Wheel/Hub Bearing Change

Changed my front wheel bearings today, here's a bit of a how to.

 

I started by cracking the front wheel nuts and chocking the rear wheels. Jacked the front up, placed on axle stands and removed the front wheels. Then used a flat head screw driver to bend the locking tab on the axle nuts:

 

Got a mate to hold the brake pedal down while I cracked both left and right side main 32mm axle nuts:

 

Using a breaker bar on the axle nuts:

 

Both front axle nuts removed, brakes released. I then removed the 2x17mm bolts holding the brake calliper to the hub. Pulled the calliper off the rotor and hung it with wire. This pic shows the 8mm bolt holes for removing a stuck rotor:

 

Brake disc/rotor removed:

 

Then removed the dust shield, 3x12mm bolts:

 

ABS sensor removed and hung out of the way:

 

Tie rod split pin and castle nut removed:

 

I then refitted the nut upside down and used a block of wood, a sharp whack with a hammer and the tie rod end came out:

 

Lower sway bar link removed:

 

I then marked the location/rotation of the upper camber bolt, then loosened both nuts off:

 

Then removed the ball joint housing bolt:

 

Ball joint pulled out:

 

I then removed the two loosened strut/camber bolts and pulled the hub housing off the axle, being careful not to damage the ABS tone wheel teeth:

 

A close up of the F/L ABS tone wheel, (teeth the sensor works off):

 

Both front hub housings removed, I went into town to where a handy 20 ton shop press lived:

 

Axle hub pressed out of the hub housing:

 

Axle hub pressed out, with the outside inner bearing still attached:

 

I had no puller to remove the bearing, so fitted a gear spreader and used the press to get the bearing off:

 

Outer bearing removed from axle hub:

 

Inner oil seal removed with a claw hammer:

 

I then used a flat head screw driver to remove the inner snap ring:

 

Then pressed the outer bearing race out of the hub housing:

 

Bearing race removed:

 

Hub housing and axle hub cleaned up, ready for new bearings and seals to go in:

 

There was nothing around the perfect size to press the new bearings in. So I cut a section out of the old bearing race and used that to press the new ones in:

 

Snap ring reinstalled:

 

I also used the old cut bearing race to install the new seals:

 

Axle hub getting pressed back into the housing:

 

Both hubs finished, I headed home to reinstall. First loosely installing the upper camber bolt:

 

Then slid the axle back in and reinstalled the ball joint. Ball joint housing bolt torqued to 36ft/lbs:

 

Then tightened both main strut bolts to 130ft/lbs, making sure the camber marks lined up perfectly:

 

Tie rod reinstalled and torqued to 19.9ft/lbs, with a new split pin installed. then sway bar link back on and tightened to 22ft/lbs:

 

Axle nut back on hand tight, brake rotor and calliper reinstalled. Calliper bolts torqued to 57.9ft/lbs:

 

Both left and right side to this stage. Then got my friend clampy to hold the brake pedal again, while I tightened the main axle nuts to 158ft/lbs. Then used a screw driver and rubber mallet to lock the axle nuts in place:

 

Wheels back on and all done. I'll hopefully get the rear end hub bearings done in the next week or two.

Nice, thanks for going to the effort of documenting it for other people.

FYI, I ended up buying my own press as they are so cheap on TM these days. Comes in handy for all sorts of random little things!

well done on writeup. i never have the memory to take photos of the process. may do a gearbox or engine rebuild with pics one day

Cool, thanks. Will hopefully help someone out, even if it just saves the extra labour of removing the hub/reinstalling etc. Probably good I got onto it now, they've been humming for a few thousand kms already.

Those trademe presses are rather cheap, a 20T is definitely on the future wish list.

*Sticky*

Thanks Ross, that's a great write up you've done there!

I wish I had more experience to do some write ups.

Cool thanks Timmah. The rears are all done too now so I can finish it off properly.

 boon said:

Mine went remove hub off spindle on car, discover hub is completely f*cked because the bearing has been rooted for 15,000kms, get reamed out by Subaru for a hub, cry quietly into cornflakes.

How much for a hub? Broke mine. press was too tough.

I'll just add one thing... to loosen the hub nut, I just remove the center cap from the wheel and loosen it before taking the wheel

off or raising the car... that way the wheel stays still without messing around with the brake pedal or getting someone to help.

 loner said:

I'll just add one thing... to loosen the hub nut, I just remove the center cap from the wheel and loosen it before taking the wheel

off or raising the car... that way the wheel stays still without messing around with the brake pedal or getting someone to help.

Or have a rattle gun.

I used a rattle gun, eeeeeasy.

 loner said:

I'll just add one thing... to loosen the hub nut, I just remove the center cap from the wheel and loosen it before taking the wheel

off or raising the car... that way the wheel stays still without messing around with the brake pedal or getting someone to help.

valid point but this only works if the nut isn't seized like all of mine have been.. sometimes they can be %^%#ing stuck

Can also damage the wheel bearings, if not replacing them or only pulling axles out etc.

 kamineko said:

valid point but this only works if the nut isn't seized like all of mine have been.. sometimes they can be %^%#ing stuck

I don't understand what you mean. The only difference is with the wheel on you don't have to stand on the brakes to keep the hub/axle from spinning.

If the axle nut is completely seized, you might have to jump on the long arm/power bar hard enough that the wheel will spin or maybe even pull the car forwards.

 kamineko said:

valid point but this only works if the nut isn't seized like all of mine have been.. sometimes they can be %^%#ing stuck

Huh? This works in all situations. Basically just park the car and apply the hand brake. Remove the center cap exposing the hub nut.

Put your jack next to the wheel and raise to the height of the hub nut to support the socket and extender. Then undo the hub nut with

the biggest bar or pipe you can find. The weight of the car will stop wheel moving, so you are free to apply as much force as you need.

I use a 2 metre length of scaffold pipe and I can apply enough force to crack any nut.

 Rosssub said:

If the axle nut is completely seized, you might have to jump on the long arm/power bar hard enough that the wheel will spin or maybe even pull the car forwards.

You are dreaming. Apply the handbrake and put it in gear if you must.

 loner said:

You are dreaming. Apply the handbrake and put it in gear if you must.

Nope he's not, I wound a car (not a Subie) which was in gear handbrake on over a piece of 4" wood once, trying to undo a seized axle nut.

Even heat didn't crack it, so in the end had to take the whole strut out, and put it in a mill to machine the nut off.

Yea same here car can move. If its too tight i just put in gear with handbrake on and get wifey too stomp brakes.

Anyone got the photos for this?