40 year old stethoscope and hadnt found any place that sold any new ones that didnt look like toys.


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

Okay- it's not really a clicking as much as a low droning humming noise, really only when I turn left. I jacked up the truck today- no slop I can feel in the wheel (pushing and pulling at 6 and 12 o'clock on the wheel)- and all the CV joints look okay.

If a CV joint makes a "click" I'd tend to say it's a wheel bearing then not a CV.

Note- this is all going on while it's in 2WD.


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## zerolatency (Sep 14, 2009)

It doesn't matter weither or not it is in 2wd or 4wd the parts in question spin with the wheel if they are powering that wheel or not it doesn't matter. The reason i said to put it in 4wd to test it is because the front wheels are in the air and not forced to spin by the ground.


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## Clint S (Feb 12, 2008)

It does not have to have slop to be bad, I have had noisy ones be tight and loose ones be quiet. Really, it is probably the wheel bearing. When you turn the wheel to the right the body loads to the left the increased pressure on the bearing causes it to get louder and visa versa. Turning to the left loads the body to the right it is probably the right one being bad. Does the sound get lighter or go away when turning to the right??? These trucks eat wheel bearings for lunch so if they are original they should be replaced anyway. I am on the 3rd set on my 110k 03 2500hd and yes the timkens are better, the second set I bought went bad after 20 and 30K, Replaced with Timken and on about 40k or so with no problems.

EDIT OOP's most of this was said above, but still the same advice


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

zerolatency;844674 said:


> It doesn't matter weither or not it is in 2wd or 4wd the parts in question spin with the wheel if they are powering that wheel or not it doesn't matter. The reason i said to put it in 4wd to test it is because the front wheels are in the air and not forced to spin by the ground.


Okay, but if it's in 2WD the front driveshaft out of the transfer case isn't spinning- is it? Thus, it couldn't be the front u-joints- could it?


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

If it "feels" tight- am I in any immediate danger to take it on a 5 hr round trip this weekend? It's been making this "noise" for about a month now...


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## mcfly89 (Nov 2, 2005)

mkwl;844826 said:


> If it "feels" tight- am I in any immediate danger to take it on a 5 hr round trip this weekend? It's been making this "noise" for about a month now...


no danger.


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

mcfly89;844831 said:


> no danger.


Okay- I just want to make sure I'm not going to have anything catastrophic occur (like the wheel falling off or locking up) while I'm driving!


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## B&B (Nov 4, 2006)

Taking a 5 hour road trip on a suspected bad wheel bearing is about the very worse thing to do.

Stupid stupid stupid.


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

B&B;844960 said:


> Taking a 5 hour road trip on a suspected bad wheel bearing is about the very worse thing to do.
> 
> Stupid stupid stupid.


x a bazzillion!!!!

I have never seen it, but I have been told they will disintegrate without warning. You need to fix this, or find another vehicle for your trip.


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## deere615 (Jun 1, 2007)

I just had a bad wheel bearing I jacked the truck up and and could wobble the tire like the lugs were loose. But I Just had to have my driver side one replaced but I had to have the whole hub done? I would think you would need the whole hub also since you probably have abs?? Mine made no noise or anything I just noticed the tire was wobbling one day when I was working on it


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## dlcs (Sep 2, 2004)

2COR517;844972 said:


> x a bazzillion!!!!
> 
> I have never seen it, but I have been told they will disintegrate without warning. You need to fix this, or find another vehicle for your trip.


I've seen it happen on a co-workers truck. Lost the wheel and almost lost control of the truck. Get it fixed or find another vehicle for your trip.


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## zerolatency (Sep 14, 2009)

In my experiences (wrenched & towed for 6 years through highschool and college) they can sing for a long time before they disintigrate, but they can also desintigrate without notice and in my opinion bearings letting go on a highway trip can easily spell disaster. Likely hood of it happening is very low but if it does happen it is a pretty catostrophic failure.


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## mcfly89 (Nov 2, 2005)

B&B;844960 said:


> Taking a 5 hour road trip on a suspected bad wheel bearing is about the very worse thing to do.
> 
> Stupid stupid stupid.


