Do It Yourself Auto Repair

A bearing protector (sometimes referred to as a bearing cap) is a small metal cap that fits into the center of your trailer's wheels. The bearing protector helps keep dirt and moisture out of your...

A rear axle shaft is found on vehicles with rear wheel drive or all wheel drive. The rear axle transfers power from the rear differential to the drive wheels. The axle uses two joints to provide...

The steering wheel on the Renault 5 is held in place by a single center retaining hub nut. The steering wheel needs to be removed if you need to access the steering column or any of the switches...

The Kia Sedona cruise control unit is secured to the steering column with two screws. The cruise control monitors vehicle speed and controls the throttle using an electronic switch device. This...

The cruise control switch in an Oldsmobile Alero is mounted on the steering column. The switch, while reliable, can fail suddenly due to an electrical short or from the electronics burning out....

The heater motor wheel or fan, on a Dodge vehicle, is a plastic fan that attaches to the electric heater motor. This fan is used to draw outside air into the passenger cabin while the heater or...

The CV joints on a Toyota provide flexibility to the CV shafts. The CV shafts are responsible for transferring power from the transmission to the drive wheels. The shafts must be able to flex...

Most modern autos have started using sealed wheel bearings in the hubs to prolong the bearing lifespan and make replacement simpler. The hub contains the wheel bearings and attaches to the axle...

The Dodge Ram 2500 series pickup truck is manufactured with sealed front wheel bearings, which require the removal of the entire front hub to replace. Wheel bearings that are incorporated into the...

The General Motors Truck Company, better known as GMC, is renowned for its rugged truck models. Removing the dashboard from a GMC truck is a tricky process but it can be mastered by an enthusiast...

Ford Ranger wheel bearings are angled, lubricated parts to the hub and wheel assembly. These bearings can dry out, losing their grease and failing due to heat and stress. When they lose grease...

Dodge Ram trucks use wheel bearings inside rotor housing to allow the wheels to spin freely. These wheel bearings can fail because of a loss of lubricant or heat damage, and will require complete...

Front wheel hub bearings sometimes need to be pressed in and out due to the design of the bearing. You'll need a special tool called a hub bearing press, which is made specifically for pressing in...

The half shaft on a Subaru Outback transfers power to the drive wheels from the transmission. The half shaft is the shorter of two front drive shafts, located on the passenger side of the vehicle....

The back wheel bearings on your vehicle help take the stress and load off the axles and CV joints. The bearings are actual ball bearings that run around the inside of the bearing and hub assembly....

A wheel bearing hub assembly refers to a sealed unit, as opposed to a regular wheel bearing assembly, which is typically mounted inside a wheel hub. The sealed unit makes it very easy to change,...

A steering wheel puller helps you to remove a steering wheel from your vehicle once you have pulled out the center nut. The puller grabs onto the center hub while a screw pushes the steering wheel...

The Honda Prelude is a dependable, long-lasting sport-compact car with a large following of enthusiasts. The Prelude does not require a great deal of regular maintenance, however eventually the...

Motorcycle wheel spokes can rust if they are not well taken care of, or if the spokes are prone to rusting because the finish has been damaged. Rust will eventually destroy a wheel, so it is best...

The steering wheel lock plate holds the steering column bearings in place while providing recesses for the steering wheel locking bolt to latch and lock the steering wheel. Introduced in the...

Rounded wheel bolts are special types of bolts that use an inverted hex head. The bolts are usually used on wheel calipers, but they can also be used as locking bolts and nuts on the wheel hub...

There are many kinds of bolts on a vehicle. The wheels themselves use wheel stud bolts, traditional hex bolts and round wheel bolts. The round wheel bolts are actually an inverted type of hex...

Arguably the most important part of any motorcycle is its wheels. Without them, the bike would not move or turn. Keep your motorcycle rolling correctly and safely by straightening your rims regularly.

The 2001 Chevy Impala came equipped with a standard 3.1L V-6 engine, in a front-wheel drive configuration. The wheel bearings for this car are a hub and bearing assembly driven by the drive axles...

A bad ignition switch will make it difficult for electrical power to reach the starter solenoid on your 1993 Toyota T100, or it will cut power once the engine has started. You can easily fix the...

