Front right wheel bearing went now car is making a hell of a HUMMING noise.. HELP!!!

[xxskateratxx1]

Ive never replaced a wheel bearing can someone please give me some pointers and maybe let me know what ill need... I have done plenty of work on cars and im not an idiot when it comes to doing work on them but I have never changed a wheel bearing.. And i was told that these are pressed in so I may need something special to get them out and to put them back in... Any help would be appreciated.. I hope its something i can fix over the weekend...

 

[Wheredjaredgo]

If you don't have the right tools for this job you could easily waste a full weekend trying to beat the old bearing race out out of the knuckle and find out that you need to by a new hub to finish the job properly new hub cost $215 just for 1. There's a "how to" on YouTube for a regular protege same directions really. He used a harbor freight press kit... I didn't have that. I recommend you take your knuckle off with the hub and new bearing and have a local machine shop press "old out" "new in" should be 30 bucks. Then reassemble everything back together yourself

 

[xxskateratxx1]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

Im sure this will work... Other then that i dont see any other tools that i will need that i dont have... I have plenty... And i just watched a couple youtube videos and it doesnt look that hard to do... I would rather pay the 100 bucks for the press and 25-35 bucks for the bearing then pay the shop to do it for me for the same price and then not have the tool and knowledge for the next time... I thought presses would be a hell of alot more exspensive... But apparently not..

 

[Dr0]

just pull the hub yourself.

im just guessing (bc i havent had to do mine yet but pressed bearings a typically all the same)

1- remove the wheel
2- remove the caliper/bracket
3- remove the rotor
4- remove axle nut
5- remove tie rod
6- disconnect the hub from the lower ball joint "before" you pull the top two strut bolts
7- remove the 2 strut bolts
8- once the hub is free you need to tap the axle out with a hammer (sometimes they dont just simply slide out)
9- take the hub to a shop with a press to remove the wheel bearing

This method is a lot cheaper then paying a shop to do it since we usually charge anywhere from 200-300 to remove pressed bearings bc they are a PAIN IN THE ASS, but honestly the only hard part is removing the bearing from the hub.

 

[destineal]

yea it would be easier to take the hub to a shop, unless you just wanna spend extra money and do grunt work

 

[Dr0]

i do grunt work all week lol, its fun when you know what your doing (thumb)

 

[xxskateratxx1]

I bought a 20 ton press for 100 bucks and now the only problem im having so far is the axle shaft is stuck in the hub so im soaking that in PB blaster for an hour or more and ill try it again.. This time with an air hammer... But with a 20 ton press the bearings come out easy and go in easy... So far so good... Just this stubborn axle... But no worries ill get it! (boom05)

 

[Installshield 2]

^^I'm assuming you've already disconnected the ball joint and strut? I had the most luck by leaving the strut attached to the knuckle, and still attached in the tower...and removing the ball joint bolt so that the knuckle could pivot away from the car...i tapped the axle with a brass punch and a pretty heavy hammer (but still pretty lightly)...then would work the knuckle away form the car a few times...after 3 or four series of this, it came out...

for me the harder part was getting any leverage on that axle once the knuckle was completely disconnected...if i just pulled on the knuckle it would pull the outer CV and boot right off the axle shaft...but with it still connected to the strut, the punch worked great...and the strut's flex only allowed so much, so i didn't have any worry about pulling the thing apart...

Also, i have yet to actually do the bearing work...but there is a locking clip in there...dig around on youtube about it...if you don't remove the locking clip first, you'll destroy the knuckle when pushing the old bearing out...I'll try to find the video...I don't really understand this job, as many people are claiming its nearly impossible...but from multiple vids i've seen, it appears very simple if you have the right tools...

so i'm guessing thats the issue...with the right press kit, you should have no problem...when you try to do it on a block of wood with a mallet...it'll suck...

 

[xxskateratxx1]

Well as a first timer tackling this job.... So far nothing seems to be hard besides my damn axle shaft that thing is stuck!!! Didnt want to keep the neighbors awake all night so i sprayed the s*** out of it with PB blaster and am letting it soak overnight and will probably try to airhammer it off tomorrow... We'll see how the hammer works after all that PB blaster before i get the air hammer out tho... And yes I do know about the snap ring that is inside that you have to take out! I watched that video your talking about a million times lol!

 

[Blake D]

Ive never had the axle out of my protege but had the same problem on my probe that i had. just took the nut and put it on level with the end of the axle the smacked it with a shop hammer. worked first try.

 

[Dr0]

dont be afraid to give it a good whack with the hammer you wont hurt anything unless you hit the threads.

 

[tweety2300]

I paid $25 for my bearing at autozone and a shop $125 for labor. That to me is worth paying then to do

 

[destineal]

That's too much in labor

 

[xxskateratxx1]

Yeah I thought this was going to come off all easy and all but naw... It can never be easy.. lol My axle is super stuck in there and is the lower ball joint bolt supposed to back all the way out? Because mine doesnt move at all So the splines to the axle shaft are super seized in the hub and my lower control arm bolt is also seized and not moving... Now I put it all back together for now.. And the Bolt to the steering gear rack with the nut and Cotterpin on it is now spinning when i try to get the nut back on.... is this normal? Holy s*** this has become a nightmare job... It seems it wouldnt be too hard if everything came right apart like the video on youtube but thats not the case for me haha .... Any help on these issues? Thanks...

