Thread: How to replace front hubs

excellent write-up.

managed to replace both hubs and both half-shafts thanks to this thread and one other thread on grandprixforums.net. both hubs were getting a little loose, but only one shaft was having problems (driver's side). I replaced both because they were the originals and I figured while I had all the tools out and evrerything torn apart I'd just replace both sides.

bought the shafts and hubs from RockAuto. bought 6 new hub bolts from a local dealership, and yeah, they were about $4 *PER BOLT*

Mine was verry annoying!!!... with it being the original, and me living in Ontario (lots and lots of salt) it was pretty rusted together, lots of PB blaster used and lots of swearing.
Where are you getting your hub from?? I got a Timken one from autozone but it went bad in about a week, thanks to the one year warrently I replaced it with a new one. I didnt use any air tools or torch, but I did fashon up some pretty interesting breaker bars. If you have the time save your $100, but I must say, there were times during the replacement where I would toss anyone $100 to finish the job.

$350 for parts??? you only need the hub, unless they were going to put in new bolts (brake bracket and hub, but thats about fifteen bucks)

$200 for the hub??
If you ask anyone around here they'll most likely say Timken, I got mine for $127.

I just replaced the passenger side hub for my 04 on Sunday, and I have to replace the driver side asap as well. Is it absolutely necessary to replace the hub mounting bolts?

Originally Posted by Confusingboat

Is it absolutely necessary to replace the hub mounting bolts?

Not at all, but I stripped the hell out of mine after taking them off the second time, I was concerned about stripping them even more while putting them back on, and say, if I had to take them off again. So I just went to the stealership and bought 3 new ones ($3.** each, came with lock tight)

If they look pretty good, re-use them.

Well it's a 2004 and they've never been off before, so they look pretty good even for being shat upon by the Minnesota winters. Looks like I'll be keeping them till next time I have to replace the hubs. I was worried for a second there lol.

Originally Posted by mystic231

Thanks for the write-up with the excellent pictures. Makes it much easier to jump into something you haven't tried before.
I would add to this that GM recommends replacing the (3) hub mounting bolts when changing the hub:

The hub mounting bolts are GM Part No. 11570580 and come with red loc-tite already on them. My local "stealership" charged me $3.51 each plus tax. The new hub bolts get torqued to 96 lb ft.

The two bolts on the brake caliper bracket get torqued to 133 lb ft.

The 36mm wheel driveshaft nut gets torqued to 159 lb ft, not 118 as mentioned earlier.

Okay, so we do have good info that the hub mounting bolts (those three M10.9 12 x 50 mm 1.75 thd flange head machine screws) must be discarded. Funny, I just ran them through a bolt design program, and it seems like, unless GM used some pretty low thread friction factors, the 96 ft-lb mentioned upthread does not torque them to yield. And it doesn't look like they were assembled with threadlocker or other lubricant, so I don't how they could justify the low thread friction factor, but I may be wrong. And this is very important; a wheel coming off is indeed possibly fatal. So don't go re-using the things on my word, I haven't done fatigue or other detailed stress analysis on the thing. Those torques are there for a reason, I've calculated many of them.

But no parts stores have these things, all the dealer parts stores are closed, Fastenal is closed. I found three that met the size & grade spec at the hardware store, but the heads were bigger, and I figure GM made a custom head size so you could get the socket in - which makes me PO'd at GM again... I gotta get the car back on the ground, and for 6 lousy bolts...

Thanks again for the writeup.

Tom

You dont have to replace them, I have replaced hundreds of gm hubs and reused the bolts every time.

lol.. and I thought they were just simple little bolts...

I did one last weekend.. IT was a pain but saved the money!

Nice work. I did my two front ones a few years ago.

I think the rear ones are starting to go and the new fronts can't be too far behind.

If it's not the window motors/regulators, it's the hubs failing on me. lol

Originally Posted by 01GTP

You dont have to replace them, I have replaced hundreds of gm hubs and reused the bolts every time.

The parts dude was saying this as well. ...along with another mechanic at a different shop...

...I was also told the red goo was anti-seize, not loctite...

Its loctite if it was antisezie they would not be seized in there like they are. Never listen to a parts guy all they want to do is sell you parts.

Originally Posted by 01GTP

Its loctite if it was antisezie they would not be seized in there like they are. Never listen to a parts guy all they want to do is sell you parts.

^This!!

The only reason I bought new bolts was because the 12 pt socket I was using had stripped the Hex pretty badly, and was scared that if I had to remove them again, it would be almost impossible.

advice....stick with 6 pt sockets