If the wheel is loose, you really should not drive the truck to the dealer or garage, but have it towed and get the wheel bearing replaced as well as the hub. Maybe you had the bearing replaced without a hub replacement last time. More likely the replacement was never done if you have no record. This at least is a fairly easy and inexpensive repair. This is not a drive wheel. Costs should be at most $500 parts and labor, but should be less than that.

Be sure to consult your owner’s manual, a repair guide, an AutoZoner at a store near you, or a licensed, professional mechanic for vehicle-specific repair information. Refer to the service manual for specific diagnostic, repair and tool information for your particular vehicle. Always chock your wheels prior to lifting a vehicle. Always disconnect the negative battery cable before servicing an electrical application on the vehicle to protect its electrical circuits in the event that a wire is accidentally pierced or grounded. Use caution when working with automotive batteries. Sulfuric acid is caustic and can burn clothing and skin or cause blindness. Always wear gloves and safety glasses and other personal protection equipment, and work in a well-ventilated area. Should electrolyte get on your body or clothing, neutralize it immediately with a solution of baking soda and water. Do not wear ties or loose clothing when working on your vehicle.

Advice, how-to guides, and car care information featured on AutoZone.com and AutoZone Advice & How-To’s are presented as helpful resources for general maintenance and automotive repairs from a general perspective only and should be used at your own risk. Information is accurate and true to the best of AutoZone’s knowledge, however, there may be omissions, errors or mistakes.

What are OEM parts? Sounds like it means not Ford parts. I’d guess they are not Ford parts since it was the local garage. I’m switching to a different garage (still way closer than dealership) because I’m losing confidence in the current group. Lots of little things adding up to me wanting to try out a new place.

Timing beltandwater pumpkit

Unfortunately, timing belts rarely give any warning of impending doom. While there are other things that can speed up a timing belt’s decay, like oil or antifreeze leaking into the timing belt area (and often seen as an oil leak or water pump leak), in most cases, the belt is simply old, brittle, and breaks.

The timing belt (or chain) is located toward the front of the motor beneath the timing cover. The belt is made with high-quality rubber and reinforced with nylon chords. This belt is under precise tension, and as the engine’s crank turns, it then turns the camshafts (and many times, the water pump) to keep everything in perfect timing.

Another thing to consider is service records. Whenever buying a used car that is equipped with a timing belt, always ask about timing belt service. When was the last time it was performed, if ever? Does the owner have documentation in the form of receipts or invoice? Has the vehicle been to the dealer? Keep in mind, calling the dealer and asking for service records may lead to clues on when the belt was last changed, or if it was at all. Finally, when in doubt, change the belt!

Remember that once the new belt is in place and properly tensioned, always rotate the engine slowly by hand, checking and double-checking the belt alignment and make sure everything looks proper. If any resistance is encountered, stop! Recheck the alignment.

Most timing belt covers are plastic and have one or several inspection plugs, or ports, where you can quickly remove and look at a small portion of the timing belt. One of the first things to inspect is cracks on the belt. Rubber as you know will crack and chip as it gets older, and any evidence of cracks on the belt should immediately raise a red flag for a belt change.

The ship definitely sailed. The dealership is way far away from here and the local garage is only 5 miles away. Even at that distance, it’s tough to arrange time to drop the Explorer off. With kids in car seats, it requires a second vehicle with car seats and then I still have to get the Explorer back before my next work day.

I believe 23k is too little also. Someone is mis-installing with perhaps too much torque on the axle nut. – Are they using Ford OE parts ?—

Timing beltreplacement cost

I didn’t mean to say ALL Explorer front ends. I’m thinking maybe just 2005 or maybe just my particular Explorer. I am leary of buying another Ford, though. How long should the wheel bearing last? Should I need to be replacing it again after 18 months/23,000 miles? I had planned on driving this vehicle for at least 10 years, but I’m beginning to think that’s not going to happen.

I’d like to know if anyone has had trouble with Ford Explorer front ends. I had what I considered to be a ton of work done on my 2005 Explorer back in October 2009 when it had about 60,000 miles on it. The bill listed these parts: hub assembly, bearing, axle rebuild kit, front diff seal and some other seal. The paperwork doesn’t say, but I am pretty sure it was the left front wheel bearings that were bad. Now, at 83,000 the left front wheel is noisy again. A mechanic drove it today and told me he thinks it is the wheel bearings. What the heck are wheel bearings and why am I replacing them again in the same wheel after only 23,000 miles? I think Ford Explorer front ends are junk. Not that I know much about cars, but, really…this is ridiculous. It is 4-wheel drive, of course.

