Easy guide on how to replace a wheel bearing yourself.
Estimated time: 1-2 hours Difficulty: Medium/Hard
First of all make sure you have goggles on as you will be using equipment that could damage your eyes. You will be doing some hammering and grinding.
Step 1
Begin by jacking up the vehicle near the wheel you are working on, making sure it is connecting on a part of the vehicle that can handle the weight. Lift the wheel at least 2 inches off the ground. Remove the wheel nuts using a gun, wheel brace or any suitable tool. Now remove the wheel.
Step 2
There are two nuts behind the brake discs holding the calliper and discs in place. Using a wrench, remove these two bolts. The calliper and then the disc should slide out of place.
Step 3
The wheel bearing is behind the
wheel hub which is connected to the axle by four bolts. Remove the four bolts and then take off the hub. You will notice that the hub is a complete assembly, which you will need to access to expose the bearing.
Step 4
To open up the hub assembly you will need a large spanner to disconnect the different parts. You may need to hit the spanner with a hammer to loosen the nut and then take the end off.
Step 5
There is a specialist puller tool needed for this next step. You will need to bolt this tool to the hub assembly so it’s fastened securely. In the centre of this tool is a nut which you need to tighten using either a gun or socket or whichever tool you prefer. The assembly will now come apart.
Step 6
This next step is one where you have to be very careful. To access the wheel bearing you need to use the grinder to cut the race in half to remove it. You don’t need to cut it all the way through, as you can make a line and hit it with a hammer and chisel to get it right off. This removes the broken wheel bearing.
Replacing the wheel bearing
To put the new wheel bearing onto the hub, sit the hub on solid ground and place the bearing on top.
Step 1
Get a big sized socket that fits over the top of it and hammer it down until it’s seated in place.
Step 2
Now screw the nut over the top of it. If you have ABS then don’t forget to put the ABS break wheel back on. You just need to tap that in place.
And finally...
Put the hub back on the vehicle, securing it in place with the four bolts. Put the brake disc and calliper in place and secure the two bolts holding them in place. Put the wheel back on, securing the wheel nuts tightly. Remove the wheel jack and the installation is complete.
