How to: 2002 Explorer rear wheel bearing replacement (pictures)

[forcemac]

So saga for me continues....I have done the front bearings and upper and lower ball joints...and now on to the rears....

I wasn't planning on doing them, but the mechanic here says they are bad. I am overseas, and I have to order all the parts...just want to make sure this is the part i am looking for...

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=1842844

Anyone have an experience with this part?

I'll also be doing the rotors/pads....and I'll probably buy new upper ball joints in case I destory them (seomthing I learned from the front bearings)....Do i need any e-brake parts as well? (how high is the potential for braking that?)

 

[my1zamboni]

I have a question about this......
I had both fronts done about 2 years ago.
Left rear done in February. There is some play in the right rear tire (a bit of a wobble when jacked) I noticed while changing a flat.
Now my car is ALL OVER the road. Feels like a flat again but all tires are good. Could the right rear bearing be causing this? It isn't grinding like the left rear did. I could feel the left rear grind through the whole car, including under my feet.
I don't have the grinding/vibration, but it is tough to hold on to, really feels like a flat, but all air pressure is good and the same.
Any help is appreciated.

 

[Mymysdat]

Thanx for the instruction and pics!! Getting ready to do mine in a couple of days. This is exactly what I was looking for. I have an 03 but it should be virtually identical. Thanx again!

 

[angler3]

this is a great thread, the pinch bolts were tricky but the thread made it easier! I need a little help... cant get the hub to seperate from the splines on the axle... the threads stripped on the puller.. should i put a butane torch to the hub and rent another puller.. any help is greatly appreciated! especially because i also have to do the other side!!

 

[angler3]

borrowed a snap-on slide hammer puller and some pb blaster... the combo worked great ... halfway out i switched to the smaller puller and the knuckle was off to the machiine shop... forty dollars a side...just waiting to pick up!!!

 

[lisfan]

wheel bearing R&R

i have a '04 explorer xlt 4x4. i had to replace the lr wheel bearing. i had a hell of a time pressing out the bearing. . we tried a tool to do it in the truck but no luck wth this application. i think it got hot and expanded so i couldnt press it . i do have to replace the toe link on that side too

i brought the knuckle to my friends press at his shop. two guys on the press and heating it to get it out. all quiet now . it had sounded like a wwII bomber in the background.
it had been making a slight noise for a while, even thought the noise was in the carrier. i let it get worse so i could pinpoint the noise. i was going to get used knuckles and have new bearing in them so i wouldnt get stuck on the lift and to save time . the right side is quiet and seems ok . ill leave well enough alone right now.
again i thank you all for the helpful imformation , always learning something new here

phil

 

[Litzer]

Noob here. Is this "how-to" similar on a 1997? Also the part that the bearing goes into, is called the Hub? Or is it Knuckle?

I just want to be able to buy the right parts. Could someone possibly post a couple links to exactly the parts I need?

Thanks!

 

[rdop02xlt]

litzer,

go to the forum for the older explorers. You have a "live axle (not independant rear)" where the wheel bearings are in the ends of the axle tubes. I've done it on mustangs and crown vics with nothing special other than a slide hammer with an inside bearing puller.

 

[terribletom]

Just about to tackle this job...

Well I got the garage cleaned out enough to get the 02 in... went to bust the axle nut and lug nuts loose prior to putting the truck on jackstands, to discover that the 1 3/8's socket is not going to work. Guessing its going to be the 36mm. So I didn't get very far at all. I'll pick up a socket at work tomorrow and give'er another go around.

I have read this thread over and over... and it really is great. But I cannot shake the feeling of impending doom and gloom I expect with this job. This X has spent its entire life in IL and WI... the heart of the midwest rust belt. The truck already has a good amount of rust starting... and I fear a real headache getting stuff apart.

I have had time getting acquainted with the rear parking brakes before, and I really... *REALLY* hate those evil things. Not looking forward to dealing with them again. They never worked right to begin with.

One of these days I'll get around to posting pics of the rear lift glass latch repairs I did. (different thread) Latch is fixed - I just have not painted and applied the new rear panel. Bad weather.

 

[Pontisteve]

Some quick things I found when doing this job on both sides...