If you have the time to fix it, by all means, fix it. If you don't...I put 246,000 miles on a bad wheel bearing before I finally got around to fixing it. That was an oem bearing. I also watched my drivers side front wheel pass me going down the highway once on a dodge truck (another of the thousands of reasons Id never own another one). The one that fell off was a napa wheel bearing.

bottom line is, 5 hours is nothin. if you were gonna be driving halfway across the country you might reconsider just for safetys sake, but 5 hours wont hardly get you out of your native state. chances are you have some sort of roadside assistance on a credit card, auto insurance policy, or something...thatll get you to a hotel if the worst happens. but thats what makes the trip fun. think of it this way....you'll be WIDE AWAKE all the way there and all the way back, hehe.

dont sweat the small stuff. and a bearing beginning to make a bit of a noise is small stuff for now.


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

Please don't listen to him Matt. Please......


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## mcfly89 (Nov 2, 2005)

2COR517;845198 said:


> Please don't listen to him Matt. Please......


absolutely, be sure and blow it totally out of proportion

obviously the BEST choice would be to fix it before you go on your trip. it only takes an hour or so if you move at a snails pace.

luckily thats not the ONLY choice.


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

Your advice is risky, at best. Deadly at worst.


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## mcfly89 (Nov 2, 2005)

2COR517;845208 said:


> Your advice is risky, at best. Deadly at worst.


I plow with a meyer...livin on the edge aint so bad


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## mcfly89 (Nov 2, 2005)

going on a roadtrip under the best of circumstances is risky at best and deadly at worst. just gotta do what you feel comfortable with. Neither you nor I could diagnose the status of his wheel bearing from here. Only he could do that, take all into account and make a call.


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

Your "advice" was based on the assumption of a trashed wheel bearing. You can keep editing your replies and adding more posts to downplay your recommendation, but you won't change what people think of your suggestion to strike out without fixing it. Or to live on the edge, as you label running a Meyer plow. I agree a road trip is a risky proposition, as is running to the corner store for a cup of coffee. But to ignore a bad wheel bearing is simply exponentially increasing your odds of a potentially catastrophic event.


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## mcfly89 (Nov 2, 2005)

2COR517;845221 said:


> Your "advice" was based on the assumption of a trashed wheel bearing. You can keep editing your replies and adding more posts to downplay your recommendation, but you won't change what people think of your suggestion to strike out without fixing it. Or to live on the edge, as you label running a Meyer plow. I agree a road trip is a risky proposition, as is running to the corner store for a cup of coffee. But to ignore a bad wheel bearing is simply exponentially increasing your odds of a potentially catastrophic event.


hmm, ok. didn't realize this was about peoples perception of "me". but ok. just offering my own experience as a reference point, just like you did. It just so happens we have different points of reference. not wrong, just different. It doesn't sound to me like his bearing is "trashed", it sounded like it was time to replace it. He's the only one close enough to tell how far gone it is, how longs its been making noise, etc.

Driving on "worn" tires is also risky, but who says what is "worn" and what is "worn out"

My apologies for my inability to offer anything more than my 2 cents.


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## mcfly89 (Nov 2, 2005)

O and my meyer comment was obviously an attempt to keep things light. 

my bad.


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

Okay- if it is very unlikely that it's the CV or something else making this noise- I'll leave the truck up here and take something else home for the weekend.
However, my mechanic is home, all I have up here is a GM dealer who's gong to want ot ream me out for a new wheel bearing, and if so, I want to make sure that takes care of it.

So- who votes that a "growling/grinding feeling and noise" is a bad bearing? Who votes it's something else? If so, what?


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## mcfly89 (Nov 2, 2005)

I had one replaced at a stealership not long ago and it wasnt all that bad. $175 for a timken bearing/hub assembly sounds like wishful thinkin to me. for the bearings only maybe, but the whole assembly at even cheapo 90 day warranty places is over $200. If the dealership would replace it and guarantee it for under $600, I'd call that money well spent. Even tho a monkey could do the labor on it in your driveway


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## nate456789 (Aug 11, 2009)

Has anyone used the FEQ brand?
http://cpwstore.carpartswholesale.c...yl_5-dot-7L/W0133-1688026.html?location=Front

It actually lists a warranty - I don't think the Timken does.


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## mcfly89 (Nov 2, 2005)

nate456789;845614 said:


> Has anyone used the FEQ brand?
> http://cpwstore.carpartswholesale.c...yl_5-dot-7L/W0133-1688026.html?location=Front
> 
> It actually lists a warranty - I don't think the Timken does.


thats for a half ton, but still its a great price. I would be suspicious tho. I LOVE the DIY instructions on the right side tho. I'll hafta visit that website more often. what a great resource.


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## BigLou80 (Feb 25, 2008)

zerolatency;845011 said:


> they can sing for a long time before they disintigrate, but they can also desintigrate without notice and in my opinion bearings letting go on a highway trip can easily spell disaster. Likely hood of it happening is very low but if it does happen it is a pretty catostrophic failure.


