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The short version
- An F-250 wheel bearing carries more load than the F-150 version. Load, not mileage, is what limits its life.
- Confirm drivetrain, stud count and single or dual rear wheels before ordering. All three change what fits.
- This page covers 1993 to 2020. Only the 2020 rear axle bearing sits past the catalogs.
- The rear is an axle bearing in the housing, not a hub. It is a different job from the front.
Ford builds the F-250 from 1993 to 2020 to carry weight. An F-250 wheel bearing answers to that weight more than to mileage alone.
That single fact explains why the part is heavier than the one under an F-150. It also explains why ordering takes more than just a model year.
Two axle families, two drivetrains and two rear wheel counts all sit behind one nameplate. Sorting them out before buying saves a return trip to the counter.
Ordering an F-250 wheel bearing
Drivetrain comes first. A four wheel drive front hub passes an axle shaft through the middle, and a two wheel drive front does not.
Stud count follows, eight on every application here. Then comes single or dual rear wheels.
Half ton parts do not fit even where the bolt pattern looks close. Matching an old part against a new listing runs through the cross reference page.
The eight stud pattern alone rules out most F-150 hubs on sight. It does not rule out a mismatch between two Super Duty listings from different catalogs, which is a separate check.
A four wheel drive front and a two wheel drive front on this truck are not the same casting. Buying by model year alone, without confirming drivetrain, is the most common ordering mistake reported here.
A counter clerk working from a screen rather than the old part can make the same mistake. Bring the old part or its number rather than describing the truck from memory.
Load is the life limiter
Life is not proportional to load. It falls away much faster than that.
A truck worked near its rating goes through bearings sooner than an empty one. A Super Duty pulling a trailer every week asks more of both ends than the same truck used only for commuting.
A failure pattern tied to load rather than age is on the failure page. A single hard hit against a curb or a deep pothole can also start the same wear early.
Reported failures on this truck cluster in trucks used for towing and plowing rather than highway commuting. That pattern lines up with the load math rather than working against it.
An empty commuter truck can still cover its bearings in salt and grit over a winter. Load shortens the calendar, but corrosion and dirt shorten it too.
The other suspect on the front end
Owners describe a knock at the front that only shows up in four wheel drive. A worn universal joint in the axle shaft is a frequent cause.
A bad joint knocks under drive load. A bearing tends to hum with speed regardless of whether four wheel drive is engaged.
Confirming which one is actually failing before buying a hub is worth the extra minute. It is covered on the checking page.
Replacing a hub without checking the joint can leave the actual fault sitting in the truck. The noise comes back within a few thousand miles, and the bill for the job doubles.
Two front axles behind one model year
The old body trucks did not ship with a single front axle design. That matters most at one specific year.
A 1993 F-250 in four wheel drive left the factory with one of two axles. It carried either a Dana or Spicer 44 IFS HD axle, or a Dana or Spicer 50 or 60 series axle.
Each axle takes its own seal and bearing set. Confirm which one sits under the truck before ordering a 1993 front.
The same old body era carries its own front seal and bearing sets clear through 1998. Those rows sit further down in the table.
Neither 1993 option is rare or discontinued outright. The wrong one simply will not bolt to the axle actually under the truck.
F-250 wheel bearing arrangements
| Position | Design | Press needed |
|---|---|---|
| Front, four wheel drive | Bolt on hub unit, eight stud | No |
| Front, two wheel drive | Differs, confirm by year | No |
| Rear | Axle bearing in the housing | Shaft must come out |
The rear row is the one people underestimate. It is a different repair from the front, covered on the axle bearing page.
A shop quoting the front price for a rear axle bearing job has quoted the wrong job. Ask which end before comparing numbers.
None of the three positions in this table carry across to one another. A rear axle bearing will not bolt into a front knuckle, no matter how close the numbers look.
Front two wheel drive trucks are the position most often described loosely by a parts counter. Confirm the year split before accepting a listing on the strength of drivetrain alone.
Doing the job
- Break the axle nut loose on the ground before jacking the truck.
