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Wheel Bearing Replacement


laxman21
09-15-2006, 10:26 AM
99 blazer 4x4. front left.


What is involved with replacing it?

muzzy1maniac
09-15-2006, 10:47 AM
It's pretty easy. Do a search on it and you'll find a ton of detailed info. The only special tool you'll need is a 36mm socket.

laxman21
09-15-2006, 11:12 AM
It's pretty easy. Do a search on it and you'll find a ton of detailed info. The only special tool you'll need is a 36mm socket.


I did, and didn't find much. That's why I asked.

goser
09-15-2006, 12:17 PM
Also need a torque wrench capable of 180 ft-lbs, and I used a gear puller to separate the cv.

Loosen 36mm axle nut
Pop off the wheel, caliper, rotor.
Disconnect ABS Sensor wire
Locate and remove 3 18mm? bolts on back of bearing
Remove axle nut and hub from CV axle
Clean surfaces
Install is reverse

Torquing the 3 bolts back up is a bitch 'cause you can't get a wrench in there. I guessed and luckily re-checked after a bit for the top bolt had loosed itself.

BlazerLT
09-15-2006, 12:31 PM
You will have to replace the whole bearing hub. Not just one bearing just FYI.

laxman21
09-15-2006, 03:28 PM
You will have to replace the whole bearing hub. Not just one bearing just FYI.

I was wondering if I could do that. One shop said they could for $130, about 5 other wanted to replace the whole thing for $450.


I'll have it done for $130, as thst's only $30 more than the hub.

billibong
09-15-2006, 03:51 PM
The hub itself is about $150-180, and that doesn't include the labor charge. I would question the shop that says they can do it for less than the cost of the Hub Assembly - they might not realise that you have to replace the entire assembly.
The job takes about 1.5 - 2.0 hours, and isn't all that hard. The Haynes manual has a pretty good procedure, that's what I used and I had never done one before. I have done both of mine now, within 10K of each other.
It really isn't that hard. You can "borrow" the puller, torque wrench and 36mm socket from the loaner program at Advanced Auto or AutoZone. I think the torque specs for the 99 is around 85 ft/lbs, but that is given in the haynes manual also.
While you have is apart grease everything that you can see and check your ball joints, I/O tie rod ends and pitman/idler arm. It is easier to get to some of these while the wheel and hub are off.
Also, if you haven't done your Upper Control Arm Bushings, now is a good time to get them taken care of. Pretty easy since you have almost everything removed to get to the UCA bolts.
Good Luck, and let us know how it goes, and what you decide.
bill

laxman21
09-15-2006, 04:06 PM
The hub itself is about $150-180, and that doesn't include the labor charge. I would question the shop that says they can do it for less than the cost of the Hub Assembly - they might not realise that you have to replace the entire assembly.
The job takes about 1.5 - 2.0 hours, and isn't all that hard. The Haynes manual has a pretty good procedure, that's what I used and I had never done one before. I have done both of mine now, within 10K of each other.
It really isn't that hard. You can "borrow" the puller, torque wrench and 36mm socket from the loaner program at Advanced Auto or AutoZone. I think the torque specs for the 99 is around 85 ft/lbs, but that is given in the haynes manual also.
While you have is apart grease everything that you can see and check your ball joints, I/O tie rod ends and pitman/idler arm. It is easier to get to some of these while the wheel and hub are off.
Also, if you haven't done your Upper Control Arm Bushings, now is a good time to get them taken care of. Pretty easy since you have almost everything removed to get to the UCA bolts.
Good Luck, and let us know how it goes, and what you decide.
bill




That was for replacing the $7 dollar bearing, that's why it is cheaper.


Thanks for the advise, I am fixing this for inspection to sell it.


Anyone intrested in a 99 blazer?

BlazerLT
09-15-2006, 11:55 PM
Yea, if they think they can replace the bearing, they will be hurting to do it.

laxman21
10-27-2006, 11:13 PM
well, I replaced it myself. Bearing cost $99.

