How to Replace Axle Bearings

Axle bearings play a pivotal role in how your vehicle moves. They hold the axle in place, which allows for the free movement of the wheels as you are driving. Over time, these parts will begin to wear, making an obnoxious thumping sound in the rear of your car and alerting you to a problem. If neglected, these worn axle bearings can cause more severe mechanical problems, as they affect the efficiency of surrounding parts. Though a bit difficult, replacing your axle bearings yourself is, time well spent compared with the money you would spend at your local garage.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Jack
• Impact wrench
• Allen wrench set
• Hammer
• Socket set
• Punch

1. Raise the vehicle. Jack up one side of the rear end of the vehicle by placing the jack under one side of the rear-end housing. Raise the rear just enough to remove the wheel. Once the vehicle's wheel is barely off the ground, remove the wheel by using your impact wrench in reverse to remove all of the lug nuts.

2. Remove the brakes. If your vehicle has disc brakes, remove the caliper by turning the caliper's slide bolts counter-clockwise with the appropriate-size Allen wrench until they come out; you can then pull the caliper off with your hands. If your vehicle has drum brakes, hit the drum with a hammer until the drum is loose enough to pull off with your hands.

3. Remove the axle. The axle will have one hole in it that is large enough to fit the appropriate-size socket in to remove the axle nuts. Locate this hole, and use the appropriate-size socket and your impact wrench in reverse to remove the four axle nuts. Once the axle nuts are out, use a hammer to tap the axle out of the rear-end housing.

4. Remove the old bearing. First mark the position of the bearing with a marker so you know where the new bearing should sit. To remove the old bearing, use a hammer and a punch to tap the bearing off the axle. To do this, place the punch on the inner part of the bearing, and begin tapping toward the spline of the axle until it comes off.

5. Install the new bearing. Slide the new bearing over the spline of the axle and as far up the axle as you can. When you can't slide the bearing any more, use your hammer and punch to tap it into position all the way to the mark you made previously.

6. Install the axle. Place the axle back in the rear-end housing and tighten all of the axle bolts by using your impact wrench in forward with the appropriate-size socket. Replace the caliper by turning the caliper slide bolts back in using your appropriate-size Allen wrench and turning clockwise until they are tight. If the vehicle has drum brakes, slide the drum back over the wheel studs.

7. Replace the wheel. Put the wheel back on the wheel studs and tighten the lug nuts with your impact wrench in forward until they are tight. Let the vehicle back down to the ground and repeat this process for the remaining side.

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