How-To: Wheel Bearing Replacement

[the-one1]

Here is a how to that might be useful for some people.
Total time: about 2 hours if nothing is rusted tight.
This is for informational purposes only. I take no responsibility for what you do to your car. No warranty is implied or offered.

Jack up the car, take off the wheel, remove the center cap.

Put tire back on and tighten at least three nuts.
Drop car back down until enough weight is resting on the tire.
Un-indent the nut (you'll know what I'm talking about when you see it)

Put 32mm socket with a very long breaker bar to break lose the axle nut. Support the breaker bar so as not to slip/round the nut.

Here is what you're left with.

Remove caliper with 17mm wrench. 2 bolts on top and bottom of caliper.

Remove cotter pin from tie rod and use 17mm socket to remove nut.

Leave nut on and bang with a rubber mallet to loosen joint.

Remove hose clip

rest caliper on something as to not put any weight on hose.

I believe this is a 14mm. Nut is on other side of this picture. You might want to soak this in PB Blaster for a couple days prior to working on it.

remove bolts from strut. 17mm

remove axle. It slides into/towards the transaxle.

prop up hub from the bottom
take a tap and tap out the joint.

Here you go.
No pictures of the actual pressing of the bearing. I recommend a 12 ton hydraulic press. Mine was really stuck.
Press out the bearing from center from the back (part towards car).
The spindle will pop off first.
There is a C clip that needs to come off before the rest of the bearing will come out. Mine was rusted on, but it did come out.
Center of bearing race will stay with spindle.
Use chisel to take race off.
Continue pressing the rest of the bearing out after C clip is removed.
Clean spindle and hub.
Freeze and lube new bearing to ease insertion.
Press bearing onto hub first, by using the old bearing on top.
Put C clip back on.
Press spindle back on, make sure to support the center of the new bearing so as to not to pop out the center race.

Install is reverse of removal.
Enjoy.

Edit: fixed axle nut and LCA nut with correct sizes.

 

[kstang]

Good write up, First thing the axle nut is 32mm, also you don't need to put the wheel back on, just have a friend hit the brakes in the car to loosen the axel nut. I also found it easier to remove the tie rod before you take the caliper off. Also autozone has the tie rod puller(smaller of the two pullers), and an axel puller(really pusher). My axel was pretty hard to get out of the hub. Needed to use the puller, tighten it as hard as I can, knock the end with a hammer a few times, and repeat. When reassembling, put the lower caliper bolt in first, made it easier to put the top one in. And make sure to either support your caliper(as pictured and stated) or tie it up with a coat hanger. The bolt that holds the knuckle to the LCA is 14mm.

I just did this

 

[SIBalla23]

Subbin. Goog write up. Please moderator, put this thread in how to section and sticky it.

 

[the-one1]

Good write up, First thing the axle nut is 32mm, also you don't need to put the wheel back on, just have a friend hit the brakes in the car to loosen the axel nut. I also found it easier to remove the tie rod before you take the caliper off. Also autozone has the tie rod puller(smaller of the two pullers), and an axel puller(really pusher). My axel was pretty hard to get out of the hub. Needed to use the puller, tighten it as hard as I can, knock the end with a hammer a few times, and repeat. When reassembling, put the lower caliper bolt in first, made it easier to put the top one in. And make sure to either support your caliper(as pictured and stated) or tie it up with a coat hanger. The bolt that holds the knuckle to the LCA is 14mm.

I just did this

Thanks for the clarification on the bolt sizes.I will correct that. Also, my axle slid out easy as butta
The reason I had the car back down to loosen the axle nut was I had no help and no friends that would help

 

[P-Funk!]

Thanks for the write up!

 

[kstang]

Thanks for the clarification on the bolt sizes.I will correct that. Also, my axle slid out easy as butta
The reason I had the car back down to loosen the axle nut was I had no help and no friends that would help

Sorry for no friends that would help, I had the GF do it, and she was more then motivated, Since I kept taking her car. Also might be worth mentioning that you can get the axle nut socket from auto zone in their free rent a tool program. And an impact wrench will help you leaps and bounds. If you don't have one borrow one.