If you decide to do the job yourself, make sure you follow each step of removal and reassembly perfectly, and research as much as possible on the job. Many timing belt jobs require the camshafts to be held in place by a special tool – do not let this scare you. While these tools are readily available, many of them are vehicle specific, so there can be a multitude of them. Many other tricks are shown online on how to keep the camshafts properly in place when installing the new belt, and many more do not require any tools for this at all.

There is nothing worse than paying for a timing belt service, declining the water pump replacement for an additional $100, only to find out 6 months later that the water pump is leaking, and now everything must be replaced again.

Remember, if your timing belt breaks, the damage is much, much worse. At this point, the cylinder head must be removed, valves replaced, or new remanufactured heads installed. This takes that timing belt job from $400 -1,000 and just raised it to $3,000 -5,000. In many cases, repairing a timing belt breakage is so expensive it is more than the value of the vehicle.

Can ichange water pump with timing belt

In most cases, a timing belt kit will consist of the belt itself, 2-3 idler pulleys, and a tensioner. When the job is done, all these components will be changed out. In most cases, a timing belt kit will run between $100 -350.

Timing beltandwater pumpsymptoms

Discover why your car's serpentine belt makes noise and how to fix it. Learn about common causes, diagnostics, and solutions at AutoZone.

The timing belt is so crucial to your engine's operation that its failure is often catastrophic - meaning, not only does your vehicle suddenly not run, the internal engine is likely damaged. It is one of those parts that as much as the replacement is painful as routine maintenance, choosing not to perform this maintenance will absolutely lead to a catastrophic failure, and an even bigger bill.

If you suspect your vehicle is up for a new timing belt, come see the folks at AutoZone for all the parts, tools and advice you’ll need. If you need additional help with the job, check out our list of Preferred Shops in your area that can help you get the job done quickly!

Learn about car belts, discover wear signs, and decide between DIY or professional replacement. Find top-quality replacements at AutoZone.

Your car battery starts your engine and your engine helps the alternator recharge your battery. There's more to it than that though. Learn how it works.

Because of severity of a belt breaking, every vehicle equipped with a timing belt will have a manufacturers recommendation on when to change the timing belt. These intervals are usually somewhere between 70,000 miles and 90,000. You can find recommendations specific to your vehicle by checking with the owner’s manual that came with your car or researching online.

As stated before, timing belts are composed of rubber, no different than a regular drive serpentine belt. Over years and constant heat cycling, the rubber begins to degrade, to the point where the belt finally fails. In most cases, a faulty timing belt will provide no warning of an impending break. You will be driving along, when suddenly the car dies.

If you have heard of the term “Timing Chain” before, both a timing belt and chain perform the same duty. Their job is to keep the mechanical timing of the engine – the intake and exhaust valves opening and closing at the exact precise time needed. Today’s engines are composed of multiple valves per cylinder, sometimes as many as 5 – and doing this properly requires exact precision between the moving pistons and the opening of the valves.

Should you replacewater pump with timingchain

Not a common problem here in the Gallup NM Ford dealer. And this is the four corners reservation area, pickup & SUV country for sure. You can NOT stereotype all Explorer front ends as trouble. I have fleet customers with dozens of Explorers each with 300k + miles on them. My sales history of 4L2Z-1104-AA hub/bearing shows 8 all last year with 4 showing so far this year.

The timing belt is so crucial to your engine's operation that its failure is often catastrophic - meaning, not only does your vehicle suddenly not run, the internal engine is likely damaged. It is one of those parts that as much as the replacement is painful as routine maintenance, choosing not to perform this maintenance will absolutely lead to a catastrophic failure, and an even bigger bill. Below is what you need to know about a timing belt, its function, and how to make sure you stay on top of its replacement.

FREE Loan-A-Tool® program requires returnable deposit. Please note that the tool that you receive after placing an online order may be in a used but operable condition due to the nature of the Loan-A-Tool® program.

Water pump belt

On second thought, I didn’t have any problems with this SUV for the first 4 years I drove it. All the major repairs started in January 2009, so something wrong with the frame would have showed up before then, I would think. I haven’t been in any accidents. I bought this vehicle with 8,000 miles on it in October 2005. It had been a “fleet” vehicle, which I took to mean rental car. I do drive on some pretty bad roads. There’s a dirt road I use every day which becomes a washboard in the spring and there’s a 5 mile stretch of road I use 2-3 times a week which is laden with terrible frost heaves in spring and which never quite goes back to normal. I really hope it gets paved this year, but I’m not holding my breath.