Need a puller and a big air gun to remove that nut! Mine wasn't powerful enough but a heavy equipment mechanic from work stopped by and got his out. And his big old torque wrench!

BlazerLT
10-28-2006, 12:00 AM
Breaker bar will work too.

laxman21
10-31-2006, 09:34 AM
Breaker bar will work too.



Another tool i didn't have, but need to get.

muzzy1maniac
10-31-2006, 09:42 AM
Another tool i didn't have, but need to get.

Just a tip on breaker bars... A small breaker bar or even a standard ratchet can be enhanced with a metal pipe or even a PVC pipe over the handle. I was doing this exact repair and I don't have a 1/2" breaker bar. The only thing in the shop was PVC pipes so I gave it a shot and it worked like a dream.

Sometimes you just need to be a little creative...

BlazerLT
10-31-2006, 04:34 PM
Just a tip on breaker bars... A small breaker bar or even a standard ratchet can be enhanced with a metal pipe or even a PVC pipe over the handle. I was doing this exact repair and I don't have a 1/2" breaker bar. The only thing in the shop was PVC pipes so I gave it a shot and it worked like a dream.

Sometimes you just need to be a little creative...

Not a smart thing to do. They are only made for a certain amount of force.

NEVER extend a rachet or a smaller breaker bar like that. It isn't meant for it.

I had a friend do that in front of me and the bar snapped and swung up and caught him and broke his jaw and 4 teeth.

Get the proper tool and save yourself some pain.

laxman21
11-01-2006, 08:23 AM
PVC?! I don't think so.

JoulesWinfield
11-02-2006, 10:48 AM
I have herd both stories, "gotta replace the whole hub", "you can just replace the bearings".
Never done it myself, but my neighboor had a Bravada that needed a wheel bearing and it only cost $50 bucks for the local shop to replace the bearing only. Even the Chiltons says the whole assembly.

All I know for sure is the bearing was bad when I looked at it, and when he got it back from the shop the bad bearing was now good.

BlazerLT
11-02-2006, 11:32 AM
I have herd both stories, "gotta replace the whole hub", "you can just replace the bearings".
Never done it myself, but my neighboor had a Bravada that needed a wheel bearing and it only cost $50 bucks for the local shop to replace the bearing only. Even the Chiltons says the whole assembly.

All I know for sure is the bearing was bad when I looked at it, and when he got it back from the shop the bad bearing was now good.

It's a sealed unit. It cannot be opened to replace the bearing without significantly damaging it unless it was a bearing shop and they were able to somehow open it up with damage.

JoulesWinfield
11-03-2006, 06:22 AM
It's a sealed unit. It cannot be opened to replace the bearing without significantly damaging it unless it was a bearing shop and they were able to somehow open it up with damage.

Im just telling you what happened. Go ahead and say it cant be done, but it was. For me, if I needed to replace my wheel bearing, I would by the hub and swap it out. But this isnt the first time Ive had someone tell me that they changed just the bearing.

LS19962DRBLAZER4X4
11-14-2006, 11:11 AM
Just don't let a dealership do the job. I had my hub done for $290.00
labor parts included. My service station did the job back in 2001.
96LS 2Dr 4x4 S-10 Blazer

Emmitt101
11-15-2006, 08:39 AM
Bought my hub from Autozone for $112. Not a hard fix. About two hours. Be sure you have the socket and torque wrench.

skyzend
11-15-2006, 09:53 AM
I've replaced about 3 myself and 4 under warranty ... Ive got another one to do this weekend ... they don't last long about 80KM or so. My 1999 Blazer is over 300KM.

I have examined the bearing many times on either side and I fail to see how anyone could just replace the bearing in the hub assembly. The whole thing is sealed and contains the antilock stuff. There are no access points at all for even special tools ... It is definately a throw away.I'd say anyone who says that they can do it for only the cost of a bearing is waiting to get you on a hoist with the hub off before they spring the bad news on you. I even bet the parts list includes ball joints and more.

