Chevy TrailBlazer, TrailBlazer SS and GMC Envoy Forum banner

How to change Front Wheel Bearing.... (with Pics)

329K views 275 replies 146 participants last post by  Diamond193 
#1 ·
Hi all, :)

Yesterday I changed the Front Wheel Bearing of my truck. I took photos of the process for all to benefit from.

Photo 1:
Loosen the axle and the wheel nuts. Jack the truck up.

Photo 2:
Secure the rear wheel by placing the wheel locks behind and in front of it. Wheel locks come along with every truck.

Photo 3:
Remove the two bolts that hold the Brake assembly. Make sure that you start the engine every time you turn the steering wheel in order not to damage the steering rack assembly.

Photo 4 (2 photos):
Free the ABS sensor cable from all its mounting points and unplug it.

Photo 5:
Take the Brake Assembly off. Secure it in a way that protects the brake hose from damage.

Photo 6:
Hold the Brake Disc at the points shown and pull it out the hub. Careful not to touch the soft surface just to keep it clean and grease free.

Photo 7:
The bolts that hold the hub containing the bearing.

Photo 8A:
Remove the two bolts first. Then, turn the steering wheel all the way right to reach the third bolt. Make sure that you start the engine every time you turn the steering wheel in order not to damage the steering rack assembly.

Photo 8B:
The location of the third bolt that holds the hub. You can use closed end wrenches or sockets. I loosen and tighten with the first and remove with an automatic wrench. (The shoe has nothing to do with the process). :crackup:

Photo 9:
Place a nut on a wheel bolt and gently hammer it out. This is if you want to keep the bolts for future use as they get damaged easily especially when you don't remove them for a long period of time, like a year or more, or when your bad luck takes to a lousy craftsman who damages them for you.
By the way, using the truck with one of the nuts lost damages the wheel ring and causes lack of track control.

Photo 10:
Squeeze a regular screwdriver at the point shown with arrows and pull the bearing out. Installation is the reverse but don't forget to place the big O ring on the hub before installing it.

Photo 11:
To install a bolt back in the hub, make sure that you support the hub with a long socket to prevent bending it when you hammer the bolt in. It's clear in the photo. (You can use a hydraulic press if available)

Photo 12:
In order not to end up with lost bolts or nuts, or forgotten to return ones, I advise that you get yourselves a magnetic plate like the one shown here. it holds your bolts and nuts tight even if you work under the truck and you mount it on the chassis face down. Mine is Toptools brand. It's very cheap.
The other arrow shows where you should keep the wheel while working. This location prevents damage to the truck if the jack fails to hold it and in case it slips or falls.

That's all for now. It was a very easy thing to do.
 

Attachments

See less See more
14
#140 ·
Good afternoon.

I just finished replacing a wheel bearing hub assembly, drivers side, on my '02 Envoy. I printed out the directions and photos to have with me for the job.

Everything came off exactly as described and I located everything easily. I did need a gear puller to get the hub off and it did the job smoothly. Thanks for the directions and images they were very helpful.

Now I have to replace the other side soon. It will be the fourth hub in 110K miles. :mad: However, this time I bought a few tools (35 mm socket and gear puller) and a new Tomken Hub for $132 (Amazon) so it saved me some green. The last two replacements cost me nearly 400 for each.

My ride is much quieter now, I can actually hear Tom Petty and his Heartbreakers when they sing. The other side is humming but it isn't anywhere near as loud so it can wait until maybe the spring.

Thanks for the great article.
:thx :thx :thx
 
#6 ·
Wheel Bearing

Very good write up!

I curious how long they last? I have 161,000 miles on mine and still good, however I know they don't last forever.

These Trucks are amazing! I have and no mechanical failures in my 7 yrs of ownership other than the fan clutch at 115k and a few leaky seals on the 4wd.
 
#7 ·
Very good write up!

I curious how long they last? I have 161,000 miles on mine and still good, however I know they don't last forever.

These Trucks are amazing! I have and no mechanical failures in my 7 yrs of ownership other than the fan clutch at 115k and a few leaky seals on the 4wd.
You have been really lucky. The wheel bearing I changed lasted for a year and a half. At least I know the reasons for that. 1st, It wasn't genuine. 2nd I let a mechanic do it. You should thank God for your truck.:hail:
 
#9 ·
These Trucks are amazing
I've had to sink approx. $5000 into mine to keep it on the road and I'm just in the 90k's. No off-roading, no towing, no neglect, no abuse. This is my second one too. I traded out of the first at 35K, so count your blessings.


Getting back to the subject... I just replaced one of my front wheel bearings. It was a very easy job. I would venture to say anyone can successfully do this, at least on a 2wd. I bought a $63/free shipping bearing from ebay. As easy as it is to change, I don't mind if I have to do it again. I could do it 3 times for the price of a Timken from R.A. and 5 times for the price of OEM. I have a couple thousand miles and so far, so good.

1 question I have for you who have done it, is about the ABS sensor well. My original had grease in the cavity where the ABS sensor inserts. It was in all of the gear-teeth (sensor contact points) and seemed pretty heavy throughout the cavity. My new one was clean and had no grease. At first I thought that was the first sign of cheap, ebay construction-no grease. But since it is working well, I now think the grease in my original was not supposed to be there and was the result of the failed bearing.

