JENN

OK... this may seem like a dumb question, so i apologize in advance. Are wheel bearings the same as axle bearings?

I have a 2010 JK unlimited Sport that may have a bad wheel bearing - so I was told by my local 4x4 shop- and I was curious if this was covered under the Powertrain warranty. I called the local Jeep dealer who said no - wheel bearings aren't covered. So I checked the warranty book and it said axle bearings are. So, I'm curious if thats the same thing... AND seeing as how I have a 4" suspension lift, do you think the dealer would warranty it, or not?
They normally give me shit about everything - even had a leaking roof they tried to blame on the lift - go figure- but I'm going to push to have this warrantied if it is covered in the book.

Absolute

Front or rear?

kyonsiro

......
...

jedg

Wheel bearings are on the front of your vehicle. They are also called wheel bearing hub assemblies. Axle bearings are at the rear of the jeep. The wheel bearing hub assembly is a wear item (meaning they do wear out). Given you've got a 4" lift, I assume you have larger tires. This will cause the wheel bearing hub assembly to wear out a bit faster than with stock tires.

BoraBora

As they have said ^, this is a wear and tear item. Axle bearings are only in the rear, on the axle shafts. Front is wheel bearings. Sorry man, no warranty work for you. Wheel bearing assemblies are relatively cheap though, and can be swapped in under 30 minutes.

Mark Doiron

On the front hub bearings are also called unit bearings--depends on who you're talking to. I've replaced mine a couple times (233,000 miles on my JK), and learned that quicksand filled river running will cause their almost immediate failure. So I avoid that anymore. Anyway, I have bought both OEM and Napa and they are virtually the same part. I suspect whoever makes (made?) them for Napa is the supplier to Jeep. They cost me about $120 the last time, and came with the ABS sensor--which was quite a few years and about 100,000 miles ago. Avoiding silty rivers, fun as they are to drive, dramatically improved their life. I've noticed that Jeep parts have suffered a great deal of price inflation over those years. Just yesterday I was quoted $30 to obtain the five cent clip for my manual window raiser handle because that clip is no longer sold separate from the handle (Yes, I have and prefer manual windows). Recommend just buy from your favorite auto supplier that you trust (beware that some counterfeit parts are out there, which is why I prefer Napa's supply chain to others that might offer cheaper prices). If you're interested in what it takes to destroy a unit bearing (and make removal of Chromoly axle shafts and machining to restore the bearing face necessary), here's a video that required exactly those repairs after the trip ....

Rednroll

^ Great info Mark. Since you're familiar with both the Napa and OEM bearing hubs, I need to pick up a replacement before I start diving into my ball joint replacement install. Do both the OEM and Napa include the wheel speed sensor? What about length of the speed sensor wires? Most of the aftermarket hubs seem to include the older style sensors which come with the shorter wire, where they changed the length/routing around 2011. I want to get hubs with the longer speed sensor wires since I prefer that routing. So I'm trying to figure out which hubs to get which might already include the longer wire speed sensors, or if I need to purchase the longer speed sensors separately from Mopar.

karls10jk

Top tip on getting longer wires- eliminate the forward retainer, just cut it and bend the remnants up. The rubber piece that should have gone in that forward retainer can be moved to the rearward retainer. You buy extra clearance and it'll cost you nothing. That being said, I think I've got the 11+ hubs/ wires in my 2010 but have yet to pull an ABS wire, even disconnected and with longer shocks.

Mark Doiron

They were identical when I bought them. However, can't say for certain about wire length on today's products. It was quite a few years back. Six years if that video date is to be believed (it is).

Rednroll

Ok, I got one more question on this wheel hub stuff. I looked over my notes from the last time I researched this and found Mopar P/N: 52060398AD bearing hubs came with the longer wire speed sensors. The latest P/N has been revised to 52060398AE. I found a good price on a Crown replacement which is 52060398AD but states it is for a 2011-2018 JK. My initial thought is this is likely due to them going to the longer speed sensor wires in 2011+ but just wanted to check before I order. Is anyone aware of any changes to the actual hub assembly as to why a newer part number JK bearing hub assembly wouldn't fit on my 2009?