If it was possible to do the bearing I'm sure the final result would not be properly sealed. One thing I can say is that the bearing lasts a very long time once it starts to "hum" indicating it is worn. On other vehicles I have owned once the bearing starts to make noise it needs to be replaced right away or it will outright fail destroying the rotor and brake pads. The blazer hub starts to make a loud hum and I have driven for thousands of KM and never had an outright failure.

BlazerLT
11-15-2006, 03:00 PM
Bought my hub from Autozone for $112. Not a hard fix. About two hours. Be sure you have the socket and torque wrench.

Watch those china hubs, they are known to fail fast.

wirenut699
11-15-2006, 08:18 PM
From what I've read here at AF the older blazers (pre-1998?) has replaceable bearings.

Is it possible someone retrofitted an old wheel assembly onto the newer blazer thereby making the bearings replaceable?

Is it even possible? Maybe done after a serious collision.

BlazerLT
11-15-2006, 09:04 PM
I have a 1995 and it is a hub.

4x4's require a hub replacement. 2x4's are replaceable bearings.

JoulesWinfield
11-16-2006, 07:17 AM
Im not sure how some people say they can replace just the bearing.
But I would think it would be easier to just swap out the assy all together since the races would be damaged and Im sure would be pressed in.

metallica21156
12-11-2006, 07:32 PM
i don't know if mines a bearing or not. about 2 months ago i hit a curb on the drivers side. ever since then its been driving me mad. swaped out the front axle due to play on the drivers side, drivers side cv axle since it crushed the thing and you could hear and feel it clunking around. all is fine with that but still when i go around a right turn at 45 or higher i get a humming kind of noise. it pulses. only turning right and only about 45. could it be the hub and how would have hitting the curb killed it. 88,890 miles on it now.

BlazerLT
12-11-2006, 09:20 PM
Yip, sounds like it would be that.

metallica21156
12-11-2006, 10:01 PM
ok. just checking before i replace it and didn't need to.

DelCoch
12-12-2006, 10:19 AM
. . . The whole thing is sealed and contains the antilock stuff. There are no access points at all for even special tools ...
On my '95 4x4, without realizing the front bearings were the sealed type, I put a wheel puller on it and with a lot of great effort I pulled the hub. Seeing it was a sealed unit I put it back together with an impact wrench and a big hammer. That was about 15K ago. I then expected the bearing to fail, but so far, so good. (knock on wood) If a replacement bearing was/is available I could have replaced just the bearing.

tcjimmy
12-17-2006, 06:48 PM
Any comments on where to get a new hub assembly. I replace one 40000 mile ago it is going bad again. Or is 40000 miles average for these?

Thanks
TCjimmy

BlazerLT
12-17-2006, 06:51 PM
Any comments on where to get a new hub assembly. I replace one 40000 mile ago it is going bad again. Or is 40000 miles average for these?

Thanks
TCjimmy

What brand was yours?

JoulesWinfield
12-18-2006, 06:12 AM
Any comments on where to get a new hub assembly. I replace one 40000 mile ago it is going bad again. Or is 40000 miles average for these?

Thanks
TCjimmy
I did some searching around the internet and found one of the OE suppliers that now distributes them through independant dealers. They reffered me to www.traditiontruckservice.com, $144.00 for two shipped. Couldnt beat that price with the jap parts. Rock auto wants $157.00 for one plus shipping. The way I see it, if I have to replace them again its still cheaper. Plus how many more miles am I going to put on my 11 year old truck with 150k miles on it.

The barrage of "those parts wont last" will immediatly follow this reply.

tcjimmy
12-18-2006, 08:55 AM
What brand was yours?

Purchased it from Autozone

Cloud Strife
12-18-2006, 09:02 AM
Purchased it from Autozone

There is your problem. I went through 2 in a matter of 4 months.

BlazerLT
12-18-2006, 02:15 PM
Purchased it from Autozone

Yip, china wheel bearings will lead to this.

