Change Rear Wheel Bearings
Changing rear wheel bearings is a job that doesn't have to be performed by a mechanic. This is a task that anyone with some automotive experience and garage access can accomplish on their own. Follow these steps for how to change rear wheel bearings.
Steps
- Jack the car up so that the rear wheels are off the ground. Prop it up on jack stands and chock the front tires.
- Grip the rear tires at 6 and 12 o'clock, and push them in. If they have little or no resistance, they will most likely need new bearings.
- Remove the transmission tray, engine tray and the plastic cover from the suspension wishbone.
- Remove the rear wheels.
- Ensure that the parking brakes are set and that the car is in Park. A manual transmission should be in gear.
- Remove the axle nut.
- Take the brake pads off of the caliper and unbolt the caliper. Be careful not to strain the brake line.
- Release the parking brake.
- Loosen the screws which mount the rotor and remove it.
- Jack up the suspension housing so that the axle is parallel to the ground.
- Center a 2- or 3-arm puller on the axle shaft and remove the hub.
- The shaft will pull inward as you tighten the puller. When it has gone as far as it can, the hub will pop off.
- Remove the bearing race from the hub. This will require a hydraulic press.
- Remove the heater supply tube.
- Unbolt the CV joint. The bolts will be found near the transmission.
- Remove the axle.
- Remove the bolts from the housing surrounding the 2 bearing race retainers.
- Crank down on the threaded shaft of the bearing removal tool to extract the bearing.
- Apply high-temp grease lightly to the new bearing.
- Convert the wheel bearing removal tool to the replacement mode and install the bearing.
- Reinstall the bearing race retainers by replacing the bolts in the housing.
- Use the wheel bearing removal and replacement tool to reinsert the hub into the bearing, assuring that it is fully seated.
- Be careful not to push out the inner bearing race.
- Reinstall the axle assuring that you don't push the hub back out of the bearing.
- Reinsert the bolts which hold the CV joint to the transmission.
- Reinstall the rotor.
- Reset the parking brake.
- Replace the axle nut. Torque it to {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}-pounds (459.684 Newton Meters, or 469.837 Kilogram Force Meters).
- Replace the brake caliper. Torque the bolts to {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}-pounds (115.26 Newton Meters, or 117.56 Kilogram Force Meters).
- Replace the brake shoes.
- Reconnect the heater supply tube.
- Replace the wheel. Torque the bolts to {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}-pounds (130.18 Newton Meters or 132.77 Kilogram Force Meters).
- Replace the transmission cover, suspension cover and engine tray.
- Remove the jack stands and lower the car.
Tips
- When removing the calipers, it helps to use a block of wood to wedge the pistons into a retracted position.
- If the steering wheel moves from side to side on a straight road, you may need to replace your wheel bearings.
- Always follow factory instructions.
- To ease the installation of the hub into the bearing, try putting the hub into the freezer.
- If you hear a growling noise or a hum when you're going about 35 to 45 MPH (56.32 to 72.81KM/H), inspect the tires to judge the condition of the wheel bearings.
- When removing bolts, put them in a bucket to prevent them from getting lost or dirty.
- You can remove the axle nut using a 3/4 drive breaker or a pneumatic impact wrench.
- Tools you will need to complete this job include a wheel bearing removal and replacement tool, a torque wrench with a {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} pounds (459.684 Newton Meters or 469.837 Kilogram Force Meters) capacity, and a set of socket wrenches.