1. Park the vehicle on a level surface, shut down
the engine, and set the parking brake. Chock the
tires.
WARNING
Never work around or under a vehicle that is sup-
ported only by a jack. Always support the vehicle
with safety stands. Jacks can slip, causing the
vehicle to fall, which could result in serious injury
or death.
2. Raise the front of the vehicle and support it with
safety stands.
3. Remove the front wheel and tire assemblies. For
instructions, see Group 40 of the Recreational
Vehicle Workshop Manual.
4. Remove the brake drum. For more information,
see Group 33 of the Recreational Vehicle Work-
shop Manual.
5. Check for loose, damaged, or missing fasteners
and hubcaps.
6. Check for lubricant around the hub cap and
wheel. If lubricant is present, investigate the
cause and take corrective action.
7. Check for lubricant around the hub, brake hard-
ware, and brake shoes (if installed). If lubricant is
present, check the oil seal and replace it as nec-
essary. For instructions, see Section 33.03 of
the Recreational Vehicle Workshop Manual.
8. Inspect the lubricant for discoloration. Under nor-
mal conditions, the lubricant will darken; a white
or milky appearance indicates water contamina-
tion. If the lubricant is discolored, service the
wheel end. See the Recreational Vehicle Work-
shop Manual and manufacturer literature for pro-
cedures.
IMPORTANT: Do not mix different types of lubri-
cants.
9. Inspect the lubricant for the presence of foreign
matter. Use a magnet to detect any metallic ma-
terials present in the lubricant. If the lubricant is
contaminated, service the hub. See the Recre-
ational Vehicle Workshop Manual and manufac-
turer literature for procedures.
10. Rotate the hub and check for free, smooth, and
quiet rotation. If rotation is hampered, service the
hub immediately. See the Recreational Vehicle
Workshop Manual and manufacturer literature for
procedures.
WARNING
Correct wheel-bearing end play is crucial to the
safe and sound operation of the vehicle. If the end
play is not correct, the wheel bearings could fail
and cause the loss of the wheel and hub assem-
bly and result in an accident causing property
damage, serious injury, or death. Use a dial indica-
tor to measure the end play.
IMPORTANT: Do not measure the wheel bear-
ing end play with the wheel mounted on the
hub; you cannot accurately measure or adjust
bearing end play with the wheel mounted on the
hub. Also, ensure that the brakes are not ap-
plied so that that drum and hub can move freely.
11. Using a dial indicator, measure the end play as
follows.
11.1 Attach the magnetic base of a dial indica-
tor to the end of the spindle, and place
the measuring end of the indicator
against the hub cap mounting flange. See
Fig. 9.
IMPORTANT: Maintain continual pressure on
the hub until you have taken both the in-
board and outboard measurements. If you
release the hub, an accurate measurement
is not possible.
11.2 To seat the bearings, grip the hub at the
three o’clock and nine o’clock positions,
and push inward while oscillating it ap-
proximately 45 degrees. Maintain pres-
sure on the hub, note the inboard mea-
surement, and then pull the hub outward
while oscillating it as before. Maintain
pressure on the hub, and note the out-
board measurement. See
Fig. 10.
The end play is the difference between
the two measurements. The end play limit
for PreSet hubs is 0.006 inch (0.15 mm);
for non-PreSet hubs the acceptable range
is 0.001 to 0.005 inch (0.03 to 0.13 mm)
inclusive.
If the end play does not exceed the limit
and no other problems were found in the
previous steps, no additional service is
Front Axle 33
Recreational Vehicle Chassis Maintenance Manual, June 2015 33/5
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