 

[tweety2300]

Butane torch and bfh

 

[Installshield 2]

Yeah I thought this was going to come off all easy and all but naw... It can never be easy.. lol My axle is super stuck in there and is the lower ball joint bolt supposed to back all the way out? Because mine doesnt move at all So the splines to the axle shaft are super seized in the hub and my lower control arm bolt is also seized and not moving... Now I put it all back together for now.. And the Bolt to the steering gear rack with the nut and Cotterpin on it is now spinning when i try to get the nut back on.... is this normal? Holy s*** this has become a nightmare job... It seems it wouldnt be too hard if everything came right apart like the video on youtube but thats not the case for me haha .... Any help on these issues? Thanks...

what had you removed in order to get the axle out?...did you disconnect the knuckle from the strut?...Without the ball joint removed, the knuckle won't pivot far enough away from the gear box to pop the axle out...I'm guessing you were just 'pushing' the axle into the gear box the whole time...i don't think it can be removed without getting the knuckle off the ball joint...

the ball joint through bolt needs to be completely removed, yes...easiest is to back the nut off...then hit the bolt's threaded end with a fat brass punch...trying not to damage any threads (if its really stuck, might be a good idea just to replace the bolt)...its pretty tight, but it should break loose pretty easy with the right tools...of course heat will work too...but stuff like that kind of freaks me out, because if that area of the knuckle fails while driving...you'll most definitely wreck...I just did my control arm last fall (had to remove all this stuff), and after 150,000 plus miles...it was tight, but not overly difficult...i'm assuming you're just lacking a few important tools to make the job easier...

and the outer steering tie rod ends...yeah, its probably shot now...that stud shouldn't spin easily when you torque the castle nut on...the stud is probably now just freely spinning in its cup...a sign it should be replaced...another thing not to screw around with...if that breaks off while driving...look out...

 

[xxskateratxx1]

Yeah i guess ill have to get some heat on it... Ive also considerd just buying a lower control arm an axle shaft and a hub with the bearing already in it and maybe a new knuckle and just replaceing all that s***! Because at this point i may have to because this s*** seems all ****** up! But whats up with the Tierod Bolt? That thing is spinning when trying to put the nut back on... is this normal? I cant get the nut back on all the way...

 

[xxskateratxx1]

what had you removed in order to get the axle out?...did you disconnect the knuckle from the strut?...Without the ball joint removed, the knuckle won't pivot far enough away from the gear box to pop the axle out...I'm guessing you were just 'pushing' the axle into the gear box the whole time...i don't think it can be removed without getting the knuckle off the ball joint...

the ball joint through bolt needs to be completely removed, yes...easiest is to back the nut off...then hit the bolt's threaded end with a fat brass punch...trying not to damage any threads (if its really stuck, might be a good idea just to replace the bolt)...its pretty tight, but it should break loose pretty easy with the right tools...of course heat will work too...but stuff like that kind of freaks me out, because if that area of the knuckle fails while driving...you'll most definitely wreck...I just did my control arm last fall (had to remove all this stuff), and after 150,000 plus miles...it was tight, but not overly difficult...i'm assuming you're just lacking a few important tools to make the job easier...

and the outer steering tie rod ends...yeah, its probably shot now...that stud shouldn't spin easily when you torque the castle nut on...the stud is probably now just freely spinning in its cup...a sign it should be replaced...another thing not to screw around with...if that breaks off while driving...look out...

So Will i have to replace the whole steering gear rack now? Or what needs replacing?? Because it is freely spinning now... Im about to just bring it to a shop and say ive learned my lesson on this one... I have no problem working on projects but when its my daily driver that I NEED on the road every day then it gets frustrating when one thing after another has gone bad when your trying to fix something that should be reletively simple if all goes well.... But as you guys have seen.... For me NOTHING HAS GONE WELL!!!!! Lol Im not letting it get me down tho... If i have to ill get it towed to a shop....

 

[xxskateratxx1]

And yeah i could get the nut off the ball joint but the bolt was stuck and i didnt want to ruin the threads by trying to hammer it through even though it most definetly needs a new bolt anyways... Would hammering do the trick and get that bolt out easily?

 

[Installshield 2]

to get that through bolt out, i simply had to tap it a few times with a punch...I first said a 'fat brass punch', come to think of it for that specific bolt i used a smaller center punch...so that i didn't flatten the end making it impossible to push through the knuckle bore...after 3 or so taps with a hammer on that punch, it started moving...it also helps, after you have removed the nut on that bolt, to take a big breaker and just spin it freely in the bore a few times...its not going to back out that way, but it will break any corrosion holding it in place...

if your control arm ball joints are in good enough shape, DO NOT use a 'pickle' fork on them...Leave the knuckle connected to the struts (just push the bolts through if you've already undone that)...and straddle a heavy breaker bar across the flat section of the lower control arm (on the engine bay side of the ball joint)...with both hands on the breaker, gently tap downwards on the control arm...same with that through bolt, it'll take some convincing but it should pop out after a few motions...just make sure the through bolt is ALL THE WAY OUT before you attempt this, as the nut does nothing...the through bolt holds the ball joint stud in the knuckle...

the outer tie rod end is very easy to replace...you just need to loosen the locking nut on the threaded steering shaft, then back the outer tie rod end off (obviously after its free of the knuckle, but you got that far already)...be sure and mark the threads with a paint pen before you remove the tie rod end...so that you know how far to thread the new one on...most parts stores either stock, or can quickly get that part...and its not expensive...

after all this work...you'd need an alignment anyway...so the paint marking is only to eye ball it close enough to safely get to an alignment shop...

We've all been there, man...when it rains, it pours...but try to remain patient...rushing won't save you ANY time, as this illustrates...if you need another tool, just go get it...rather than trying to force something to work in your favor...the work you are doing is 95% tools, as none of it is remotely complicated...its easy work with the right equipment, but none of these parts are easy to corner cut...