- Soak the hub bolts from behind the knuckle well ahead of the job.
- Pull rather than hammer, since these parts are heavy and expensive to bend.
- Check warranty terms before paying again for a hub that failed early.
- Torque to the published figure, since the nut sets clamp load here.
Warranty terms and what they cover are on the warranty page. Comparing front against rear cost and effort is on the front versus rear page.
None of these five steps replace a torque figure specific to year and axle from a shop manual. Treat them as the order of operations rather than the entire procedure.
F-250 wheel bearing part numbers
The table below runs from the earliest old body trucks through the newest Super Duty. Almost every position across that span resolves to a real number rather than a guess.
| Years | Detail | Number |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Rear, past the catalogs | match old part or VIN |
| 2017 to 2020 | Front, 4WD, Bearing and Hub Assembly | WE61854 check price |
| 2007 to 2020 | Front Outer, 2WD/RWD, Bearing, cone only, race NBNP640324 sold separately | NBNP903590 check price |
| 2013 to 2019 | Rear, Bearing | NBLM104949 check price |
| 2008 to 2017 | Front Outer, 2WD/RWD, Bearing and Race Set | NBA56 check price |
| 2011 to 2016 | Front, 4WD, Single Rear Wheels, Bearing and Hub Assembly | 515130 check price |
| 2011 to 2016 | Front, 4WD, Bearing and Hub Assembly, parallel listing | WE60626 check price |
| 1999 to 2016 | Rear, Bearing and Race Set | NBA38 check price |
| 2005 to 2010 | Front, 4WD, Single Rear Wheels, Bearing and Hub Assembly | 515081 check price |
| 2005 to 2009 | Front, 4WD, Dual Rear Wheels, Bearing and Hub Assembly | 515082 check price |
| 1989 to 2009 | Rear, alternate axle, parallel listing, Econoline shared line, seal | 9864S check price |
| 1989 to 2009 | Rear, alternate axle, parallel listing, Econoline shared line, inner cone and cup | 387AS-382A check price |
| 1989 to 2009 | Rear, alternate axle, parallel listing, Econoline shared line, outer set | A-38 check price |
| 1999 to 2008 | Rear, 10.25 inch ring gear, parallel listing, seal | 370247A check price |
| 1999 to 2008 | Rear, 10.25 inch ring gear, parallel listing, inner cone and cup | NP114036-NP064306 check price |
| 1999 to 2008 | Rear, 10.25 inch ring gear, parallel listing, outer set | SET38 check price |
| 1990 to 2008 | Rear, alternate axle, Spicer 60/70 full floating, confirm before using, seal | 9864S check price |
| 1990 to 2008 | Rear, alternate axle, Spicer 60/70 full floating, confirm before using, inner cone and cup | 387AS-382A check price |
| 1990 to 2008 | Rear, alternate axle, Spicer 60/70 full floating, confirm before using, outer set | SET38 check price |
| 1999 to 2007 | Front, 2WD/RWD, bearing | NB15101 check price |
| 1999 to 2007 | Front, 2WD/RWD, bearing race | NB15245 check price |
| 1997 to 2007 | Front, 2WD, parallel listing, Econoline E250 shares the line, seal | 4160 check price |
| 1997 to 2007 | Front, 2WD, parallel listing, Econoline E250 shares the line, inner cone and cup | LM102949-LM102910 check price |
| 1997 to 2007 | Front, 2WD, parallel listing, Econoline E250 shares the line, bearing and race | 15101-15245 check price |
| 1999 to 2004 | Front SRW, 4 wheel ABS, from 03/08/99 | 515020 check price |
| 1999 to 2004 | Front SRW, rear wheel ABS, from 03/08/99 | 515021 check price |
| 1999 | Front SRW, 4 wheel ABS, to 03/10/99 | 515075 check price |
| 1999 | Front SRW, rear wheel ABS, to 03/10/99 | 515076 check price |
| 1999 | Front DRW, from 03/08/99, current number | 515057 check price |
| 1999 | Front DRW, from 03/08/99, earlier number, replaced by 515057 when depleted | 515025 check price |
| 1999 | Front DRW, to 03/20/99 | 515077 check price |
