A recent promise to write a step-by-step of replacing my left front bearing/hub has prompted this entry. Hope it is helpful to some.
TMC
Wheel Bearing/Hub Replacement
Things to buy:
1. New Bearing/Hub (ZZP has fronts for $79, rears for $89)
2. New Bearing/Hub bolts 3 ea. (Old bolts have thread stretch from torque. Also the dealer changed the thread pitch recently so check the new bolts to the new bearing/hub prior to start of job.)
3. Tie-Rod and Ball-Joint separators
4. Hub Spindle Remover (presses the axle out of the spindle)
5. New Axle Nut (recommended)
6. Proper size ½” drive metric nut to fit front axle nut. (33mm?)
7. Tri-Flow lube (found at Fred Meyers or bike shops)
8. Scotch-Brite pads (auto parts stores in auto body supplies)
Bearing/Hub Removal Procedure:
1. With car on ground, loosen lug nuts then jack up car and place on
jack-stands, remove tire/wheel. Secure the rotor with two lug nuts.
2. Use impact wrench or breaker bar to loosen axle nut. To keep axle from turning when using breaker bar, place a screwdriver in-between the gap in the caliper and into the vent slots of the rotor.
3. Remove brake caliper, caliper bracket, and rotor:
A) Use a large C-clamp around the backside of the caliper and the
outboard brake pad and snug up the clamp.
B) Install a clear hose to the caliper bleeder valve and the other end into
a jar with a hole in the lid to snuggly retain the hose. Crack open the
bleeder valve ½ to ¾ turns then tighten the C-clamp until the piston is
Pushed into caliper bore enough to slide the caliper off. Tighten the
bleeder valve and remove the hose. No air will enter the caliper using
this method, therefore no brake bleeding required. I prefer this method
to letting the fluid back flush to the master cylinder which can cause a
mess.
C) Remove caliper bolts and remove the caliper. Tie the caliper up to
the strut spring out of the way.
D) Remove the caliper bracket bolts and caliper bracket.
E) Remove the rotor.
4. Remove front sway-bar end-link bolt and bushings from sway-bar
and “Lower Control Arm” (LCA).
5. Remove the tie-rod nut, then separate the tie-rod from the steering knuckle using either a tie-rod remover or a separator fork and sledge.
6. Remove the cotter pin from the ball joint castle nut. Loosen the nut 1 to 2 turns. Disconnect the ABS sensor connector, pop the harness retainer from the LCA, and move the harness out of the way. Using a ball-joint removal tool or separator fork, pop the ball-joint stud loose. Remove the ball-joint castle nut. Separate the ball-joint from the LCA. There is a bit of upward force on the LCA so it takes some effort to separate.
7. Separate the drive axle from the steering knuckle using a Hub/Spindle Remover. The shaft should press out easily. When the splines are separated, remove the tool and grasp the axle and steering knuckle and pull them apart. Lay the axle on the front end of the LCA.
8. Remove the wheel speed sensor electrical connector from the bracket using a small screwdriver to lift at the underside of the bracket.
9. Remove the wheel bearing/hub. I had to use a brass drift and a hammer tapping it out from the backside of the steering knuckle due to the corrosion that accumulated in the knuckle bore and the O.D. of the hub.
Bearing/Hub Replacement Procedure:
1. Use small wire brush and scotchbrite pads to clean the knuckle bore and all mating surfaces.
2. Install new wheel bearing/hub using the new bolts. Torque to 96 lb. ft.
3. Inspect axle shaft boots and splines prior to reinstalling. I use Tri-Flow on the splines of axle and hub prior to reassembly. Install axle to the bearing/hub.
4. Install the nut and tighten using impact wrench or ratchet. It’s not necessary to final torque yet, just get the axle partially secured.
5. Install wheel speed sensor electrical connector to the bracket at the bottom of the steering knuckle.
6, Install the sway-bar end-link bolt up through the LCA and install the lower bushings, washers, spacer and one upper bushing (Bolt will stay in place with the bushings installed). Align the ball-joint stud cotter pin hole front to back. Guide the end-link bolt into the sway-bar while inserting the lower ball-joint stud into the steering knuckle. Another person will be helpful to counter the tension of the LCA while aligning the bolt and stud. Install the ball-joint castle nut.
7. The torque of the castle nut is 50 lb. ft. but you can’t fit a torque wrench in there, so hand tighten with a wrench sufficiently and align the hole and install the cotter pin.
8. Install the end-link bolt bushing, washer, and nut then torque to 17 lb. ft. (need deep well socket for this and an “Inch-Pound Torque Wrench”)
9. Install the tie-rod end to the LCA and torque the nut to 22 lb. ft. plus 115 degrees of rotation.
10. Connect the ABS connector and install the harness retainer to the LCA.
11. Reinstall the rotor (hold in place with two wheel lugs).
12. Reinstall the caliper bracket and torque the bolts to 133 lb. ft.
13. Reinstall brake pads to caliper bracket. The wear sensor (spring steel tab) shall be at the outboard pad at the top.
14. Install the caliper over the pads. Clean and lube caliper bolts and boots with silicone brake grease. Torque the caliper bolts to 70 lb. ft.
15. Torque the axle nut to 159 lb. ft. Use the method with the screwdriver in-between the caliper gap and inserted into the rotor vent to secure axle.
16. Install tire/wheel and torque wheel lugs to 100 lb. ft.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Note: All torque values are taken from the dealer service manuals for an ‘02 GTP. The service manual set of 3 costs $135.
