M 884 front axle bearings

[pah556]

Hello everybody, I live in Sweden and have bought myself a W200/M884.
It was about 300 miles away, but got some help to get there to pick up the truck.
I got it home, started with some minor stuff like interior dome light that didn´t work, but after a few days driving around town, I started hearing a weird noise in the left front area.
This was before I knew how important it was to grease the bearings in the front axle (dana 44).
It got worse within a day, so now I think I have ruined the bearings at least on the left side.
I don´t feel it that much in the steering wheel, but much more in the whole car/chassis.
While accelerating in a slight right curve it almost disappears, but letting of the gas and/or driving in a straight line it starts again, sounds like clicking or like you have a large steel bolt sticking out of the tire (wich it isn´t, already checked).
At first I thought it was the... what do you call it, left drive joint (is that a so called CV joint, the one that makes the wheels being able to drive while steering?).
Don´t think it can be it, because I tried to turn the drive shaft (between transfer box and front diff.) around and it would only turn a little bit (compared it to my other car (small suzuki samurai) and it was about the same.

It is a 1977 M884, wich should have drum brakes I guess, but has discs in the front.

So the question is now, can I do this myself if it only is the bearings and what kind of special tools would I need?
I read about a puller and a press, puller isn´t that expensive, and I know a few people that have a press tool.

Something else besides a sixpack of beer.

 

[Bob H]

Disk brakes are correct for your 1977.
before taking it apart,chock the rear wheels, put the transfer case in neutral, lift and support the front axle, rotate the suspected wheel by hand to see what it feels like.

I think you could also go to autozone.com and look up the front hub for a W200 with 3500lb front axle, they usually will have a link to a service procedure with diagrams for that part.

Personally I would closely re inspect the universal joint at the wheel.

 

[pah556]

So it is a universal joint what is visible at the wheel?
I never heard of a CV joint, I´ll try to find some pics on google what that is then.
I´m working out all week, so no car to check upon right now, but I´ll check more closely like you described when I get home.
I´ll try to post a pic of it as well when possible, it doesn´t really look like the army truck it used to be.
Don´t laugh or cry now, it´s hand painted black with something like hammerite (if you know what that is).
It is an M884, according to a plate inside the cabine, has a rear tail-gate-lid-cover-door or whatever the name is.
It no longer has the 24 volt system with generator and stuff.
It has a big hole in the dash left to the am-meter (wich works.
The fuel meter died recently, don´t know why, but I guess it is a sender in the tank (is that possible to replace?).

Thanks so far, I´ll come back when I´m at home and checked a little more.

 

[pah556]

Well how about that, it wasn't the bearings or joint after all...
Only one thing left, the wheel bolts were loose, 4 of 8 were a little loose, and 2 were GONE.
Found out that the previous owner replaced them with whatever he had laying around after someone had tried to steal the wheels.
So now I need 32 new wheel nuts/ bolts that fit Eagle alloys that are on the car.
The bearings are OK I guess, no play but do sound a little when I turn the wheel.
I won't be driving it until I know how to grease the bearings and u-joints and get new lugs.
Anybody know where to buy them?
Is it lithium grease you guys use for the bearings?

 

[MWMULES]

Use Wheel bearing grease, with the wheel off you will see a hole that as you turn the wheel you will see a grease zirk , hook it to a grease gun to luge the L front. The L front bearing fail the most as folks forget to grease it. For the studs here is a link to do the repair.
Product & HowTo Info | | | REPLACE | AutoZone.com

Also your truck has always been 12 volt, some had an added 24 volt system to power radios but not the systems on the truck.

 

[pah556]

You don't happen to know where to buy new bolts, and should they be just conic like the old ones used or do they have a sort of centering ring?
Or is there another way to center the wheels on the disc/hub?
I meant the additional 24 volt system is no longer present, the large battery tray is the only thing that's left.

 

[pah556]

After a closer look at the info plate inside the car I found out that it is a M885, or else someone fooled around wth the registration some time ago.