How I changed my 05's Front Wheel Bearing | Page 22 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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How I changed my 05's Front Wheel Bearing

Wondering if anyone can help out here.

I have an 06' but its the same procedure. I even used the HUB67's.

I had no issue getting the axle nut, brake hardware, and 3 hub bolts off. The half shaft even only took a LIGHT tap before it moved, so thats not stuck either.

My hub is on solid as a rock. I have beat it in every way shape and form for 4 hours, applied tons of heat from a propane torch, even used a pipe wrench onto the flange where the studs are and beat it with a hammer. This thing is not budging. I totally marred 2 different metal chisels. I saw numerous videos on YouTube where they put a bolt back in the hub, and then used extensions to push the bolt against something behind it, then start the car, and turn the wheel basically using the power steering as a hydraulic press. Doing this bent 2 of my good extensions trying that stupid method.

I even considered just buying a whole new knuckle, but I am already pressed for cash right now and *shouldnt* have bought these bearings yet, but it had to be done.

I have hit this thing so hard everywhere that the flange and studs are bent, and knicked all over. I also tried a prybar, but the results were gonna be one of two things: Either bend the pry bar, or knock the truck off the jack and stands.

Any suggestions? I have the hub puller from AutoZone, but that needs to be renamed to an axle pusher. It does NO pulling action, just presses the axle shaft in.
 



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You need to separate the hub from the knuckle. It's stuck on the knuckle with goop and you have to get it separated before you try to use the puller, or you'll just push the axle in and damage the axle. Use a thin metal scraper and tap it gently between the hub and knuckle. Once you get it driven in a bit, just pry gently and then work your way around the hub until it separates. Once separated, use your puller to release the hub from the axle splines.
 






Have you been able to hit the edge of the hub directly from behind with the hammer? I used a 3lb hammer with a tapered face to hit two places on the hub. I did my '06 two years ago, and can't believe any hub was more rusted on than mine here in Syracuse, but anything's possible.
 






Have you been able to hit the edge of the hub directly from behind with the hammer? I used a 3lb hammer with a tapered face to hit two places on the hub. I did my '06 two years ago, and can't believe any hub was more rusted on than mine here in Syracuse, but anything's possible.



I've hit it from the back until the lug nut flange area started to bend and dent. Going to buy an air hammer tomorrow as well as rent the slide hammer attachment and hope that works. Will pick up a can of PB blaster as well.

There's no way the silicon or whatever it is sealing the hub has a grip this hard. It rusted to hell and back, you'd guess it was one solid damn piece with the knuckle.
 






I'm not talking about hitting the lug nut flange. I'm talking about the heavy duty triangular piece with the 3 bolt holes between the hub flange itself and the lug nut flange. Usually 2 wings of the triangle are exposed enough to just get a hit on them from the back. Do you have access to a hotter torch?
 






Got them both off and done

I had my father in law run me to AutoZone to grab PB blaster and rent the slide hammer attachment for the hub puller, and then to lowes to buy an air hammer, chisels for it, another propane tank for my torch, and a 4lb mini sledge(?) not good with my hammer names but it's about the size of a regular hammer but with a big 4lb head.

That hammer was all I needed. About 5 good whacks on either side of the flange and it started separating. Then I already had the slide hammer attached so a few good knocks with that and out they both came.

New HUB67's are in, and I am smooth as a bird and noise free now. I will post pictures later, I am fairly certain that I have probably some of the worst looking rusted hubs, so if my method doesn't work for you, you may just need a whole new knuckle LOL
 






I found the slide hammer and axle puller to be instrumental:




If you need to make the slide hammer "neighbor friendly" for late night hammering, you can wrap the far end in a couple shop towels. This way your neighbors will call in "suspected blunt force trauma" to 911 instead of "suspected breaking and entering." I felt like a jerk for making so much racket at night, but it was crunch time and the truck had to be able to roll the next morning.

