Front wheel Bearings - how hard are they to replace ('95 w/3800)???

yellowfiero · #1 08-31-2005, 08:31 PM

Is this an easy one? Anyone have experience with it?

LMP · #2 09-01-2005, 10:40 AM

Rather straight forward. Remove caliper and disk, loosen shaft nut (1 5/16") and unscrew it flush with shaft end then start punching shaft end to dislodge it from bearing (I use a soft piece of metal plate between hammer and shaft end to cushion hammer blows on shaft end so as not to distort it). It will dislodge quite easily then get the suspension strut out of the ball joint and finish the job of pushing the shaft out..you will need to pull the suspension assembly out to get the shaft out. Do not pull on the shaft too much so as not to damage bellows or dissaemble the CV joint. YOu can remove the three bolts (you need a T-55 Torks ) retaining the bearing/hub assembly early so you pull it out instead of the whole strut to free it from shaft. Using this method you do not even dissassemble the ball joint like I did....next time I will not.

I think this is the main story. I've got aftermarket hubs around 160 Canadian dollars. I've changed the left one twice but never the right one.

.....and yes, as suggested by CDRU, a puller is a neat option...but I'm good at beating without hurting (keep that in proper context please).
Some pictures from GM book: www.avigex.ca/xport/hubremove.jpg....

cdru · #3 09-01-2005, 05:13 PM

Or you can just use a puller designed for the task and avoid having to remove any supension component (I believe) as well as not having to beat anything.

yellowfiero · #4 09-01-2005, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdru

Or you can just use a puller designed for the task and avoid having to remove any supension component (I believe) as well as not having to beat anything.

Interesting - do you just put that over the studs and tighten the center to push the axle out?

cdru · #5 09-02-2005, 10:11 AM

Yup. You don't actually push the axel out as you pull the hub/bearing off. You use the axel as a pushing point much the same way you would use the crank when removing the crankshaft pully. I haven't actually done this although I do have a bearing goinging south and I'll get to it eventually. Their is a clear picture/procedure in the Haynes manual on how to do it.

66chevelle · #6 09-21-2005, 10:14 PM

What is the correct size socket to use on the nut? 32 or 34 MM. I dont think they use a fractional size.

LMP · #7 10-19-2006, 01:18 PM

Got to change right front hub assembly....that was the original, and it had started rumbling during a 2500km trip in August. Removal went really fine and by the way the shaft nut is exactly 1 5/16"....(33.37mm) not really metric in fact cause the next metric size that fits is 34mm, 33 being to tight--unless it is built with some tolerance--, but 34 does have some play.
TRied to use a puller to dislodge the shaft but the one I could rent at Canadian TIre (Powermax..I think) could not avoid the protruding hub center and I could not install the nuts. However, just knocking the loosened shaft nut using the 1 5/6 socket with an extension (it was a 3/4 drive.. pretty hefty) dislodged the shaft right away very easily and then, once the 3 hub retaining bolts were removed (using Torx55) the hub went off without hesitation. SOme components of the hub - the rear seal and ABS pickup - is ripped from the hub in the removal process but it comes out the same way after some grip is exerced.
THE not so funny thing that happened is once the hub was replaced, indeed a lot of growl was gone...(running it on the jack before did produce a convincing growl) but the test drive showed there were still some left....and it turned out the left rear hub was also shot . Curiously, the rear hub assembly is about 100$ more expensive than the front.(?!?) but I got one at the scrap yard for 75$.
Removing the rear hub proved much more difficult that the front, to my great surprise. It was stuck to the axle..and when it finally got out of the axle WITH the brake assembly, extracting it from the center hole of the brake flange required a lot of toll and pain....but finally it came off. It is not necessary to dissassemble the brake shoes though. THE ABS sensor was gone -- sensor was completely detached from the hub--so I though it could explain my ABS light....but once the replacement was tested (and any remaining growl was indeed gone) the ABS light came back anyway: I think the right rear sensor could be gone too...

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