Be prepared for a tire emergency by following these steps for changing a flat.

Manufacturers have come a long way in terms of providing at-home mechanics with a way of repairing front-wheel-drive wheel bearings. Today's front-wheel-drive cars, and many rear-wheel-drive cars...

Owners of a Toyota 4Runner might panic when the gearshift begins to have problems. Knowing a couple of the things that often go wrong in a 4Runner can help a driver diagnose or even repair the...

Any time the brake system is opened, removal of unwanted air is required to ensure proper brake function. This is known as bleeding brakes. Once you understand how to do this other things like...

Toyota lower ball joints are bolted to the lower control arm. Once the vehicle passes 90,000 miles, the ball joints should be checked every 30,000 miles. It is an easy procedure. The ball joints...

Wheel bearings support the radial and lateral loads of a vehicle's wheel, as well as the weight of the vehicle and cargo. Grease provides the lubrication to prevent overheating and galling. During...

Wheel bearings used to be a bit complicated to replace, but nowadays things are much easier. On the 1999 through 2006 Chevrolet and GMC trucks, the front bearings are in one assembly. Granted, the...

The air bags in a Ford will need to be removed if you want to remove the steering wheel. The air bag assembly is just behind the center steering wheel cover. To remove the air bag, you'll need a...

Many rear wheel bearings use a sealed bearing unit. This eliminates the need to press out bearings from a wheel hub to install new wheel bearings. Because there are no tie rods or other steering...

The rear bumper on a 2001 Toyota Camry will only need to be removed if it is damaged, or if you want to replace it with an aftermarket body kit. In either case, you must have a few simple tools...

Wheel bearings are a wear point in all wheels and are dependent on grease lubrication to prevent undue wear and heat. Grease is held in the bearing cavity by the wheel seal in the back of the hub...

Gorilla wheel locks are special lug nuts made by Gorilla Auto. You cannot remove Gorilla wheel locks without a special key that should have come with the lug nuts. If you do not have the key,...

The rear wheel bearing on the Honda Civic is a sealed unit. The bearing itself attaches to the wheel hub assembly and must be removed when the bearings start to grind. The wheel bearing carries...

The wiper switch on a Honda Accord is contained in the steering column. The wiper switch controls are on the left side of the steering wheel on a stalk that extends out of the column. If your...

The bearings on the rear wheels of your vehicle are pretty reliable for the most part and do not required constant attention. However, over time, the grease inside may dry out and rust internal...

Wheel studs are the bolts used to hold tires in place; if one breaks, it must be replaced. This procedure is not challenging and requires basic tools with the exception of an air-powered wrench,...

The turn signal switch is one of the safety mechanism on a vehicle. It allow drivers to operate their left and right turn signals. It is a common mistake to confuse the turn signal lever as being...

The 1998 Volkswagen Jetta was manufactured with rear plastic bumpers, which can be removed or replaced when they become damaged. The average backyard mechanic will spend about 30 minutes removing...

The control arms in a Passat connect the wheel hub, tie rod and shocks. The control arms use bushings to help control arm travel during normal driving. Over time, these bushings fail. Usually,...

Wheel studs or lugs are the bolts that clamp the wheel to the rotor with the clamp pressure from the lug nuts. There may be as few as four on a small utility or boat trailer and as many as twelve...

Due to excessive wear or other failure, the wheel bearings on trailers need to be replaced from time to time. The wheel bearings, situated on the inside of the hub of each wheel, allow...

The Dana 70 is a large, well built transmission and axle system that is found in many full-size trucks and vans. This rear end is built to handle it all and is a popular choice for anything from...

Everybody does what I like to call a curb job on their silver coated wheels at one time or another. It's happened to me more than once and the cost of professional refinishing can be hundreds of...

Years of use and problems on the brake system will cause the rotors to wear out, crack or get scored. In this situation, you should replace the rotors on your Dodge 3500 as soon as possible to...

Sometimes steering wheels need to be replaced, or removed to access the internal parts of the steering column. Removing the steering wheel from a Chevy Astro AWD does not require advanced...