Gonna try to change out my front wheel bearings, and a lot of people been saying it's easier with a bearings puller set. I found something that seemed to fit at harbor freight, but I didn't know if anyone here had a set I could borrow, or suggestions, or could simply say, "You don't need that, dumbass."

I'm new to this, and have convinced myself that I will therefore run a much higher risk of fucking it up if I don't go about it the "proper" way. Harbor Freight's set is below, and runs $40.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95987

2/2/2009 12:15:02 AM

year, make, model?

2/2/2009 12:48:39 AM

99 Ford Explorer 2wd - It's the kind that doesn't have the enclosed bearing where you replace everything at once (the 4x4's do).

I just keep hearing a lot of warnings about going at this without the right tool could be dangerous if you're not careful, and as said before, I'm new to the working on my own car thing. Honestly, I have an embarassingly small span of tools, almost nothing considered a "specialty" tool. I get the impression I'll need to get a torque wrench too since some of the work requires specific torque setting when reassembling.

I keep having to remind myself that it's still cheaper than paying someone $250 to do with I could learn to do and spend $50 on parts.

[Edited on February 2, 2009 at 12:53 AM. Reason : i guess I should say...]

2/2/2009 12:52:46 AM

its just a standard tapered roller bearing, do you have a bad one or what is the problem?

if the wheel feels loose, then pull the hub off, clean the bearings and inspect them, if there is no streaking or pitting, repack them with grease and set the right preload on them, if it is shot, then replace BOTH rotors, they already have the inner races pressed in, and buy new bearings, as cheap as rotors are, it hardly worth the trouble of pressing out the old races, pressing in new ones and turning the rotors


what exactly arfe your problems? are the balljoints worn out also?

2/2/2009 6:23:38 PM

I'm not too sure. At present, I had taken the car in to my mechanic to have two new tires added and he showed me that the front two wheels had a little play in them. He said it was probably the wheel bearings and my friend said it could possibly be the ball joints.

I'm not too savvy yet with this kind of stuff. My friend was going to help me get the wheels off and see what the dealie is. I went ahead and bought some bearings and seals, but haven't opened them yet. I have the receipt and can return them if I don't need them. At present, this is a learning experience.

^ If the bearings are bad, you saying I should replace the rotors too (as well as the bearings)?

2/2/2009 8:32:47 PM

very easy to tell, jack it up, and move the ire holding the top and bottom, if the whole spindle moves its the balljoints, if just the hubs move, its the bearings

if it is the bearings, and they aren't raising hell, then just pop off the dust caps, pull the cotter pins, and tighten the nut by hand until they bottom out, then tighten them just enough with a wrench until they line up with the closest hole to drop the pins back in, you don't even have to take the wheels off

2/2/2009 9:08:12 PM