The axle puller didn't fit just right on my 5 wheel studs and ended up splaying the studs before I was done, which was of little consequence, as the old hubs are mere trophies now, but if you expect you will need the hubs to be functional, then you'll want to get a better fit on the axle-puller.

I hammered the hub, pulled with both feet on the knuckle, did all sorts of acrobatic shenanigans, but the slide hammer was ultimately the tool to get it done. This kind of high-heat silicone should be used for time capsules and things that need to stay stuck for 2 billion years.
 






Just got finished reading your post and grinning from ear to ear. I hit the back side of my hub so many times with a 3 lb hammer, I thought I was going to crack the knuckle :) Your other side should go quicker.

Unfortunately, I had to re-do one of my fronts 2 years later, and happy to say it was a piece of cake the second time.

Good job!

Thanks Edwx! The second one wasn't quite as bad, but wasn't the world speed record I'd been hoping for, either... :)

There were fewer displays of ineptitude for the neighbors, which was good.

Could have gotten the whole thing done two hour earlier if I hadn't had so many neighbors stop by to chat.

They'd say "Oh wow! You know how to change a tire! " and I just smiled and said "Yup," which should probably keep them from asking me to work on their cars, since they now think it takes HOURS for me to change a tire... :D:D:D
 












Just to add my two cents to the conversation. Mine was not to bad getting the three bolts out but the hub itself....utterly frustrating. Beating on it, knocked two of the studs out and took apart a three jaw pulley to run against the knuckle, chisel on the flange, slide hammer...nothing budged it. Finally asked a buddy and he grabbed my three pound cross peen that I use for blacksmithing and used it against the side of the flange hitting it with my three pound sledge. With the extra area of the cross peen and it being able to contact the flange only with the combined weight we got it to start moving back and forth. More penetrate and then the disassembled three jaw puller against the knuckle we got it to slide out. I am tired today so I will reassemble it in the morning, plus the Royals are playing in a bit. Just wanted to mention the cross peen mini sledge on the edge of the flange moved it where a chisel and hammer would not. Hope this helps someone as I had not seen that tip, but anyway thank God for friends or I would still be beating on it. Sometimes a different set of eyes is the key.
 






Mine is an 05. The axle nut was not 30mm. It was 29mm. The 30mm socket kept slipping off whenever any torque was applied.
 






Has anyone tried the GMB hubs from RockAuto? They're only $89 and the picture looks like the hub with the sensor and cable attached.

I know this is an old post, just wanted to post up some info regarding a front hub I recently had replaced and the sensors/dash warning lights that were going off due to either the bad hub or bad sensor in that hub. The hub had slight bearing play in it, so I'm thinking bad sensor mostly. Prior to last weeks fix at a shop, I had a front/driver side ABS message board and dash icon lights lit up, along with a message that said 'check advance trac" and the 4x4 high light would flash 8 times, on and off periodically. I also had a "anti slip" dash icon lit up as well. 3 dash icons lit up and 2 message board warning messages. I had the error codes read at Advance Auto Parts for "free" and they gave me the error code, but I have since forgotten what the letter /numbers were. It was an error code for a left, front hub bearing sensor fault.

I decided to buy the "Driveworks" wheel hub bearing assembly thur Advance Auto Parts. The part cost was $132.99 but I used a $40 off online coupon for Advance from (dead link) This brought the cost for the hub down to $92+ tax or roughly $100.00 This hub comes with a one year warranty and also new wheel studs already in place, plus 5 rear, hub mounting bolts. 2 of them are extra's, why, I don't know. There is a new ABS sensor and wire harness with it as well already attached. You have to re-use your large axle spline nut that is already on your vehicle or buy a new one. I wanted to go with the Timken brand, but someone in here not long ago told me not to use Timken hubs because they were not being made OE anymore. Don't know if that is true or not. A friend of mine hooked me up with a mechanic, owns a legit repair shop, who would install the hub for $50 labor. Best $50 I ever spent and well worth the price. The install took a little less than an hour and no issues with the install. The new hub took care of all the dash warning icons and message screen warning messages. :thumbsup: I am going to have the passenger side front hub bearing assembly changed in the next month or two, by the same mechanic and price $50.00, just to keep the hubs in sync with each other. If I have any problems with this "Driveworks Hub", I'll post it up if and when they occur.
 






