How to Replace a Hub Bearing
Just as changing the oil in your car is a necessary part of car ownership, replacing the hub bearings on your vehicle is something that a responsible car owner must also do on occasion. This task does not need to involve costly maintenance and trips to a dealership or other repair shop. There are those that consider this task to be as easy as changing the oil in the vehicle. With the right tools, equipment and knowledge, it can be another simple do-it-yourself project that doesn't have to wreak havoc on your budget.
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Things You'll Need
- Hub bearing assembly
- Hub nut
- Wheel bearing grease
- High-temp grease
- Car jack
- Lug wrench
- 2 Jack stands
- 14 mm socket
- 17 mm socket
- Spool of fishing line
- Flat-heard screwdriver
- Ball peen hammer
- Punch or chisel
- 29 mm socket
- Cheater-bar or pipe
- Torque wrench that can measure 120 foot-lbs to 150 foot-lbs
- C-clamp or channel pliers
Instructions
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1
Loosen all of the lug nuts from the wheel with the wheels still on the ground.
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2
Jack up the side of the car where you will be replacing the hub. Place the car on a jack stand to help stabilize the car.
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3
Completely remove the lug nuts and the wheel.
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4
Remove the upper and lower slider bolts that hold the caliper in place. The lower bolt can be removed with a 14 mm socket while the upper bolt requires a 17 mm socket.
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5
Hang the caliper out of the way with a piece of fishing line. Never let the caliper hang by the brake line.
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6
Remove the two spring clips that are in place to hold the brake pads away from the caliper.
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7
Remove the brake pads.
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8
Remove the two bolts that hold the caliper bracket in place to the spindle assembly. These two bolts are 14 mm bolts. Once you have removed the caliper bracket, the disc rotor should come right off.
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9
Use a flat-blade screwdriver and a ball peen hammer to remove the cover that is over the hub nut. This will be tight, so you may need to use a little force to remove it.
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10
Knock out the indentation on the hub nut that is in the way of the spindle key.
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11
Remove the hub nut from the spindle. You may have to slip a pipe over the handle of your socket in order to attain the leverage needed to remove it.
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12
Remove the hub bearing from the spindle. Be sure to remove any old grease and debris that may have collected on the spindle.
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13
Place the new hub bearing on the spindle and hand-screw down the new hub nut. Tighten down the hub nut on the spindle using a torque wrench; make sure you tighten down to about 150 foot-lbs. This is important, as the nut holds the wheel to the car.
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14
Replace the hub nut cover.
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15
Reassemble everything that was removed when you took the old hub bearing off. Replace the disc rotor back onto the hub; make sure to bolt the caliper bracket onto the suspension. The caliper bracket bolts should be torqued to about 36 foot-lbs to 51 foot-lbs.
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16
Place the caliper back over the brake pads. To make this job a little easier, be sure to compress the piston on the caliper.
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17
Clean the caliper slider bolts of any old grease or debris that may be left and apply high-temp brake grease.
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18
Tighten the caliper bolts down to about 65 foot-lbs. It is important to make sure that this is secure and tight.
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19
Replace the wheel onto the car and re-tighten the lug nuts, making them as tight as possible.
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20
Remove the jack stands and lower the car back down to the ground.
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21
Drive the car forward and backward in your driveway a few times to make sure there are no odd sounds coming from the wheel.
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Tips & Warnings
It is a good idea to become familiar with the vehicle and the wheel bearing assembly before attempting this repair.
Refer to the owner's manual of the vehicle to know the proper torque specs wherever applicable.
Don't place any part of your body under the car as you are replacing the hub bearing. With the amount of force you will be putting on the bolts, there is a chance that the car could come off the jack.
Make sure all bolts are tightened down to their proper torque values.
