Two problems related to front suspension wheel bearing have been reported for the 1996 Ford Explorer. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
1996 Ford Explorer was beginning to have mechanical issues. Consumer pulled over and the right front wheel fell off and it caught fire. The vehicle was removed from the scene. The police report stated the wheel bearing area was dry and rusty, which under noraml circumstances would be lubricated with oil. (ohio traffic crash report).
Vehicle out of alignment replacement of faulty front wheel bearing did not rectify required installation of caster/camber kit to allign properly due to design of suspension system.