Another thing to consider is that miles are only a general indicator, older, low mileage vehicles should always be considered for a timing belt change because usage is not the only thing that degrades the rubber – time will as well. For example, you own a 2016 vehicle with 60,000 miles on it, and its timing belt recommendation is 70,000 miles. At this point, it is time to start planning your timing belt service. In contrast, you own a 2001 vehicle that has been minimally driven, only has 40,000 miles, but there is no evidence of a timing belt ever being replaced. Because this belt is over 20 years old, it is prime for replacement. Either way, this is one maintenance item you absolutely want to plan for, and do not want to neglect.

Can youchange water pumpwithout removingtiming belt

Native Resource Development has a fleet of 20 Explorers for non emergency medical transportation for patients and family to get to the IHS hospitals here in the Navajo reservation. They have their own shop but yet have purchased just ONE in the last three years ( OE Ford from us ). These are the trucks with 300k+ miles on all of them. The 522,000 mile one threw our speedometer people for a loop with the odometer being un-progamable by them.

If the truck is home, on an even surface, block the rear tires and jack up the passenger side enough that the passenger side tire is off of the ground. Support the frame with blocks or a jack, and see if you can move the passenger tire and wheel side-to-side as well as top to bottom. If the wheel bearing is shot, the tire and wheel will move mostly side to side as well as a little top to bottom (generally). The truck will have also been making some kind of noise while driving, usually a wah-wah sound at first that gets progressively louder.

I re-read your question and the wheel bearing repair was done, as part of the replacement of the hub assembly. This repair is two years old and is no longer covered by a repair warranty, but check to see if the part is covered. If nothing else you can negotiate for some kind of accomodation, especially if you had the replacement performed by a Ford dealer using Ford parts. Such a replacement should not have failed after only two years. I think in this case, you would have a very good case for replacement at no cost to you.

Just a few other things with this vehicle: rear struts had to be replaced before 60,000. I have replaced a few tie rod ends, brakes had to be done, a couple of u-joints, and last year I had to replace all of my tires earlier than I should have due to severe uneven wear. Now, the tires were partially (or, possibly, mostly) my fault because I didn’t rotate them for…10,000 or 15,000 miles. But…what would happen if by chance the frame of this vehicle is messed up? Don’t laugh at me. I said I know nothing about cars, but I like to learn and I like to try to figure out what’s causing a problem.

Water pump BeltPrice

Labor on most timing belts is between 3-5 hours, putting your total cost between $400 -1,000. Remember, do not opt for a “just the belt” replacement. While the cost is cheaper, the chances of further failure increase significantly. If the water pump is being done at the same time, the labor should be minimal, and less than 1 hour, as the work to expose the water pump and remove the timing belt is being done anyway.

Below is what you need to know about a timing belt, its function, and how to make sure you stay on top of its replacement.

There are different qualities for replacement parts available. If you need repair parts find a mechanic that gives you the options. Cheap parts could be the problem.

Is your car making a squealing noise? It might be a noisy idler pulley. Explore symptoms, causes, and solutions to address this common issue.

Thanks for all the info. It sounds like it is unusual for the wheel bearing to go so early. So, if it isn’t misintallation or low quality parts, is there anything else that could be causing the problem?

A timing belt service is more than just the belt itself. While traditionally, everyone thinks of this change as “just the belt,” it is not. A timing belt is tensioned and held in the proper track by a series of tensioners and idler pulleys, all of which have bearings and the ability to fail. Likewise, many vehicles have a water pump that is driven by the timing belt. In these cases, it makes complete sense to change the water pump with a new unit at the same time, since the labor to expose the pump is being completed anyway.

If a timing belt is not set up properly, “jumps time”, or worse yet – breaks, that functioning will cause the valves to be open at the wrong time. Because most engines are made with zero clearance between the piston top and the valves, this then causes in many cases the piston to collide with one or more valves in the cylinder head, causing bent valves and major damage.

Of the other customers in our shop, the LOW mileage winner for their first hub/bearing replacement was 96,532 miles. Over the counter sales don’t have mileage documented but five others in our shop over the last two years show 144k, 129,666, 116,661, 157,166 and 265,853 miles for their first bearing.