Front Wheel Bearings on '99 2WD

I am new to this forum so please forgive me if this comes out wrong. I have scanned hundreds of posts and have not seen any one address how to get at the front wheel bearings on my '99 2WD LS Blazer. The hub does not have the usual grease cup covering the castle nut on the spindle. It appears to be some kind of sealed thing not meant to come off. Am I missing something obvious or is there a trick to getting at the bearings??

99BlazerLS

Seems as if you are having the same problem as I am. Mine is a 2000 Blazer with 4 wheel disc anti lock brakes. You have to remove the wheel and brake caliper unplug the sensor wire. Then loosen the 4 bolts on the backside that attaches the hub to the vehicle, So far I haven't gotten any replies on how to replace the wheel brgs or the part numbers to order the bearings or the whole assembly. I've checked several parts houses with no luck finding the bearings or the hub assembly.They are simply not listed in any parts catalogs around here. Although the friendly Chevrolet dealer will gladly sell you a hub assembly for around $478.00 and even present it with a smile! I would assume that you are in need of some wheel brgs or you wouldn't be asking how to get at them. Sorry, I know this is no help to you but maybe a little informative. Maybe someone on this forum will read this post and have a solution.

Thank you for the info. As you probably are, I am hoping it is much simpler to deal with the bearings than buying a complete new hub assembly. GM has done some pretty stupid things (like our one piece fuel pump / sending unit-I love that one) but I hope they weren't dumb enough to take something so simple and screw it up. Probably just another way to squeeze money out of us. I will keep you informed if and when I turn anything up.

i went trough this myself, and I hate to say it to you guys but you are both screwed, GM only sells the HUB assembly, complete with the abs sensor, and yeah it cost right about $450, if you ask nicely you might be able to get it for wholesale which is $350, at the dealer. it is not a hard fix but it is costly

the bearings cannot be repacked and though they list different parts it only seem like you can get the entire assembly

the following is from gmparts direct. best of luck

WHEEL BEARING
Application Part Number
RWD, Front,Inner 457196
Front,Outer 14066918

WHEEL HUB
Application Part Number
RWD, Front 15731627

ABS SPEED SENSOR
Application Part Number
RWD 15731969

Hey it seems Clariveros has given us some relief, As he stated it is still costly but much better than the other option. I have asked gmpartsdirect a few questions about the hub and I will post the answers as I receive them. Anyway you look at it $173.00 is much better than $478.00 ! Thanks again Clariveros!

I have done this before and unless you have a very good and stout hydraulic press, you in for a treat. You may have to take the hub assembly to someone that can press them out and back in.

And us 4x4 guys don't have a choice of repacking...sealed units.

Thank you guys, especially you Clariveros for the details. Anybody have any idea why GM would pull such a smooth move to change a simple bearing assembly that works just fine on millions of other front ends??

Hey guys the reply is in from gmpartsdirect.com. They said the only way you can service the bearings or the sensor is to buy the hub assembly part #15731627 and it is complete with speed sensor and bearings, Mikado, you posted about changing bearings with a hydraulic press. That would be a cheaper alternative, do you recall where you purchased the bearings?

You can swap out the bearing separately.

I suggest you buy a haynes or chiltons repair manual. It tells you what to do.

Seems as if you are having the same problem as I am. Mine is a 2000 Blazer with 4 wheel disc anti lock brakes. You have to remove the wheel and brake caliper unplug the sensor wire. Then loosen the 4 bolts on the backside that attaches the hub to the vehicle, So far I haven't gotten any replies on how to replace the wheel brgs or the part numbers to order the bearings or the whole assembly. I've checked several parts houses with no luck finding the bearings or the hub assembly.They are simply not listed in any parts catalogs around here. Although the friendly Chevrolet dealer will gladly sell you a hub assembly for around $478.00 and even present it with a smile! I would assume that you are in need of some wheel brgs or you wouldn't be asking how to get at them. Sorry, I know this is no help to you but maybe a little informative. Maybe someone on this forum will read this post and have a solution.
I have 1999 with 74,000 had to replace left one at 63,000, and right at 71,000... my new beetle has 130,00 and still smooth.. I purchased my at advanced aoto parts for 130 for the complete assembly.. .. This is also a know problem, and gm ignores the problem, just like the turn signal assembly on 1999 has no problems... yeh right.. gm need to recall this item too.. it will be my last gm product.. simple items like these should not fail at these miles....

Comparing a blazer front suspension to a beetle is a little biased don't you think.

One is a truck, one is a car.

One weighs 4000lbs, the other maybe 3500lbs max.

Hey guys the reply is in from gmpartsdirect.com. They said the only way you can service the bearings or the sensor is to buy the hub assembly part #15731627 and it is complete with speed sensor and bearings, Mikado, you posted about changing bearings with a hydraulic press. That would be a cheaper alternative, do you recall where you purchased the bearings?

The bearings were purchase through one of our jobbers where I work - Berrodin Parts Wharehouse. They have locations in southeast PA and northern Delaware. If you find a jobber that supplies parts to shops, and I don't mean Pep Boys or equivalent, you should be able to get them. Just be prepared for a job. We have a 60 ton press and it was tough to get them out. Also, remember when you press in the new ones to press only on the outer race.

