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Rear wheel hub bearing replacement.
- Thread starter cbena50
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Welcome to this forum! I've moved your thread into the stock 2002-2005 section.
EasyRhino
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The wheel bearings on these are sealed hubs, and as such, have to be replaced as a sealed unit.
There is an excellent thread with pictures on this sub-forum detailing exactly how to accomplish this task. Not for the feint of mechanical heart. The fronts not so much.
There is an excellent thread with pictures on this sub-forum detailing exactly how to accomplish this task. Not for the feint of mechanical heart. The fronts not so much.
thepotroast
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The rear hubs are actually not a sealed unit, they are separate. The fronts however are sealed.
The rears come as 3 pieces, the hub, the bearing and a snap ring. The bearing has to be pressed into the new hub by a machine press, and the snap ring placed on top of that, then installed.
You can purchase the rear wheel bearing by itself and have the old bearing pressed out of the old hub, and the new bearing pressed into it. However, this is where it becomes cautionary because depending on the condition of your old hub assembly, putting a new bearing with a trued mating surface into an old hub with a warped mating surface, can quickly lead to failure. It all depends on the condition of your existing hub(s). Also, the old hubs can be damaged when the old bearing is pressed out of it, as sometimes they can become seized in there....unless you have a micrometer or vernier caliper and want to get into microns of measurements throughout the surfaces to validate if your old hub is true while sitting at a machine shop, then I just suggest replacing the entire unit.
Call me eccentric, or call me smart (and experienced in this subject), but just do the whole thing....so you don't have to approach it again (for at least another 60-100k miles....)
The rears come as 3 pieces, the hub, the bearing and a snap ring. The bearing has to be pressed into the new hub by a machine press, and the snap ring placed on top of that, then installed.
You can purchase the rear wheel bearing by itself and have the old bearing pressed out of the old hub, and the new bearing pressed into it. However, this is where it becomes cautionary because depending on the condition of your old hub assembly, putting a new bearing with a trued mating surface into an old hub with a warped mating surface, can quickly lead to failure. It all depends on the condition of your existing hub(s). Also, the old hubs can be damaged when the old bearing is pressed out of it, as sometimes they can become seized in there....unless you have a micrometer or vernier caliper and want to get into microns of measurements throughout the surfaces to validate if your old hub is true while sitting at a machine shop, then I just suggest replacing the entire unit.
Call me eccentric, or call me smart (and experienced in this subject), but just do the whole thing....so you don't have to approach it again (for at least another 60-100k miles....)
mikeinri
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Right, what he said... Replace the hubs and bearings, buy Timkens from Rock Auto (they come with a new snap ring).
Do a search, there are some great threads here with pics and tips. Expect to devote at least a full weekend to this job.
Welcome to the site!
Mike
Do a search, there are some great threads here with pics and tips. Expect to devote at least a full weekend to this job.
Welcome to the site!
Mike
miker104
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+1 on what is said above. The hub damage can be so slight that it is hard to see and it can make your new bearings die early. If you are doing the job yourself you may not want to take it apart and then try to find new hubs that may be bad. If you have all together (hub, bearing and snap ring) you can be sure to have all parts to put it back together.
Only additional charge would be for the cost difference of the hub assembly parts vs the cost of the bearing. If you bearings die early you will then have to pay the labor all over again plus the cost of a new hub and bearing. Cheaper to do it right once the first time.
Here is a link to a how-to thread http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=251915&mode=linear
Only additional charge would be for the cost difference of the hub assembly parts vs the cost of the bearing. If you bearings die early you will then have to pay the labor all over again plus the cost of a new hub and bearing. Cheaper to do it right once the first time.
Here is a link to a how-to thread http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=251915&mode=linear
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