I am with him, The odd of it letting go are very low, how many wheel bearings are out there and how many people do you see on the side of the road with a blown bearing ? HOWEVER if it does let go when your doing 75mph its probably going to ruin your day!

I ran one of mine for at least a month maybe more and that was at the end of a plowing season, so at some of the time my V plow was hanging off the front. Got that one replaced and about 2 months later we were doing the other side


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## Clint S (Feb 12, 2008)

With the proper hand tools it really is less than an hour to change it. I have had them stick to the knuckle pretty good in the past though, needing an air chisel to get the hub off. It really probably is the bearing, they are a common wear item on these trucks. No one can diagnose it over the computer, but with the number of CV shafts I have seen fail vs the number of bearings is 20 to 1 in my family's Chevy vehicles in the last 15 years. And the one CV joint than went the boot was ripped and they make a clicking or popping sound when they are bad.


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

Well, opted to take th truck home today to my mechanic- he drove the truck, and determined that what I was hearing was just road noise from my tires (which I could believe since I tend to be very overprotective of my truck), but said when I'm home again for a longer time he'll take a good look at it. He deemed it safe to drive on the highway, I'd tend to trust his judgement.

Thanks for the info guys, I appreciate it!


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## nate456789 (Aug 11, 2009)

mcfly89;845621 said:


> thats for a half ton, but still its a great price. I would be suspicious tho. I LOVE the DIY instructions on the right side tho. I'll hafta visit that website more often. what a great resource.


Yeah I have had pretty good luck with that site. The parts are priced ok and they shipped my stuff pretty fast. The Exhaust manifold I got was pretty good quality.

Just to add to the Front hub part source - I replaced the front ones on my K2500 three seasons ago with ones I bought from NAPA and have had no problems with it. I have a meyer C8 on it. It was my main truck until I bought this new one.
I was kicking myself after I saw the prices online. I could have bought both of them for what I paid for one at NAPA.


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## mcfly89 (Nov 2, 2005)

nate456789;846115 said:


> Yeah I have had pretty good luck with that site. The parts are priced ok and they shipped my stuff pretty fast. The Exhaust manifold I got was pretty good quality.
> 
> Just to add to the Front hub part source - I replaced the front ones on my K2500 three seasons ago with ones I bought from NAPA and have had no problems with it. I have a meyer C8 on it. It was my main truck until I bought this new one.
> I was kicking myself after I saw the prices online. I could have bought both of them for what I paid for one at NAPA.


yeah, I dont mind paying more for a quality product, especially if I can find one made in the usa. which is why is just disgusts me that napa of all places, sells junk joints and bearings. grrrr


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## 70monte (Feb 5, 2008)

I put Timkin hub/bearing assemblies in my 98 K3500 back in April from Autozone and they were about $250 each and that was with a 10% discount the guy gave me.

Wayne


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

Would one of these bearings be the right one for my truck? I assume the one with the "2" body raise"?

http://cpwstore.carpartswholesale.c...294965807+4294965815&Nr=AND(universal:0)&sv=0


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## ticki2 (Jan 10, 2006)

mkwl;863654 said:


> Would one of these bearings be the right one for my truck? I assume the one with the "2" body raise"?
> 
> http://cpwstore.carpartswholesale.c...294965807+4294965815&Nr=AND(universal:0)&sv=0


Looks like that is for 2x4 not 4x4


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

ticki2;863797 said:


> Looks like that is for 2x4 not 4x4


That's what I was thinking- is there a difference for the 4x4?


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## ticki2 (Jan 10, 2006)

Yes there is


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

ticki2;863984 said:


> Yes there is


I kind of figured- anyone know a good place to get the 4x4 timkens?


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

Autozone carries Timken bearings.


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## Seaway25 (Sep 15, 2009)

These are less than $250 for a pair. $129 for one. Free shipping. 2 year warranty. I got mine from here and they ship really fast. http://www.1aauto.com/1A/wheel-bearing-hub-front/GMC/Sierra/1ASHS00043/286150/2003


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## mkwl (Jan 21, 2005)

Seaway25;864393 said:


> These are less than $250 for a pair. $129 for one. Free shipping. 2 year warranty. I got mine from here and they ship really fast. http://www.1aauto.com/1A/wheel-bearing-hub-front/GMC/Sierra/1ASHS00043/286150/2003


What brand are they? Did you change them out yourself or have a shop do it?


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