Get a good GM unit and it will last you 2-3 times the Autozone ones will.

This is one area where it pays NOT to be cheap.

Not saying you are cheap......;)

tcjimmy
12-18-2006, 02:27 PM
Anyone have a good connection for a GM hub assembly?

BlazerLT
12-18-2006, 02:29 PM
Yea, it is called RockAuto.

JoulesWinfield
12-19-2006, 06:30 AM
You're gonna love the price "$296.79" each.

I found the part numbers and searched around with those numbers. I really dont think these bearing/hub assemblies are made "on the line" anymore. Thats partly why the price is so high.

Call it "cheap" if you want, but the bearings that I bought are american made and distributed by a company a couple hours away from my house. The manufacturers web site is www.wheelbearingsinc.com check them out.

Or spend 4 times as much for the GM parts.

The guys on here are right that if you buy OEM parts you are getting a top quality part. I just cant see paying that much all the time.

BlazerLT
12-19-2006, 02:08 PM
The wheel bearing is only $333 which I don't think is 4 times the price.

ACDelco part

http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail.aspx?mfrcode=ACD&mfrpartnumber=FW127

JoulesWinfield
12-20-2006, 07:53 AM
The wheel bearing is only $333 which I don't think is 4 times the price.
Well if I can get the bearings for $72ea. Then $333 is 4.625 times the price.
[333/72=4.625]

tcjimmy
12-20-2006, 08:50 AM
I contacted Wheel Bearings Inc. to see if they had a dealer in my area. There weren't any. Mike from Wheel Bearings Inc gave me a dealer that sells their bearings on Ebay. The ebay stor is called Wheel Bearings Direct. Their Phone number is 989-731-6843 ask for Ryan. The price quated to me was 78.99 for my Jimmy.

Don't take this as a recomendation from me. I'm just passing the Information.

BlazerLT
12-20-2006, 09:30 AM
Well if I can get the bearings for $72ea. Then $333 is 4.625 times the price.
[333/72=4.625]

He needs a whole hub assembly, not a bearing.

Show me where a Blazer complete hub is $72.

frehol
12-20-2006, 12:23 PM
Is there actually anyone who has seen a front hub for a 4wd Blazer/S10 having bearings replaced or is it all hear-say?

Is there a possibility of confusion with 2wd? Maybe 2wd have hubs that can have the bearings replaced?

just a thought...

//F

laxman21
12-20-2006, 02:06 PM
He needs a whole hub assembly, not a bearing.

Show me where a Blazer complete hub is $72.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=017&category=42614&sspagename=STORE%3APROMOBOX%3ANEWLIST&viewitem=&item=270069129710


Well , $79.

BlazerLT
12-21-2006, 01:37 AM
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=017&category=42614&sspagename=STORE%3APROMOBOX%3ANEWLIST&viewitem=&item=270069129710


Well , $79.

AC Delco hub, not some generic parts.

JoulesWinfield
12-21-2006, 02:00 PM
He needs a whole hub assembly, not a bearing.
Show me where a Blazer complete hub is $72.
I know he needs a whole assembly, I was just reffering to them as a bearing.
Its been pretty well established that you have to change the hub assembly.

I think the Wheel Bearings Direct ebay store is the same guys that I bought mine from.

AC Delco hub, not some generic parts.

Of course youre not going to find anything from AC Delco for less than a small fortune.

Those "hubs" are still American made by an oem, and come with a warranty.

Bryan Burkhalter
09-27-2007, 10:21 PM
This is my first post here, so please, be gentle with me.

I am looking at replacing both my front hub bearings on my 2000 GMC Jimmy (4-door/2-wheel drive). I found this http://www.shop.com/GMC_S_15_Jimmy_Wheel_Bearing_Hub_Front-40719646-p!.shtml and was wondering if it is the correct part? I may not buy that specific item, but moreso am curious if that's the right item I need. I have seen some on the internet that describe the part as having the ABS sensor, and some say nothing about it. I'm just worried I am going to order the part, tear apart my truck, and find out I forgot to order "this cable" or "that bolt".