You have to have the hub puller.
The axle nut is supposed to be replaced every time it's removed. Although I also reused mine.
The correct socket is metric, and I can't remember if its 35 or 36mm. I want to say it was 35.
Using a headlight adjusting spring tool (looks like a T handle with a little j jook on the business end of it) works great for dealing with those little E-brake springs.
You're supposed to adjust the E-brake shoes to about 1mm less width than the inside diameter of your brake rotor. There's a brake drum measuring tool for this.
To get those damn rod ends separated from the spindle, soak them as long as you can with PB blaster. Then, try smacking the side of the control arm after you're removed the pinch bolt. The idea is to shock the thing loose. Wedging in a chisel to spread the spindle apart where the pinch bolt squeezes it together is advised. In fact, wedge the chisel, PB blast everything you can (particularly in the hole where the pinch bolt was), and smack the side of the control arm. Do all 3.

As for pressing out the old rear wheel bearing... do yourself a HUGE favor and pay a shop to press them out for you. They do NOT come out easy. Even with a press, I couldn't get mine out. I had to cut into them with a cutoff wheel to weaken them first, then press them out. I can't tell you how hard this part was! Pawn that hastle off on a machine shop.

 

[terribletom]

Some quick things I found when doing this job on both sides...
Then, try smacking the side of the control arm after you're removed the pinch bolt. The idea is to shock the thing loose. Wedging in a chisel to spread the spindle apart where the pinch bolt squeezes it together is advised. In fact, wedge the chisel, PB blast everything you can (particularly in the hole where the pinch bolt was), and smack the side of the control arm. Do all 3.\

First of all I want to thank everyone who posted in this thread, for their input and pics. Those brave souls who tackled this job before some of the rest of us, paved the road ahead with some good info, for making a potentially hellish task not as bad as it could have been. Yes that could be considered a run-on sentence.

Well I started the job at 6:30 am CST, had both hubs/knuckles out by 9:30 am, and over to a shop by 10. I picked them up at 3 pm, home at 4, all assembled and test driven by 8:30 pm.

It was a lot easier than I expected. After doing this job I have it down to a science. The biggest panic point for me, is getting these Explorers on 4 jack stands. I'm used to working on my old live axle Dodge Rams, and IFS/Live Rear Dakotas. I am one guy with one floor jack in a 2 car garage. To get the truck high enough for the frame to clear my jack stands, I had to jack the side up so much, that both front and rear wheels were off the ground several inches! Talk about pucker factor!

After reading the whole thread here a few times... I took everything apart in a specific sequence which I think works the best.

1) Soak everything in PB Blaster
2) Loosen lug nuts and axle/spindle nuts with wheels on the ground
3) Spray splines of CV axle with PB Blaster after nut is removed
4) Set truck on jackstands
5) Remove tires/wheels
6) Disconnect parking brake cables
7) Remove caliper, and rotor. Tie off caliper to coil springs
8) Remove both pinch bolts and lower control arm bolt
9) Use hub puller to press axle shaft out of hub
10) Turn knuckle enough to get better access to upper ball joint stud
11) Hammer the hell out of the chisel in the pinch bolt groove
12) Using block of wood under upper control arm, hammer until stud pops out
13) Turn knuckle horizontal for better access to trailing link
14) Hammer the hell out of the chisel in the pinch bolt groove
15) Wedge pickle fork tines between link at base of the ball stud
16) Hammer end of pickle fork a few times, stud should pop out.
17) Drive to shop, have shop deal with the damned bearings

(and my all time personal favorite repair manual phrase...)

18) Installation is reverse of removal!
19) Crack open a cold beer
20) Drink cold beer

Repeat step 20 as necessary until thirst is quenched.

Actually the reassembly sequence was a little different. I used some anti-size on the axle splines, slipped the hub/knuckle over the axle splines, and then put the lower control arm bolt in hand tight. Then I put the upper ball joint in place. When I hammered the upper ball joint stud back into the knuckle, I raised the lower control arm up a little with the floor jack. Made things a little easier.

The reinstall job took a little longer because the rear caliper slides had started seizing up on me again. The drivers side rear caliper was already frozen. Inboard pads on both calipers are showing signs of dragging. The factory rear calipers got replaced July 2007 for the same reason. That time as well, I didn't realize the rear calipers were toast until the front rotors warped because the front was doing all the work. I caught it soon enough this time... I cleaned up the pins and greased everything and they seem to be doing fine now.

