meternerd
Member
- Joined
- May 12, 2010
- Messages
- 10
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- City, State
- truckee, ca
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 02 Limited
Just finished replacing the rear wheel bearings on my daughter's 2002 Explorer. Just a few tips that may help someone else. Soak everything in penetrating oil the day before you start the work. Loosen the hub nuts a little while the car is on the ground. Put it up on 4 jack stands. You do not have to remove the parking brake shoes or backing plate. With the parking brake released, get under the driver's side door and pull all of the slack out of the parking brake cable, then use a pair of vise grips to gently clamp the cable at the mounting bracket to hold the slack in the cable. Then remove the cables from the linkage at each wheel. The plastic insert on the end of the cable housing is a snap fit. Just pry it out and it will come loose. Spring tension will hold it in place when you go back together.
Remove the disc brake assembly and tie it up to keep strain off of the tubing. Remove the brake rotor. Remove the three bolts that connect the hub assembly to the suspension. Use a small chisel to spread the pinch bolt fittings. With the assembly loose, you can rotate it enough to get a chisel into the slot to spread the clamp for the upper control arm, then it will come out with just a few taps with a hammer.
After you get everything loose, replace the lower bolt (not the nut) to hold the lower control arm, remove the axle nut and use a hub puller to push out the axle shaft. Remove the bolt after you've pushed it out a ways, finish pushing it out and you're home free. Now you have a hub assembly ready to do the bearing replacement.
I pressed out my old bearings and hub and replaced them with new Timken (Rock Auto for $211 for both sides) bearings, hub and snap ring.
First, remove the old snap ring from back of the hub assembly. I used a 7" pipe coupling to slide over the parking brake shoes and against the backing plate to use as a base for the press. First, press out the splined flange from the bearing. This took a maxed out press and an oxy-acetylene torch to get it to break loose. Then, flip it over and press out the bearing. Clean everything up, press in the new bearing, install the snap ring, then press in the the flange and you're done.
Reinstall everything (you can wait until everything is installed before you reattach the parking brake cable). You can mount the disc brake rotor and use the parking brake to hold the axle while you torque the axle nut. Use the recommended torque if you can. Remount the wheel and you're done.
What a difference. No more sounding like a B47 in takeoff mode.
I know there are many posts including pictures, but I figured maybe one more experience couldn't hurt. Hats off to all who took the time to post pics. Helped a lot.
Remove the disc brake assembly and tie it up to keep strain off of the tubing. Remove the brake rotor. Remove the three bolts that connect the hub assembly to the suspension. Use a small chisel to spread the pinch bolt fittings. With the assembly loose, you can rotate it enough to get a chisel into the slot to spread the clamp for the upper control arm, then it will come out with just a few taps with a hammer.
After you get everything loose, replace the lower bolt (not the nut) to hold the lower control arm, remove the axle nut and use a hub puller to push out the axle shaft. Remove the bolt after you've pushed it out a ways, finish pushing it out and you're home free. Now you have a hub assembly ready to do the bearing replacement.
I pressed out my old bearings and hub and replaced them with new Timken (Rock Auto for $211 for both sides) bearings, hub and snap ring.
First, remove the old snap ring from back of the hub assembly. I used a 7" pipe coupling to slide over the parking brake shoes and against the backing plate to use as a base for the press. First, press out the splined flange from the bearing. This took a maxed out press and an oxy-acetylene torch to get it to break loose. Then, flip it over and press out the bearing. Clean everything up, press in the new bearing, install the snap ring, then press in the the flange and you're done.
Reinstall everything (you can wait until everything is installed before you reattach the parking brake cable). You can mount the disc brake rotor and use the parking brake to hold the axle while you torque the axle nut. Use the recommended torque if you can. Remount the wheel and you're done.
What a difference. No more sounding like a B47 in takeoff mode.
I know there are many posts including pictures, but I figured maybe one more experience couldn't hurt. Hats off to all who took the time to post pics. Helped a lot.