 

[detroitcity]

Well done!

Is this essentially the same procedure for removing the half-shaft? Does the half shaft just pull right out of the transaxle if I wanted to replace that at the same time?

 

[the-one1]

Well done!

Is this essentially the same procedure for removing the half-shaft? Does the half shaft just pull right out of the transaxle if I wanted to replace that at the same time?

I'm not sure and I didn't want to find out

And regarding renting the axle nut socket, yes you can rent it, but I bought mine a while ago (years) to do my Civic's rear bearing (a lot easier, no press needed).

Also like as mentioned, an impact wrench will help alot with the rusted on bolts.

 

[kstang]

I have not done half shafts, but I think you would have to do most of this, You can leave the knuckle attached to the LCA. Also I think there might be a clip holding the half shaft into the car. But once again I have not done this so I am not sure, most of my experience is RWD

 

[MazdaSpeeder]

When having the bearing pressed, is there any packing of grease that needs to occur around the bearing when the new one is pressed in? Will the shop (I am going to have a shop do the pressing I think) know this and which way to press?

This is an awesome write-up, btw.

 

[kstang]

I had a shop press mine in as well. It should be about 20 bucks a side. Its worth it for piece of mind. Also I don't have a vice or any thing at my apartment. The bearings are sealed so there is no packing with grease. This makes things a lot cleaner for the install. As for which direction, the shop did not ask, so i assumed they knew if it mattered. Since there is only one part for both sides I think they can go in either way but that is just my idea. They did not have any indicator as far as I noticed to say otherwise.

Other things, might want to mention to pull the ebrake, and put chalks under the rear wheels, just to make sure people remember that. I also found removing the lower bolt that attaches the knuckle to the strut first, helped with tool access to the upper caliper bolt.

 

[slavrenz]

Yeah, the bearings can be pressed in either direction. If you are pressing them yourself, stick them in the freezer for an hour or so beforehand - this shrinks them slighly and makes them go in easier. I also gave the outside of mine a light coat of grease to make 'em go in easier.

If you have trouble (like I did) getting your tie rod end out, put some pressure on it behind your steering knuckle with a jack one the nut is loosened, and then strike down near the rubber boot on the steering knuckle. This should help it to "pop" free.

And as long as you are doing this yourself, if you're replacing the bearing on one side, make sure that you go ahead and do the other side as well. Just saves time and sanity down the road IMHO.

 

[P-Funk!]

^don't use grease on the race to install unless the book says to. Could cause a spun race.

 

[the-one1]

^don't use grease on the race to install unless the book says to. Could cause a spun race.

I doubt you could spin the race. It took all the force of the 12ton press to break mine loose.
I pondered about the stupid C clip that held the bearing. It's not like the bearing is going to pop out when you're driving. When I did my A4's rear bearing, there was no C clip. It was held in by tightness alone.

 

[JDMJNKY]

Just put both of my front ones on this saturday with my pops.Not too bad of a job no press needed on our end.Didn't really need the write up but great to have one.... A+

 

[Flash5]

moved!

 

[StealthWyvern]

Added to the how-to quick links thread.

 

[SleepyMSP]

Just put both of my front ones on this saturday with my pops.Not too bad of a job no press needed on our end.Didn't really need the write up but great to have one.... A+

how did you do this without a press, I need to get mine done and would like to avoid the garage for the press

 

[MazdaSpeeder]

Doing this on Monday with my Dad and brother...I've been soaking bolts in PB for a couple of weeks amd have a long breaker bar, so hopefully all goes smoothly.

 

[SleepyMSP]

ok I need some help...I got everything off got the knuckle to the garage and had the bearing swapped but now the axle won't fit back in...it will only go as far as to the lip at the edge of the CV joint....HELP