I know this is an old post, just wanted to post up some info regarding a front hub I recently had replaced and the sensors/dash warning lights that were going off due to either the bad hub or bad sensor in that hub. The hub had slight bearing play in it, so I'm thinking bad sensor mostly. Prior to last weeks fix at a shop, I had a front/driver side ABS message board and dash icon lights lit up, along with a message that said 'check advance trac" and the 4x4 high light would flash 8 times, on and off periodically. I also had a "anti slip" dash icon lit up as well. 3 dash icons lit up and 2 message board warning messages. I had the error codes read at Advance Auto Parts for "free" and they gave me the error code, but I have since forgotten what the letter /numbers were. It was an error code for a left, front hub bearing sensor fault.

I decided to buy the "Driveworks" wheel hub bearing assembly thur Advance Auto Parts. The part cost was $132.99 but I used a $40 off online coupon for Advance from This brought the cost for the hub down to $92+ tax or roughly $100.00 This hub comes with a one year warranty and also new wheel studs already in place, plus 5 rear, hub mounting bolts. 2 of them are extra's, why, I don't know. There is a new ABS sensor and wire harness with it as well already attached. You have to re-use your large axle spline nut that is already on your vehicle or buy a new one. I wanted to go with the Timken brand, but someone in here not long ago told me not to use Timken hubs because they were not being made OE anymore. Don't know if that is true or not. A friend of mine hooked me up with a mechanic, owns a legit repair shop, who would install the hub for $50 labor. Best $50 I ever spent and well worth the price. The install took a little less than an hour and no issues with the install. The new hub took care of all the dash warning icons and message screen warning messages. :thumbsup: I am going to have the passenger side front hub bearing assembly changed in the next month or two, by the same mechanic and price $50.00, just to keep the hubs in sync with each other. If I have any problems with this "Driveworks Hub", I'll post it up if and when they occur.

That is, in fact, the best $50 ever spent in the history of automobiles, IMO. Despite the excellent savings, there's a strong chance you missed a prime opportunity to use some extreme profanity, so sorry about that... :) But there's always the transmission...

Will be interested in hearing how the Driveworks holds up for you.

New bearings didn't solve 100% of my problems, but thinking it could be rear bearings (which might be noticeable now that the front is fixed) or another issue. Used OEM/Motorcraft, which were stamped "Timken," if I remember correctly.
 






This hub comes with a one year warranty and also new wheel studs already in place, plus 5 rear, hub mounting bolts. 2 of them are extra's, why, I don't know.

For mine, the 3 longer bolts were for mounting the hub and the other 2 shorter ones for the caliper bracket.
 






That is, in fact, the best $50 ever spent in the history of automobiles, IMO. Despite the excellent savings, there's a strong chance you missed a prime opportunity to use some extreme profanity, so sorry about that... :) But there's always the transmission...

Will be interested in hearing how the Driveworks holds up for you.

New bearings didn't solve 100% of my problems, but thinking it could be rear bearings (which might be noticeable now that the front is fixed) or another issue. Used OEM/Motorcraft, which were stamped "Timken," if I remember correctly.