| 1997 to 1999 | Old body: 7 stud light duty or 8 stud heavy duty, serviceable | see listings |
| 1985 to 1999 | Rear, 10.25 inch ring gear, full floating, seal | 370047A check price |
| 1985 to 1999 | Rear, 10.25 inch ring gear, full floating, inner cone and cup | 3994-3920 check price |
| 1985 to 1999 | Rear, 10.25 inch ring gear, full floating, outer set | A-38 check price |
| 1995 to 1998 | Front, 4WD, old body, parallel listing, Dana or Spicer 44 IFS HD axle, seal | 710430 check price |
| 1995 to 1998 | Front, 4WD, old body, parallel listing, Dana or Spicer 44 IFS HD axle, inner cone and cup | LM104949-JLM104910 check price |
| 1995 to 1998 | Front, 4WD, old body, parallel listing, Dana or Spicer 44 IFS HD axle, outer set | A-35 check price |
| 1986 to 1996 | Front, 2WD, old body, seal | 4160 check price |
| 1986 to 1996 | Front, 2WD, old body, inner cone and cup | LM102949-LM102910 check price |
| 1986 to 1996 | Front, 2WD, old body, outer bearing and race | 15101-15245 check price |
| 1995 to 1996 | Front, 4WD, old body, bearing and race set | NBA35 check price |
| 1995 to 1996 | Front, 4WD, old body, race | NB15245 check price |
| 1993 | Front, 4WD, old body, Dana or Spicer 44 IFS HD axle, seal | 4250 check price |
| 1993 | Front, 4WD, old body, Dana or Spicer 44 IFS HD axle, inner cone and cup | LM104949-JLM104910 check price |
| 1993 | Front, 4WD, old body, Dana or Spicer 44 IFS HD axle, outer set | SET45 check price |
| 1993 | Front, 4WD, old body, Dana or Spicer 50 or 60 series axle, seal | 415960 check price |
| 1993 | Front, 4WD, old body, Dana or Spicer 50 or 60 series axle, inner cone and cup | 387A-382A check price |
| 1993 | Front, 4WD, old body, Dana or Spicer 50 or 60 series axle, outer set | SET38 check price |
Every model year this chart resolves: 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. A 2020 rear axle bearing sits past the catalogs and goes by the old part or the VIN.
A rear entry printed as NB387AS and NB382A traces to a differential bearing, not a wheel or axle bearing. It does not belong on this page.
The similarly written 387AS-382A set above is different. It is the older full floating rear axle bearing and seal for the Dana or Spicer 60 and 70 axle option on trucks built through 2008.
Do not swap the two on the strength of the printed digits alone. The rear and the front outer position each carry parallel listings across overlapping years too, and those pairs are two ways to buy the same job rather than a conflict to resolve.
Single rear wheel and dual rear wheel front hubs from 2005 to 2009 are also easy to mix up on a shelf. The two numbers, 515081 and 515082, look similar and fit differently.
Price links lead to Amazon searches for that number. As an Amazon Associate this site earns from qualifying purchases.
Common questions
Is an F-250 wheel bearing the same as an F-150 one?
No. The F-250 version carries more load. Half ton parts do not carry across even when they look similar, and the eight stud pattern confirms it at a glance.
Does single or dual rear wheels matter?
Yes. It changes the front hub along with drivetrain and year, so confirm all three before ordering. Skipping any one of them is the fastest way to get a return.
Do I need a press for the front hub?
No. The front bolts on. The rear axle bearing is a different matter, and the shaft has to come out first before the bearing is even visible.
Why does a 1993 front need extra confirmation?
That model year shipped with two different front axle designs in four wheel drive. Each takes its own seal and bearing set, and neither one substitutes for the other.
Is the 2020 rear documented?
Not in the catalogs checked for this page. Match the old part or the VIN until a specific number surfaces, rather than guessing from a nearby year that looks close enough.