Ok I'm not sure where exactly to post this. My children's father is at work and asked me to find out the answer to this question.

He has a 2004 Ford Ranger XLT four wheel drive with a 4.0 in it. (I hope that's right) Anyhow his front driver side wheel bearing was bad so he replaced it with the whole front wheel bearing assembly hub. When he had to torque on the nut. it told him to torque it at 180. On the way to work this morning, when he called to tell me to find out for him. He said that it felt tight so he doesn't know if the 180 torque is wrong or if maybe it was just so loose before that this is how it's supposed to be. I can't find the answer anywhere. Can someone help, please?

 

Yes there is a bit of confusion on it
2004 will have "Live axle", axle is always connected to hub, official start of this type of axle was in 2001, but Rangers starting getting these as early as 1999.

162ft/lb was spec thru 2005 and then it changed to 184ft/lb in 2006 and up

But I prefer 160ft/lb for any year

Good read here: https://www.ranger-forums.com/drivet...04-4x4-118847/

 

thanks for answering. As I said, it's my husband's truck - I have no clue about any of this. lol.. So if he did the torque at 180 (if that's how I say it) then he should put it down to 160? It is too tight so, he's not crazy? :)

 

Well the axle nut tightness shouldn't cause any wheel bearing pressure at all, so should not effect the ease at which the wheel turns
No I wouldn't loosen it

These hubs are one piece units "lifetime" sealed, Ford's idea of a lifetime is different than most of us.

The hubs bolt to the Suspension on the back side, the fixed part of hub
Then the axle goes thru the center of the hub, rotating part, and the axle nut (180ft/lb) secures the center of the hub to the CV joint on the axle.

The bearings separate the fixed part and the rotating part of the hub and it is a sealed unit, can't be pulled apart, so it is as tight or loose as it was made at the factory, the torque on the axle nut shouldn't effect it either way.
In the old days wheel bearings were separate parts and could be replaced, repacked with grease and then tightened, but..........you barely tightened the nut, may be 30ft/lb, then you back it off to 15ft/lb

It could be a bad "new" hub
New used to mean "tested and working"
New now means "you test it and we will replace it if it doesn't work"


You can have him check caliper for alignment also make sure the brake pads are releasing when foot is off the brakes.
The rubber hose that runs from the frame to the brake caliper can break internally, so no visible leak, but this break acts as a valve, lets brake fluid in but not out easily, so that side front wheel drags a bit, brake is not releasing fully.
Since putting on the new wheel bearing required removing the caliper the rubber line could have ripped inside, so you now have a dragging wheel on that side, after installing the new hub.

Have him jack up wheel that is "feeling tight", open brake bleeder and push pads back so they are not rubbing on rotor.
Then spin the wheel and see if it feels OK, it is dragging inside the differential so it won't be super easy spin.
Point is to feel how it spins, the resistance.
Now start engine and pump up the brakes, puts pads back in contact with rotor
Spin wheel again, should be slight drag but not much, apply and release brakes and check again.
Now with engine still running open bleeder valve again, if you get a squirt of fluid then there is still pressure at the caliper and there should not be.

He can do the same with the other front wheel so he has a comparison

 

Ron is there a video on how to repack the front wheel bearings on a 1998 ranger 3.0L 2wd I am replacing the lower ball joints so thought I would repack the wheel bearings. Not sure if I need to completely take off the hub assembly to do this.