The mechanic I usually take my vehicle to wanted to charge me $244.00 + tax
for 1 front, Timken wheel Hub. I told him I could buy the same wheel hub for $120 or so from Rock Auto. He wouldn't let me bring my own part to him this time around where in the past he did and I just paid him for his labor to install the parts. I told him I am not paying double the price for what the part actually costs me to get myself, that's ridiculous. Then he would have charged me labor on top of it, probably 2 hours worth to install the hub, and there goes another $200.00 or so for a total of $444.00 + tax, just for one hub. I got the whole job done for $150, saved around $325.00, yeah I'm thrilled with the savings. So far, so good on the Driveworks hub. No issues yet and I have driven the vehicle at high speed on the Thruway.
I didn't know till now that Motorcraft hubs are made by "Timken", good to know. It is amazing on how many price differences there are for the same Timken Hub assembly out there. The highest price I found was $245.00 and the lowest was Rock Auto for $113.00 + shipping and many in between that price range. It does pay to shop around.
 






For mine, the 3 longer bolts were for mounting the hub and the other 2 shorter ones for the caliper bracket.[/QUOTE

Yeah, I didn't get new caliper bolts with mine, just 2 extra rear hub bolts all the same size.
 






Yeah, I got 5 bolts with my kit....3 hub bolts, and I didn't know what the other 2 bolts were for, they didn't seem to match any of my other bolts, shoulder shrug.
 






Hubs from Hell- A true story

OK, so my daughter came to visit and asked me to investigate a noise coming from the front of her 2002 EB Explorer. With both front wheels off the ground, it was quickly obvious that the right front hub was worn well past the safe level.

So I bought a Moog hub with speed sensor and bolts from Advance. skipping the details that have already been described by others, I'll say that I broke a Craftsman 15MM socket on the hub attachment bolts. After a trip to Sears for a new socket (3/8 drive) and Harbor Freight for wobble extensions, I managed to get one of the bolts out. I succeeded in backing the other two out a 1/4 inch as I broke the wobble extension, and even a NAPA 3/4 drive ratchet.
Next step- break the hub free from the knuckle. And that's where the real work began!
The slide hammer rented from Advance (free) had no effect at all. The 4 lb mechanic's hammer banging on the back of the lugnuts was futile. I have a 4 ft long crow bar that I wedged between the lugnuts and the knuckle, and lifted with all my might to no effect.
What worked:
Finally I took my floor jack and raised the crow bar while it was leveraged on the lugnut plate and against the knuckle. I jacked it up until it nearly raised the car off the jackstands. Then, holding the crowbar with one hand to steady it, and banging on the back of the hub (same lugnut area) with my hammer, it popped out 1/16 inch. The crowbar would have clattered to the floor if I hadnt been holding it. I banged and pried for several more minutes until I had an 1/8 gap.

Then came the hacksaw. I hacksawed the remaining 2 bolts off and began prying and hammering in earnest. Finally, the hub popped out exposing the rough corroded aluminum surface that had held the hub so tenaciously. I cleaned it up with a wire wheel, also removing the RTV that must have been there for many years, and finished off with a dose of brake cleaner.
Reassembly has been described by others, so I'll skip that part.

I have done lots of mechanical work in my life, but I have never tackled such a physically exhausting task. I replaced all four hubs in my Corvette in much less time and with much less effort than the one Explorer hub.
My sympathy to all the others who have posted here with their nightmare experiences with these hubs. I know your pain.
 






Is it possible to replace just the bearings not the entire hub? Can they be pressed/hammered out of the hub assembly and new pressed/hammered in?
-I see them (just the bearings) for quite a lot cheaper on rockauto.
 



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Is it possible to replace just the bearings not the entire hub? Can they be pressed/hammered out of the hub assembly and new pressed/hammered in?
-I see them (just the bearings) for quite a lot cheaper on rockauto.

I'd strongly recommend just buying a new hub (actually, replace both while you're at it). I think the last two hubs I bought were $60 each and they're still going strong after 50K miles. I was fortunate that I found the job easy to do, just time consuming because the three hubs bolts give you little room to work with. Soak everything in WD40 and you should be good to go.

FYI - Reuse the original ABS sensor when installing the new hubs to prevent the ABS light from coming on later down the road.
 






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