Speaking of brakes, I did not need to remove the parking brakes! I had no need to do anything other than disconnect the cable from the levers. The shop got the bearings out and the new ones in, with the parking brakes totally intact. I didn't bother to adjust them when I put everything back together. I suppose I should have but the lousy things never worked right from the start. If I'm bored perhaps I'll get around to it next time I have the wheels off.

Oh by the way - I see what the torque specs are supposed to be for the axle nuts!! 203 Ft Lbs? Even my old full size Dodge didn't have that kind of spec on the axle nuts. My 1/2inch click wrench only goes to 150 Ft LBs! So that is what I torqued them too. I did go to the local Ford Stealership and bought new axle nuts. I reused all of the rest of the hardware with some blue loctite. Anyone think I should be worried about the axle nuts at only 150 Ft Lbs? I'll have to see where I can get a bigger torque wrench if I need to tighten them more.

Would have posted some pics, but the webserver I have 'em on is acting wonky. :frustrate Maybe later.

 

[Pontisteve]

I would at the very least give it some extra leverage, if you can't borrow a torque wrench with a larger range. Being 53 ft lbs shy of spec just seems a bit much.

Looking back, there were a couple things that made my job hell. First was pressing out my own hub bearings. HELL I SAY. Next, I had a northern vehicle, and took the time to strip down to metal and repaint the spindle, axles, etc. I also swapped out the rear axle seals since I was that far into it, for the newer 1 piece design seals. That was a bit of a chore, since I didn't have the right Lisle tool for driving in the new seals. And you have to fight to get the axles to pop out a little bit too. Plus I did new parking brakes shoes, new regular pads and rotors, and new cv axle dust seals. That hopefully helps with keeping water out of the back side of the bearing some. Mine were rusty and totally shot. I couldn't hardly even recognize they were a seal on them rusty axles.

All looks brand new back there now! Years of rust erased

 

[Ronin8002]

This is a great thread!

I'm running into problems with the upper control arm. I've gotten my chisel in far enough that you can just see the tip on the chisel side of the pinch bolt hole. I am havig a very hard time getting it any further....which sucks because it needs to in order to loosen the pinch joint to get the upper balljoint out.

I am using an 8" chisel...it's really hard to get behind it to do any useful work with the hammer though.. What worked for everyone else? A longer chisel that you can run down through the lower control arm and get plenty of hammering room? or a very short chisel?

 

[Pontisteve]

Don't look at it like you have to spread that pinch way out, you don't. There's nothing seriously holding the ball joint in there once it's loose. It's more like a corrosion that just makes it stuck. Where the bolt goes thru the pinch joint, the ball joint is grooved so the bolt can slide across it and lock it in. Get the bolt out, spread the joint as much as possible, but don't feel the need to create a canyon there. Then, spray the heck out of it with PB Blaster, and if possible let it sit and work in.

Then smack the side of the aluminum control arm with a mini-sledge hammer. A regular hammer may not have the weight to be effective. Notice I said side, not smacking in the direction you want the control arm to go, but smacking it sideways. It's the shock that's gonna pop it loose. Once you break that bond with PB blaster and shock treatment (mallet), she'll pop right out. Oddly enough, once it's out, you'll see there isn't likely much rust or corrosion in there as you would think. And you'll be able to pop the ball joint in and out freely in the hole it just had a hard time coming out of.

Smacking the control arm from the side tends to rock the ball joint stud in the hole, breaking the initial bond. Time and PB blaster make things even easier.

Resist the urge to pry against the different joints with pickle forks, etc. They don't have a ledge inside the joint for the fork to pry on, and the fork will just tear up the boot and ruin the joint. I found the rear alignment rod to be the biggest pain of the bunch.

 

[Ronin8002]

Thanks for the tips Pontisteve. I have a mini sledge but I didn't even think about hitting it from the side. Sprayed the pinch bolt area down with PB blaster before quitting for the day yesterday. I'll have to give the "side impact shock treatment" a try. Oddly enough the toe link was a lot easier for me

I have resisted the temptation of the pickle fork so far, though the thought did begin to cross my mind in the more frustrating moments of dealing with this control arm.

