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Wheel/Hub Bearing Change


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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:

Front_wheel_bearings_002.jpg

 

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

Front_wheel_bearings_001.jpg

 

Using a breaker bar on the axle nuts:

Front_wheel_bearings_003.jpg

 

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:

Front_wheel_bearings_005.jpg

 

Brake disc/rotor removed:

Front_wheel_bearings_007.jpg

 

Then removed the dust shield, 3x12mm bolts:

Front_wheel_bearings_008.jpg

 

ABS sensor removed and hung out of the way:

Front_wheel_bearings_009.jpg

 

Tie rod split pin and castle nut removed:

Front_wheel_bearings_010.jpg

 

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:

Front_wheel_bearings_011.jpg

 

Lower sway bar link removed:

Front_wheel_bearings_013.jpg

 

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

Front_wheel_bearings_014.jpg

 

Then removed the ball joint housing bolt:

Front_wheel_bearings_016.jpg

 

Ball joint pulled out:

Front_wheel_bearings_018.jpg

 

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:

Front_wheel_bearings_019.jpg

 

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

Front_wheel_bearings_020.jpg

 

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

Front_wheel_bearings_021.jpg

 

Axle hub pressed out of the hub housing:

Front_wheel_bearings_022.jpg

 

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

Front_wheel_bearings_046.jpg

 

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

Front_wheel_bearings_050.jpg

 

Outer bearing removed from axle hub:

Front_wheel_bearings_051.jpg

 

Inner oil seal removed with a claw hammer:

Front_wheel_bearings_043.jpg

 

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

Front_wheel_bearings_026.jpg

 

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

Front_wheel_bearings_027.jpg

 

Bearing race removed:

Front_wheel_bearings_028.jpg

 

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

Front_wheel_bearings_033.jpg

 

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:

Front_wheel_bearings_036.jpg

 

Snap ring reinstalled:

Front_wheel_bearings_058.jpg

 

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

Front_wheel_bearings_042.jpg

 

Axle hub getting pressed back into the housing:

Front_wheel_bearings_060.jpg

 

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

Front_wheel_bearings_062.jpg

 

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

Front_wheel_bearings_064.jpg

 

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

Front_wheel_bearings_065.jpg

 

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:

Front_wheel_bearings_066.jpg

 

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

Front_wheel_bearings_070.jpg

 

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:

Front_wheel_bearings_072.jpg

 

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

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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. :)

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  • 1 month later...
  • 6 months later...
 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.

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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.

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 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.

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 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

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.:confused:

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  • 1 year later...
  • General Member

from the FAQ :

 

-Rosssub
 
:P
 

 

and dang it, thought I was helping but : Photobucket has eaten all the images! F U PHOTOBUCKET

 

@Rosssub was last active 25th of March : ask nicely & he might be able to update the thread : or at least you have a step by step description?

 

"rears" are here : 

 

-funkytown

 

 

-funkytown
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