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Replacing Front Wheel Bearings
What you will need:
Large adjustable wrench and Channelocks.
Bearing race driver tool or various size punches.
Socket and ratchet set or assorted wrenches.
Lots of rags.
New wheel bearings.
Wheel bearing grease.
New cotter pin.
New grease seals.
Wheel blocks.
Safety glasses.
A jack and a pair of jack stands.
"How do I know if I need new wheel bearings?" . Most of the time we don't even know that they need service just
like oil changes and tune-ups. We just drive and never think about them. Most car manufacturers recommend a wheel bearing
clean, inspection and repack every 30,000 miles. This is usually done along with the front brake service. They need to be
replaced when there is scoring and pitting or they become noisy.
Before you start :
Follow these instructions carefully. Read and be sure you understand them before you begin.
Gather together all of your tools and supplies before you begin. Allow plenty of time to do the job so you don't have to hurry.
Remember that these are general instructions. For more detailed instructions pertaining to your specific vehicle, consult
an appropriate repair manual.
Safety is important whenever you're working around machinery. Beware of hot objects, sharp
instruments and hazardous materials. Don't substitute tools unless you're sure you won't compromise either your safety or
the performance of your vehicle. Never work on a vehicle that is only supported by a jack. Use jack stands to support the
vehicle while you work. Work on a solid, level surface. Never jack a car up on dirt or grass.
Okay, let's put on some old clothes and get to work. Make sure that your car is parked on a level grade, rather than on
any sort of hill or inclined driveway. Jack up the car and place your jack stands under the frame to support the vehicle.
Block the rear wheels to prevent rolling. Set the parking brake and if you have an automatic transmission, put in Park.
In
most cases you will need to remove your disc brake calipers and caliper bridge to remove the rotor. See the article on How
to Change Your Brakes for more information on this.
First remove the bearing cap. This is a press fit and to remove it
grab it with your Channelocks and work it back and forth until it pops off. Be careful not to crush it as you remove it.
Once
the cap is off you will see a cotter pin, Remove the cotter pin and remove the retainer ring. If your vehicle has a castellated
nut, you will not have a retaining ring. Using your Channelocks remove the nut from the spindle. Now remove the outer wheel
bearing and washer and lay it aside.
Slide the rotor or drum off the spindle. This may be difficult, but it will come off.
Don't worry about hurting the grease seal; we're going to replace it anyway.
Now that the rotor or drum is off, use a suitable
tool to remove the grease seal and take out the inner wheel bearing. Using some of the rags wipe all the old grease from inside
the hub.
Now we need to remove the bearing races from the hub. Take a punch with a flat narrow tip and place it on the
back of the race. Most hubs have gaps in them to expose the back of the race to make removal easier. Tap the race out, alternating
from side to side so it comes out evenly and doesn't get cocked in the hub. Once it's out, flip the rotor or drum over and
do the same for the other race.
When both races are out, clean the inside of the hub with some rags. Also make sure the
spindle is clean as well. You can even use some carburetor cleaner to do a really good job of cleaning. From this point on
cleanliness is important. You do not want any dirt, sand or metal chips inside the hub. Now that everything is nice and clean,
let's put the new races and bearings in.
Take one of the new races and coat the outside with some wheel bearing grease.
This will help it slide into the hub. If you have a race driver, select the proper size and tap the new race into the hub.
Make sure you drive it in evenly and do not cock it. If you don't have a race driver, use your hammer to tap the outside of
the race to get it started making sure you tap evenly around the race. When it is flush with the hub, use your flat narrow
punch and drive it in the rest of the way. Make sure it is fully seated. The sound of the tapping will change when it's seated
and you can look from the other side to visually confirm this. Do the same for the other race.
If you don't have a bearing
packer, you will need to pack them by hand. Put a glob of wheel bearing grease in the palm of your hand. Slip the wheel bearing
on your index finger like a ring with the wide end facing out. Then tap the bearing into the glob of grease until you see
it coming out the other side. When you see it come out turn the whole bearing, don't just rotate it on your finger, and repeat
the procedure until the whole bearing has grease coming out the other side. Repeat this for the other bearings.
Okay, now
the races are installed and the bearings packed, we can put everything back together. Starting with the inner bearing put
a bed of grease on the surface of the race and then push the inner wheel bearing into it. Now take your new grease seal and
tap it into place, being careful not to bend or distort it. You can use a small block of wood to install it.
Put a coating
of grease inside the hub between the two races and on the spindle, don't be too stingy, too much is better than too little.
We do this because if any moisture should happen to get inside, the grease will keep the metal from rusting.
Now slide
the rotor or drum straight onto the spindle. It should slide on easily. If it doesn't, the bearing is cocked a little. Slide
it off and make sure the bearing is sitting flat and try again. Once it is on, place a bed of grease on the outer race and
slide the outer wheel bearing on. Slide the washer on. The washer will probably have a tab that will align with the spindle,
make sure that you line them up when you put it in.
Now place the nut on the spindle and tighten it by hand until it won't
go anymore. Spin the rotor or drum a few times back and forth and then tighten the nut more by hand. This insures that the
bearings are seated in their races. Do it a couple of times until you can't get it any tighter by hand. Now tighten the nut
¼ turn, no more than 16 foot-pounds. If you have a castellated nut, line it up with the hole going through the spindle. Install
a NEW cotter pin and fold it over. If you have a retaining ring, place it on the nut and install the cotter pin. Never reuse
the old cotter pin and make sure you do install it. Basically this is the only thing holding the front wheel on.
Put a
small blob of grease on the inside of the dust cap and tap it into place, being careful not to crush it. Make sure it is fully
seated.
And that's it; you're done. It is not very difficult to do and with care and patience you'll be able to do it like
a professional. As with anything, a little common sense as you do the job will see you through most any problems you may have.
By doing this you’re self, you save about $75.00 to $100.00 in labor costs. Most wheel bearings run in the $10.00 to
$25.00 dollar range.
Note:If you have a front wheel drive car, these instructions will apply to the rear wheel bearings.
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