Wheel bearing R&R step-by-step needed!

I don't think it is possible to stress the CV joint worse than the car does when you accelerate moderately... Or especially if you have a manual transmission and drive like I do. :)

Regards, Joe - VROC #8013 - '86 VN750 - joe @ yunx .com - 973.571.1456 24/7

Ask me about "The Ride" on July 31, '04:

A $10 Haynes or Chilton manual for your car from any auto parts store will probably give you a bit more detail than people will provide here.

Remove drive shaft nut. Remove castle nut from the ball joint on the lower control arm. Pry the arm downward with a prybar or 2x4 while whacking the knuckle with a hammer to break the joint loose from the knuckle. Remove the nut from the outer tie rod end and use a puller to separate the two (available for rental/free loan from most auto parts stores). A pickle fork will work, but you may damage the dust boot. Remove the two large strut to knuckle mounting bolts. Doing so kills your alignment, so you'll have to get the car re-aligned. Separate the strut from the knuckle. Pull the knuckle and hub assembly off the axle shaft. You'll need a press to separate the hub from the knuckle, remove the bearings, install the new bearings, and put the pieces back together. It's not something you would even want to try doing without a press. My Saturn retailer's service department does it for me for a few bucks when I bring in the parts and it's well worth it. Re-assemble and get the car aligned. Axle nut needs to be super tight - wail-on-it-with-an-impact sort of tight or the replacement wheel bearing won't last very long. (see the suspension section on my website if you want more detail). Also, I believe that axle nuts are specified to be once-only use in the factory service manual. A set of new ones will run around $10 from your retailer's parts department.

This is off the top of my head from doing it 5 or 6 times and it may not include all the detail and proper order. Don't ask me any more than what I've written here - this is all I'm able to remember. Buy a manual! I cannot stress that enough.

Lane [ l a n e @ p a i r . c o m ]

I have gotten away with threading the nut on so its flush with the end of the threads, then smacking it out.......

Does it really kill your alignment though? There is no camber/caster adjustment on stock struts anyway. Only way to really adjust it is to slot the holes on the top.......or aftermarket struts that are adjustable........

It's been my understanding that there is soom room for camber adjustment with the stock struts, just not a lot. I've had several alignments back when I had stock struts where they did change that setting by loosening the lower bolts without elongating that lower hole to allow for more adjustment.

Lane [ l a n e @ p a i r . c o m ]

I mean elongating the upper holes.........not sure if they really could elongate the lower ones.

On an aftermarket set I had, the bolts were offset so as the bolt turned it would change the camber.

Bandit and the orig. thread poster "shad704", According to my Chiltons book for my older 93, camber can be adjusted up to 3 degrees just by loosening the 2 big bolts & "pushing or pulling the knuckle in the desired direction".

I just replaced both bearings and when I took it to be aligned, the tech said camber was okay. He also said there is an after- market kit that puts cam bolts in there to gain further adjustment. He said most kits are needed after an accident. I did have to have the tow adjusted as I had to replace a lower control arm (due a bad lower ball joint) and a tie rod end.

Also while I have it up and to save from additional alignments, I check all of the boots like on the CV, all ball joints/tie rods and steering rack. Also to save another alignment (the orig. poster was replacing a bearing), it would make sense to replace the bearing on both sides as if one side goes, the 2nd will follow not too long after.

chuck

BANDIT2941 wrote:

It is the lower hole that you can grind to elongate to gain more camber adjustability (and not the upper hole). The upper bolt/hole acts as the fixed pivot point when putting that 'tilt' in the hub assembly and wheel. Here's a pic of my Carrera coilover housings that are on my track car:

Lane [ l a n e @ p a i r . c o m ]

Yeah......I didn't really think about doing that freely like that.....

thanks for the info