Mikado 14, Replacing the bearings sounds like a much cheaper solution, Can you get an aftermarket bearing part number like skf, bca or timken for the inner and outer bearings for a 2000 blazer 2wd front hub. I'm just not getting anywhere around here. Everyone is stuck on changing the whole assembly and don't show it nor the bearings, Their solution is go to GM and pay the price! I'm just having problems with laying down and taking that!

Mikado 14, Replacing the bearings sounds like a much cheaper solution, Can you get an aftermarket bearing part number like skf, bca or timken for the inner and outer bearings for a 2000 blazer 2wd front hub. I'm just not getting anywhere around here. Everyone is stuck on changing the whole assembly and don't show it nor the bearings, Their solution is go to GM and pay the price! I'm just having problems with laying down and taking that!

Here you go, these are numbers from our jobber at work.

BCA Bearings

GM 457196 = BCA A6 $6.47 ea

GM 14066918 = BCA A34 $6.66 ea

These bearings are listed for a 2000 2WD Blazer. Hope they crossed them right.

Posted by 99BlazerLS - 12-23-2004 at 01:39 PM

Thank you guys, especially you Clariveros for the details. Anybody have any idea why GM would pull such a smooth move to change a simple bearing assembly that works just fine on millions of other front ends??



LOL! They do it so they can make more money, well maybe not but it sure seems that way. when i went to get the hub assemblly at the dealer, they had it in stock easy money. And what is worse now at least you can get the bearing separatly gmpartsdirect, which at the time when i needed it, only listed the hub assembly and with the high shipping cost it was cheaper getting it at the dealer. also i found that they are impossible to get at autopart stores . so good luck. and check out http://www.harborfreight.com/ they sell cheap tools and if your order is more than $50.00 shipping is free maybe you can get a press there, good luck

Here you go, these are numbers from our jobber at work.

BCA Bearings

GM 457196 = BCA A6 $6.47 ea

GM 14066918 = BCA A34 $6.66 ea

These bearings are listed for a 2000 2WD Blazer. Hope they crossed them right.

After a little more research yesterday at work, it appears these numbers that were posted ( GM 457196 and GM 14066918 ) by someone on the board are not for a Blazer. I called the GM dealer that we get our parts through and those numbers are for an S10 Pickup. According to them, the pickup has a spindle whereas the Blazer has a hub. Confused? So am I. I am going to go look at it and get a number. The Blazer (2WD) has a unique hub assembly. The 4WD hub is cheaper but will not work.

I got those part numbers of gmpartsdirect.com, I apologize if they are incorrect.

Mikado 14

They crossed the numbers right but they are cup and cone for the front of a 2wd S-10 truck! I had the parts man pull the bearings to make sure. How long ago was it that you changed yours out? Reckon that jobber would recall what brg you used?

Mikado 14

They crossed the numbers right but they are cup and cone for the front of a 2wd S-10 truck! I had the parts man pull the bearings to make sure. How long ago was it that you changed yours out? Reckon that jobber would recall what brg you used?

It wasn't my truck, it was a job in the shop and it was May or June. The reason we changed the bearing out was that the GM dealer did not have the hub and the truck was needed by the customer. We took the number off of the bearing and got one. I will stop by the Dealer and see if he has one in stock and see if I can read the number on the bearing.

Does anyone have any idea why the Blazer is different than the pickup. They share so many parts, why a different front wheel assembly?? Especially since there are a bizillion vehicles on the road with the regular bearing setup. Would it be better to change the whole spindle assembly so you can use regular S-10 bearings?

Does anyone have any idea why the Blazer is different than the pickup. They share so many parts, why a different front wheel assembly?? Especially since there are a bizillion vehicles on the road with the regular bearing setup. Would it be better to change the whole spindle assembly so you can use regular S-10 bearings?





Changing the whole spindle assembly would probably work, but without the speed sensor the antilock brakes would not work correctly, I thought about this myself. I'm holding out for Mikado 14 and the bearing numbers, seems like that is the only option besides going to gmpartsdirect.com

I went to the GM Dealer today, and they finally got a 2WD front hub in stock. I asked the dealer to look at it and he brought it out.

On the bearing it reads:

TIMKEN ************* 94 JRM 4500

It appears that GM is having the bearing number stamped out. Not having an original that would still have the number I can't help beyond that.

GM is probably having the number starred out for some reason, but I don't know. I will say this, the outer race of the bearing where it is pressed into the hub is blued as if it has been heated. They might be doing a heat shrink much like they do on locomotive tires, but I am not sure.

i dont know what anyone else paid but i paid $85.09 for my hub assy from napa auto parts.:wink:

I come offering some help advice, as i have just recently (2 weeks ago) replaced my front drivers hub.


For anyone not knowing (as far as most of your autoparts stores are concerned) Napa is probably the cheapest for your parts. I paid $106 if i remeber correctly for my front hub assembly. There arent any places to grease it and it is a sealed unit.

To replace it i/you have to remove the tires and brake system (i just disconnected my brake line at the caliper as i needed to bleed my brakes anyway and it gets it out of your way) then remove the 2 (brass?) ring like things that are on the wheel studs holding the rotor inplace, then there are 3 bolts on inside of the spindle area and you must remove them (18mm if i remeber correctly) and now your rotor and hub assembly should pull right off (you may need the help of a hammer). Now just put your new Hub Assembly in and your good to go.

Also from what i have seem from my research online most people who get the "Humm" at about 75mph it is from one of the front hub assemblys being bad and it is usually the drivers side for some reason....