Wheel Hub: Description and Operation

Wheel Hubs and Bearings

The wheel hubs and bearings system consists of:

- full floating axle shafts.
- hubs with removable brake discs.
- opposed taper roller bearings in the hub.
- hub seal behind the inner wheel bearing.
- tabbed hub nut.

The rear hub is supported or floats on the axle spindle on 2 opposed tapered roller bearings. The rear hub is retained on the spindle by a ratcheting nut that is tabbed to a slot on the spindle. A seal is installed inboard of the inner rear wheel bearing to keep the rear axle and wheel bearing lubricant from the brake components. The rear wheel bearings are packed with a lithium-based grease to provide initial lubrication until axle lubricant flows into the rear hubs and the inner rear wheel bearings during vehicle operation. The full-floating rear axles have the brake discs mounted outboard of the rear hub, permitting brake disc removal for brake inspection without the need to remove the rear hub. The rear wheel bearings are packed with a lithium-based grease to provide initial lubrication until axle lubricant flows into the rear hubs and rear wheel bearing inner cone and rollers during vehicle operation.