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TOAD FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS
We have towed our H2 Hummer since 2005. If I were to guess we towed it around 50,000 to 70,000 miles and it has been driven 22,000 miles. During that time we also towed our Dodge Ram pickup so I can’t be more precise with the mileage.
About a month ago I noticed the H2 darting left or right slightly which I attributed to undulations or dips in the road. I checked the front suspension and noticed a slight play in the wheels, but nothing that would make me want to look further. Within a few weeks it got worse, to the point where I noticed the side to side darting much more. Other than that problem with tracking there were no noises, no vibrations and nothing that would indicate an issue, but I checked front end play once again, this time with the intent to see if it might be an alignment problem because the tires seemed to indicate the wheels were toed out slightly.
What I found was both front axle hub bearings were so sloppy loose that both wheels could be moved as much as 3/4″ in all directions (in and out). Within 3 or 4 weeks of a couple hundred local driving miles the bearings went from a very small looseness to seriously worn. I am in the process of finishing the repair by replacing the hub assemblies which are not serviceable. I question a design that has a single bearing centered under the wheel that probably works great when the loads imposed are evenly distributed across the tire evenly, but stresses the bearing greatly when the loads are asymetric.
When I got the parts a couple of things really got my attention. First they had an inventory of the hub assemblies. Then as the parts man was getting them, someone who appeared as a service supervisor indicated that assembly has been a service issue.
To put this in perspective prior to the H2 we towed a Grand Cherokee for more than 200,000 miles, and drove it for about 66,000 miles and I never touched anything on the drivetrain or had anything in the running gear require service.
This may be a problem that extends beyond H2 Hummers. If Government Motors used the same or similar designs on the vehicles on which the H2 is based such as the Silverado, anyone towing a Suburban, Tahoe, Yukon, Escalade, etc. should probably include a check of the steer axle in the pre-trip inspection. The speed with which the bearings failed was alarming. If we were towing a long distance when the bearings started their failure mode it would not have taken too many miles before something serious could have happened. It is unlikely we would know it because as I stated previously there was no noise or vibration.
The inspection process is simple. Raise one front wheel slightly off the ground. Grab the top of the wheel and push and pull on it. If everything is OK there will be virtually no movement. I had 3/4″ or more movement and the bearing had just started making metal.
The replacement hub assemblies cost about $550 each. I would guess 3 hours of labor for each one. If you do the repair yourself the only difficult part is going to be loosening the bolts that hold the brake calipers (2). My guess is they have about a gazillion foot pounds of torque and because of space issues I could not get at them with my impact wrench.
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7 Replies
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Thanks for the info. I will check mine out before we tow next time. It should be easy enough to do that even I can do it. Last thing I want is to have an issue out on the road.
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We have a Tahoe, so I guess the same would apply. They are all on the same frame and running gear right?
Pay me now … Or pay me later. *
(*You don’t know how much it pains me to not be able to say this … But Di said you lost your bearings a long, long time ago … but that would not be nice, so I am not going to say that)
All kidding aside, thanks for the head’s up Jon.
BCO
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BCO –
Not only does Jon have square bearings I belive he also “squared” up the tires on that Hummer!
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Great memory Mary Kay & Alan, I forgot about the 4 square Hummer tires!
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Jon, I will check mine before the next trip 2007 Tahoe showing 95000 miles just had the 100,000 mile service but bet they did not check this Thanks Gary
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Jon
I have learned front hub failure is common with 2000 -2008 (only from personal experience) GM 4 wheel drive vehicles, whether or not they are towed.
I have changed them in Chevy Avalanches, tahoe, trailblazer, silverado truck 1/2 and 1 ton , GMC siera truck. Mileage is usually about 60-80k.
Have not had to do the Acadia yet, only 30k driven and 20k towed.
Fairly easy job for those with some mechanical skills, about an hour and $2300 per side, except 1ton 8 lug hub.
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The mileage checks with mine assuming my total driven and towed mileage is combined. The Hummer has the 8 stud hub and the job is not complex. But breaking the caliper bolts was a challenge. After the first side the second one took about 3.5 hours but that included supporting it in jack stands and cleanup and putting away my tools.
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