I recently replaced both front wheel bearing in my 95 Toyota Tacoma 4WD. They were pretty sloppy (lots of play top and bottom of wheel), were producing a lot of road noise, and the steering was getting a bit squirrelly. While doing this I noted that there was what appeared to be a piece missing on the drivers side. It is a small brass bushing.



the image is from this youtube video
https://youtu.be/JFO6RPPTv4w

Anyone know exactly what this part does? Or if its absence would cause the bearing to walk again? I ask because initially after the repair it drove great but after just a few weeks things have deteriorated and there is now significant play in the drivers side again. I am planning to do the bearing again but want to make sure I do not have to do it again.

I have the parts manual but I cannot find that part, I think it may be considered part of the hub. Do you think it is possible I can communicate to the dealer the part I need and then order it? Otherwise I will have to tear one at the junkyard.

It looks like just part of the seal...

Are you sure you got the hub nut torqued properly?

[This message has been edited by thesameguy (edited 08-31-2015).]

It is 4WD with a free wheeling hub, the half shaft pokes through the hub and is held in place by a snap ring. Here is a better drawing

Also it was definitely not part of the seal. It was a separate component and came out freely.

quote Originally posted by Dizzixx:

Looks like the "free wheel hub cover" towards the top right in this pic.

[This message has been edited by 2.5 (edited 09-03-2015).]

This is the hub cover (black and red)



and is definitely not what I am looking for.

[This message has been edited by Dizzixx (edited 09-04-2015).]

To me it looks like the free wheel hub lock nut. It appears you would need a special wrench that would seat in the 6 notches to be tightened and loosened. If that is it, without it you would have bearing walk. It wouldn't have to be really tight but it holds the bearing in place.

[This message has been edited by Khw (edited 09-09-2015).]

Thats actually what I thought initially. I got that part and the spacer from the dealer thinking it had to be one or the other. Its not either. The lock nut is definitely there, I dont have the special tool to remove it so we had to use a hammer and punch to knock it out. This was done the same as the other side and locked in place by tapping an edge of the axle hub that sticks through into one of the hole (ie - imagine a tab that you tap flat to lock the nut)

If at the time I had known it was this cheap I would have bought this I still might

Here is a good picture showing both components



Note: I believe this is a picture of the rear but this portion of the setup, the nut and the brass thingy, is the same.

This is a picture of the front showing the lock nut removed (you can alse see where it was most likely tabbed in to lock it) the brash thing is not shown.