HOW TO: Replace hub bearing

[Jroc26]

Pics at bottom

First of all you will need:

1/2 inch 3/8 socket 6 POINT, 12 POINT SOCKETS HAVE A WAY BETTER CHANCE OF STRIPPING THE BOLTS!!!
3/8 extension
3/8 ratchet
12mm 3/8 socket
3/4 1/2 inch socket
1/2 Breaker bar
36mm Socket
Torque wrench
Jack stands
Jack
Patience

First off with the car still on the ground, take off the center cap, use the 36mm socket with the 1/2 breaker bar and loosen the axle nut off a little so you can remove it the rest of the way with the car in the air.

Second: Use the 3/4 socket with the breaker bar to break the lug nuts loose so you can loosen them off with the car in the air.

Third: Jack up the vehicle high enough so the front wheels are off the ground and put jack stands under it. Take the jack and put it somewhere out of your way after

Fourth: With the 3/4 socket take the wheel lugs off, take the rim off and put it out of your way

Fifth: Use the 3/8 drive 12mm socket and 3/8 drive ratchet and remove the two bolts that hold the caliper to the mounting bracket.

Sixth: Use the 3/8 drive 1/2 SIX POINT socket and remove the bolts on the back of the caliper mounting bracket that secure it to the steering knuckle. You will probably need to put a pipe over the end of the ratchet for some extra torque as they are in there tight and be very careful not to strip the bolts, I used a 13mm 12 point socket and stripped the hell out of them, this made the job a lot harder 1/2 inch is the correct size, not 13mm as others say, 13mm will strip them. IF you strip them as I did, get an angle grinder and grind the bolts right down and pull the mounting bracket off, then use vice grips to turn whats left of them out of the bracket later on. You will then have to buy new caliper mounting bracket bolts from GM, they are $22 Canadian each, OUCH! Its also good to use penetrating lube on these bolts.

Seventh: Remove the three bolts that hold the hub assembly to the steering knuckle, there is one on the top right by the cv shaft, one almost behind the abs sensor connector, and one on the bottom near the front of the car. Disconnect the ABS sensor.

Eighth: Using the 36mm socket loosen the axle nut the rest of the way off. If you're lucky the hub assembly will just slide off the cv shaft, if not use a hub puller and pull it the rest of the way off.

Installation is the reverse of removal, your new hub assembly should come with torque instructions on how much to torque the new axle nut.

Here are some pics from when I did it, I stripped the caliper mounting bracket bolts so it was more of a headache than it should have been but was still pretty easy. Be confidant, I'm sure almost anyone can accomplish this and save a lot of money, I paid $55 dollars for each bearing and did it myself, much better than paying a shop $700 plus to do it.

On to the pics...

EDIT: I just realized that I put this in the wrong section, I didn't see the how to section last night when I posted it, but it was also 3am and I was tired lol

[hok666]

Needs to be Stickied??!?!?

[Shiwnath]

Awesome write up, but its been done:
http://www.aleromod.com/forums/showt...ht=hub+bearing

[sleepyalero]

700 to change hubs.. that's such an easy job and takes like no time.