New wheel bearings.....that was the ticket!!!

spock2001us

Member
Aug 23, 2005
143
0
16
I put in new front wheel bearings today and I am totally amazed at the suspension improvement.

I have been working on my suspension for a couple of months, off and on, because I hate squeeks, groans, and clunks. I replaced the springs, shocks, tie rod ends, steering rack, balljoints, and sway bar links...and put Energy suspension bushings where needed.

Soooo, naturally I was ready to blow up my car when, after replacing all the new parts, my suspension would STILL clunk and rattle....and it would click when I turned the wheel.

There also seemed to be a vibration or whine coming from the front suspension, but I could not tell for sure. Today I replaced the wheel bearings, and that was exactly the final piece to the puzzle. My car now rides perfect and I drove it for a bit and everthing was especially silent....no clunks, whines, or anything else. Also, previously my car would pull to one side when braking, but now does not pull at all.

I just wanted to brag to somebody:nice:
 
  • Sponsors (?)


WhiteDevil said:
Well that sounds nice my car always pulls to the right on brakeing even after i put new pads and rotors on. Where did u get them and how much were they?

You can get the front bearings at Autozone and they cost about $60 per wheel. It is a simple install, it just slides off and on..be careful removing the center dust cap, I used a screwdriver with a mallet and I punched a hole in the side of the dust cap, then I needed to use some silicone to seal the hole to prevent water from getting into the bearing.....I needed to borrow a 36 mm socket and a 250 lb torque wrench from Autozone. Also, I use an impact to get the center nut up to 250 lbs of torque.
 
I wanted to replace mine last year and was told it was a sealed setup and the bearings couldn't be replaced. I didn't think this was true but then I couldn't get the dust cap off and I started to believe it. What is the secret to getting it off? There has to be a "proper way."
 
Killercanary said:
I wanted to replace mine last year and was told it was a sealed setup and the bearings couldn't be replaced. I didn't think this was true but then I couldn't get the dust cap off and I started to believe it. What is the secret to getting it off? There has to be a "proper way."
i belive he replaced the whole spindel/hub assembly :shrug:
 
Subscribing...

I have a mysterious squeak from the front end that I absolutely have been unable to figure out...

My car also pulls slightly while braking and I was about to replace my front brake lines and then replace the calipers...

It'd be great if instead, I could do a relatively easy fix.
 
Killercanary said:
I wanted to replace mine last year and was told it was a sealed setup and the bearings couldn't be replaced. I didn't think this was true but then I couldn't get the dust cap off and I started to believe it. What is the secret to getting it off? There has to be a "proper way."

Just use a small screwdriver and a mallet to loosen the cap, then a larger screwdriver to pry the cap off....it really is no big deal, but when I did it the first time, I pounded the screwdriver right through the side of the cap between the cap edge and the bearing.

The bearing is a sealed setup and you have to replace the whole thing....which includes the hub with new studs.
 
Swarzkopf said:
Subscribing...

I have a mysterious squeak from the front end that I absolutely have been unable to figure out...

My car also pulls slightly while braking and I was about to replace my front brake lines and then replace the calipers...

It'd be great if instead, I could do a relatively easy fix.

I don't know if that is your problem, but I replaced everything in my suspension and still had clunking and clicking.....and my car pulled to one side while braking....after the fix, I drove to work this morning and the front end is now perfect...no clunks or squeeks and no pulling while braking...I never realized how much vibration I had from the front end until today when it was smooth...now I can feel vibration from the rear, so that is probably next. At the same time while replacing the bearing, I also tightened up the sway bar end link, so maybe that had something to do with a part of it, but my ride is certainly smooth now.
 
Swarzkopf said:
Do you know if the procedure for replacing this outlined in the Hayne's manual for our cars?

It is explained in the manual.....but it simply says...remove the dustcap with a screwdriver and a mallet....then remove the holding nut (it is 36mm) the hub will then simply slide off the spindle. Clean off the spindle, lube the spindle with a bit of bearing grease, and slide the new hub onto the spindle. Tighten to 250lbs or so and you are done. The hardest part may be removing the nut, but I use an impact so it was no problem at all.:nice: