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.