DIY Front Wheel Bearing Repair
1
Place the vehicle in "park" or "neutral" and set the emergency brake. Remove any hubcaps on the front-end wheels. Loosen the wheel lug nuts, leaving two lugs per wheel, partially tight. Raise the chassis and place two jack stands under the frame near each wheel.
2
Use the proper socket to remove the two caliper bolts. Gently pull the caliper off of the rotor and support its weight with a bungee cord or wire hanger. Do not let it hang because the brake hose may stretch or break. Unscrew the two caliper mount bolts with the proper socket and set them aside. Remember how you removed the caliper mounts for installation purposes.
3
Remove the dust cover cap from the outside of the rotor. Pry it off with a slot screwdriver. Use wire cutters to remove the cotter pin that holds the large rotor nut in place, by snipping the flared ends and pulling it through. Remove the large rotor nut with a pair of channel locks, rotating it counterclockwise until it is completely off. Take out the nut spacer.
4
Tap the rotor firmly on its outside hub surface (not on the shiny rotor part) with a hammer. Shocking it with the hammer should free the rotor up. Pull the rotor from the axle shaft and set it down. Use the hammer and a round, flat-end chisel to gently tap the outer end of the bearing on all sides until it falls out. Turn the rotor over and repeat the process, tapping the other bearing out of its race. If you plan to reuse the old bearings, clean the bearings and the races with carburetor cleaner, removing all the old grease.
5
Place the old (or new) bearing in the palm of your hand and rub a large glob of grease over it. Compress your hands, forcing the grease inside the race. Fill the race completely full of grease and wipe off the excess. Lubricate the second bearing in the same fashion.
6
Place the bearings back into their race mounts inside the rotor. Use the hammer to tap them gently into place until they seat all the way down. Install the rotor back onto the axle shaft. Gently push it forward until the rotor sits flush against the axle stop. Be careful not to scrap or gouge the rotor while aligning and installing it back on the axle shaft.
7
Place the large rotor nut spacer back on the shaft. Screw the large rotor nut back on by hand until it seats. Use the channel locks to tighten the nut, while aligning the cotter pin slot at the same time. Do not over-tighten the nut to make it line up. Back it off a quarter of a turn from a firm tightness, to align the cotter pin slot hole. Install the new cotter pin and flare its ends. Place the rotor dust cap back on and gently tap it into its seat with a hammer.
8
Replace the caliper mounts and screw their bolts back in with the proper socket. Slip the caliper back over the rotor. Compress the brake disc pads outward with a screwdriver to make the caliper slide over the rotor with enough clearance. Replace and tighten the caliper bolts with the proper socket.
9
Place the wheel back on the axle and tighten the lug nuts as firmly as you can. Do not replace the hubcap until the other "front wheel bearings" repair has been performed on the other side.Perform the same repair operation on the opposite wheel. When the bearing job has been finished, lower the vehicle from the jack stands and tighten the lug nuts further. If you prefer an exact tightening pressure on the lug nuts, refer to an owner's manual for the correct pressure number and use a torque wrench. Replace the hubcaps. Test-drive the vehicle.
