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Changing rear wheel bearings is a job that doesn't have to be performed by a mechanic. This is a task that anyone with some automotive experience and garage access can accomplish on their own. Follow these steps for how to change rear wheel bearings.
Steps
- 1Jack the car up so that the rear wheels are off the ground. Prop it up on jack stands and chock the front tires.
- 2Grip the rear tires at 6 and 12 o'clock, and push them in. If they have little or no resistance, they will most likely need new bearings.
- 3Remove the transmission tray, engine tray and the plastic cover from the suspension wishbone.
- 4Remove the rear wheels.
- 5Ensure that the parking brakes are set and that the car is in Park. A manual transmission should be in gear.
- 6Remove the axle nut.
- 7Take the brake pads off of the caliper and unbolt the caliper. Be careful not to strain the brake line.
- 8Release the parking brake.
- 9Loosen the screws which mount the rotor and remove it.
- 10Jack up the suspension housing so that the axle is parallel to the ground.
- 11Center a 2- or 3-arm puller on the axle shaft and remove the hub.
- The shaft will pull inward as you tighten the puller. When it has gone as far as it can, the hub will pop off.
- 12Remove the bearing race from the hub. This will require a hydraulic press.
- 13Remove the heater supply tube.
- 14Unbolt the CV joint. The bolts will be found near the transmission.
- 15Remove the axle.
- 16Remove the bolts from the housing surrounding the 2 bearing race retainers.
- 17Crank down on the threaded shaft of the bearing removal tool to extract the bearing.
- 18Apply high-temp grease lightly to the new bearing.
- 19Convert the wheel bearing removal tool to the replacement mode and install the bearing.
- 20Reinstall the bearing race retainers by replacing the bolts in the housing.
- 21Use the wheel bearing removal and replacement tool to reinsert the hub into the bearing, assuring that it is fully seated.
- Be careful not to push out the inner bearing race.
- 22Reinstall the axle assuring that you don't push the hub back out of the bearing.
- 23Reinsert the bolts which hold the CV joint to the transmission.
- 24Reinstall the rotor.
- 25Reset the parking brake.
- 26Replace the axle nut. Torque it to 339 foot-pounds (459.684 Newton Meters, or 469.837 Kilogram Force Meters).
- 27Replace the brake caliper. Torque the bolts to 85 foot-pounds (115.26 Newton Meters, or 117.56 Kilogram Force Meters).
- 28Replace the brake shoes.
- 29Reconnect the heater supply tube.
- 30Replace the wheel. Torque the bolts to 96 foot-pounds (130.18 Newton Meters or 132.77 Kilogram Force Meters).
- 31Replace the transmission cover, suspension cover and engine tray.
- 32Remove the jack stands and lower the car.
Tips
- You can remove the axle nut using a 3/4 drive breaker or a pneumatic impact wrench.
- Tools you will need to complete this job include a wheel bearing removal and replacement tool, a torque wrench with a 339 foot pounds (459.684 Newton Meters or 469.837 Kilogram Force Meters) capacity, and a set of socket wrenches.
- When removing the calipers, it helps to use a block of wood to wedge the pistons into a retracted position.
- To ease the installation of the hub into the bearing, try putting the hub into the freezer.
- If you hear a growling noise or a hum when you're going about 35 to 45 MPH (56.32 to 72.81KM/H), inspect the tires to judge the condition of the wheel bearings.
- If the steering wheel moves from side to side on a straight road, you may need to replace your wheel bearings.
- When removing bolts, put them in a bucket to prevent them from getting lost or dirty.
- Always follow factory instructions.
- Article provided by wikihow the wikihow manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Change Rear Wheel Bearings All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license