Any information you folks in-the-know could provide would be greatly appreciated.

(some gee-whiz info: My bearings have been humming since the spring of 2006. I have since driven from Alb, New Mexico to Biloxi MS, and have put around 15K on the truck since the hum began. It has gotten progressivley worse, but has not failed yet. I'm at a hair over 120K total on the truck today)

Bryan B.

GirlBear
09-28-2007, 06:20 AM
Breaker bar will work too.
Im a girl and i got it off with out an air gun. Just got a big craftsman rachet and a peice of pipe for leverage came right off.

old_master
09-28-2007, 06:13 PM
The link you posted is for the bearing/hub assemblies for 4WD. Yours being 2WD are much cheaper and simpler to replace. Remove the wheel and unbolt the caliper, do not disconnect the hydraulic line. Remove the hub cover and cotter pin. Remove the spindle nut, washer, and outer bearing. Remove the rotor and remove the inner bearing and seal. Drive out the old bearing cups from the rotor and install the new cups. Pack the new bearings with grease and reassemble. Total parts cost for both sides should be about $60.00 or less.

Bryan Burkhalter
09-29-2007, 03:43 AM
I appreciate the response. I am a bit confused, but I may have the reason why. I was informed by a small automotive repair shop that they were sealed bearings, and also had them checked out at another service station during a seperate issue. Both places had told me they were sealed bearings. From what I gather, the 2wd is not supposed to have this type? If I do in fact have sealed bearings, I believe the reason may be due to a large vehicle accident I had back in 2005. The front end of my truck was struck from the side while I was sitting still. The other vehicle was a Ford F-350, traveling at approximately 65-70mph. The damage was substantial, but the insurance company wouldn't label it as "totaled", so it ended up being repaired. I am thinking the repair shop may have swapped in a sealed set. Is it possible/feasable? Anyhow, I plan on placing my Jimmy on a jack tomorrow, removing the wheel and taking some pictures to post here. Thank you for your time.

Bryan B.

old_master
09-29-2007, 07:57 AM
4WD has 2 sets of sealed ball bearings in each hub assembly. They are serviced by replacing the entire hub assembly.

2WD has 2 sets of tapered roller bearings in each hub. Each set of bearings, and the hubs, can all be serviced individually.

The two types of hubs and bearings are not interchangeable.

(The website in post #47 has a misprint, should say "4WD".)

blazee
09-29-2007, 12:54 PM
This is my first post here, so please, be gentle with me.

I am looking at replacing both my front hub bearings on my 2000 GMC Jimmy (4-door/2-wheel drive). I found this http://www.shop.com/GMC_S_15_Jimmy_Wheel_Bearing_Hub_Front-40719646-p!.shtml (http://www.shop.com/GMC_S_15_Jimmy_Wheel_Bearing_Hub_Front-40719646-p%21.shtml) and was wondering if it is the correct part? I may not buy that specific item, but moreso am curious if that's the right item I need. I have seen some on the internet that describe the part as having the ABS sensor, and some say nothing about it. I'm just worried I am going to order the part, tear apart my truck, and find out I forgot to order "this cable" or "that bolt".

Any information you folks in-the-know could provide would be greatly appreciated.

(some gee-whiz info: My bearings have been humming since the spring of 2006. I have since driven from Alb, New Mexico to Biloxi MS, and have put around 15K on the truck since the hum began. It has gotten progressivley worse, but has not failed yet. I'm at a hair over 120K total on the truck today)

Bryan B.Yes, those are the correct ones. I would recommend buying the hubs locally, that way if you have problems you can go trade them in and be up and going the same day. When purchased online, your vehicle will be out of service for a long time if you have to send them back under warranty.

This thread is over a year old, and will have to be closed. Feel free to start a new one if you have any further questions on this or any other subject.

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