 

[Ronin8002]

Success!!

I hit the sides of the control arm, then used a 12" long piece of 1"x1" wood as a drift punch to focus my hammering upward right next to the ball joint. Came right out! Thanks for the tips Pontisteve!

Also, when I did the other side of the truck, I broke out my air chisel instead of using the cold chisel. This is the first time I've used the air chisel since it came in an air tool set I bought a while back. All I can say is WOW. It made quick work of those pinch bolt joints. MUCH easier than hammering at an awkward angle with limited space.

 

[Pontisteve]

Great! Congrats.

I suppose I should have also mentioned for future readers, be careful. The truck should be jacked up and supported by a jack stand under the frame. Then the wheel removed, and the spindle supported by a jack that's raised up some. If the whole thing is allowed to hang without a jack, when that control arm pops loose, it could shoot straight up. If your face is in the way when that happens, you could get seriously smacked.

Now that you have the spindle out, have you used a hub puller to push the axle shaft out of the hub? Don't smack that shaft with a hammer! You'll damage the CV joint.

I would get that old bearing pressed out, and the new bearing and hub pressed in by a professional machine shop. It's a real bear to do yourself, although I did it, which means any idiot can.

Pressing in the new bearing requires some thought too, as you have to support the bearing carefully when you press in the new hub into the bearing!!!! Otherwise you'll bust up your new bearing. It looks one piece on the outside, but it's really two back to back tapered bearings on the inside with a common large race holding them together on the outside. Don't support the bearing correctly, and you'll press one of the bearings right out of the race!

While you have all this apart, the next question is: Are you going to follow the TSB and replace the factory 2 piece axle seals in the rear end with the retrofit 1 piece seals, while you're in there?

Also take a good look at the CV axle, where it enters the spindle. There is a thin dust seal pressed onto the CV axle, so that water and dirt can't get past the axle and into the bearing. These are about $7 a piece from Ford, and now is the time to assess their condition. Mine were so gone, I could scarcely tell that they were there (because of rust).

 

[Ronin8002]

Pontisteve,

-Truck is on jackstands, and I have 2 more under each of the spindles.

-I did use the appropriate hub press tool...worked like a charm!

-I have had no bearing problems since I've owned the truck for the past 2 years so I am not planning to change them out this time around. I have no idea if they were done before but based on the corrosion on the upper balljoint stud and toe link I'd say no . At least I'll be able to bust the rust off of those parts and reassemble with anti-seize so when it is time to do the bearings it will be a lot easier to remove the assembly.

My reason for doing all this is to pull the rear differential to swap it with one that I had regeared to 4.10 with an Aussie locker installed. Thanks to your tips on popping the axles out with a wooden stick (in another thread) I was easily able to finish the job of removing the factory diff!

-Thanks for the tip on the CV shaft dust seals...I'll have to take a look at that today

 

[Pontisteve]

If you have that rear end out, you really don't want to miss an opportunity to replace the rear axle seals in the rear end housing. They are 2 piece from the factory, and were a known enough issue that Ford redesigned them about 5 or 6 different times, and issued TSBs about it. The newest axle seals are 1 piece, and installing them all the way in is a critical part of the TSB. Find the TSB! I bet its in one of my posts somewhere.

No sense in having that thing in your hands, and missing the opportunity to replace that rear axle seal! On the original 2 piece design, I think one part of the seal was pressed onto the CV axle, and the other part is installed into the rear end housing.
The TSB calls for a new seal that's 1 piece, goes in the rear end housing, and eliminates the 2nd piece that was pressed onto the axle.

There's also a TSB that calls for switching up to 75w140 synthetic gear lube. Definitely want to do that one as well, as these rear ends are known for issues of whining, and that probably helps.

 

[Ronin8002]

Hmm good point. The axle housing that is being swapped in was rebuilt with yukon gears and a Yukon 8.8 master rebuild kit. I wonder if the seals included with it are the updated version?

I do plan on running 75W-140. For breaking in the gears, I have some Mobil 1 75W-140 synthetic. After the 500 mile break in period, I'll drain that and replace with Amsoil Severe Gear 75W-140