Did anybody take note of this part of their's? Which way is it supposed to be? Grease or no grease?
 
#20 ·
1 question I have for you who have done it, is about the ABS sensor well. My original had grease in the cavity where the ABS sensor inserts. It was in all of the gear-teeth (sensor contact points) and seemed pretty heavy throughout the cavity. My new one was clean and had no grease. At first I thought that was the first sign of cheap, ebay construction-no grease. But since it is working well, I now think the grease in my original was not supposed to be there and was the result of the failed bearing.

Did anybody take note of this part of their's? Which way is it supposed to be? Grease or no grease?
I have not done this job, but it would seem to be that grease would be some sort of Dielectric grease. It keeps the contacts from getting water in them and corroding.

I may be wrong, but that is the only thing I could think of. This is different than regular grease.

Chris
 
#10 ·
Nice write-up, the only thing that would make it even better is adding in what size sockets each of the bolts took, but very well done. I just put new wheel bearings on my 95 grand am this past weekend. They were 15 years old and original. Much quieter now.
 
#13 ·
Tools Required??

Hi, I am new to this forum. I have an 03 Chev TB with 138K on it. The onlt real repair so far were the tie rods. Other than that, it has run like a top.

I have a bad front right wheel bearing so I figure that if one is bad, I will do both simce I will have all the tools assembled to execute the job.

What tools are required to change the bearing hub? I realize that I will need standard &/or metric open and box end wrenches, and sockets. However, how big is the socket in pic 1? 33MM, 35MM?

BTW, this is the best set of instructions I have seen so far...

THANKS!!

Tim
 
#14 ·
Hi, I am new to this forum. I have an 03 Chev TB with 138K on it. The onlt real repair so far were the tie rods. Other than that, it has run like a top.

I have a bad front right wheel bearing so I figure that if one is bad, I will do both simce I will have all the tools assembled to execute the job.

What tools are required to change the bearing hub? I realize that I will need standard &/or metric open and box end wrenches, and sockets. However, how big is the socket in pic 1? 33MM, 35MM?

BTW, this is the best set of instructions I have seen so far...

THANKS!!

Tim

Thank you for the nice words. The socket in Pic 1 is 35mm. Mostly you'll need 18mm closed-end wrench and 19mm socket for the wheel nuts and might be used for something else, I can't really remember now. I'll get back to you later when I've checked it out.:thx
 
#19 ·
Bearing change complete....

Thanks for your responses. I changed both front wheel bearings today. Took about three hours. First one was slow because I was being very cautious about what I was doing. Once I removed the three bolts securing the bearing hub, it slid out easily. The second one was a bit of a pain in that is seems it was quite stuck. But eventually it came loose.

Tool recomendation was very handy and all went well. Very easy job all in all. I main bolt holding everything in place is a 36MM and all others are 18MM as eeehabt stated.

I did find, however, that the right front tie rod is shot! I wonder how easy this is to replace.... Probably not as easy as the bearing!

Thanks Again!!:thx
 
#21 · (Edited)
Thanks for your responses. I changed both front wheel bearings today. Took about three hours. First one was slow because I was being very cautious about what I was doing. Once I removed the three bolts securing the bearing hub, it slid out easily. The second one was a bit of a pain in that is seems it was quite stuck. But eventually it came loose.

Tool recomendation was very handy and all went well. Very easy job all in all. I main bolt holding everything in place is a 36MM and all others are 18MM as eeehabt stated.

I did find, however, that the right front tie rod is shot! I wonder how easy this is to replace.... Probably not as easy as the bearing!

Thanks Again!!:thx


Hi,
You're welcome.

Is the tie the inner or the outer? If it's the outer one, its change is pretty easy, but you need do extra work after you've done it.

1- Lift the front of the truck and secure it. (right & left)
2- Align The steering wheel to the center.(how it drives forward without drifting right or left. (Important to remember the exact posture of the steering wheel)
3- Get a tape measure and note down the distances between the front wheels from the front side and the rear side. Don't panic if you find a slight difference. This is normal. Usually it's 2-3mm narrower in the front. (See picture)
4- Get someone to apply the brakes and you remove the wheel nuts of the side you're gonna work on.
5- Get two open-ended wrenches and loosen the lock nut on the tie. (Size differs according to model)
6- Remove the nut on the ball joint.
7- Use the ball joint removing tool to loosen it and free it (Preferable if available). If it's not available, get a heavy hammer and start knocking the part holding it until it is freed. (I hate using the hammer for such jobs).
8- Hold the inner tie rod with a press grip and turn the outer one loose until it's removed. (get rid of it in the nearest garbage can)
9- Fit the new one in its place and only tighten the ball joint nut.
10- Return the wheel and tighten the nuts.
11- Return the steering wheel to the exact posture you set it at before you removed the wheel. It must have moved while working)
12- turn the inner tie rod and keep measuring the distances between the front wheels until you restore the original distance. (Important to have someone help you keep the steering wheel in the correct posture when you measure it)
13- Tighten the lock nut and lower the truck down.
14- Test-drive it. If it drifts to the right, increase the distance between the front wheels at the front side. If it drifts to the left, decrease the distance. Apply the adjustment to the side you worked on. Don't interfere with the intact side.

This way you won't need to go to an alignment workshop and pay money for a job you can do with a tape measure.
A picture of the ball joint remover tool is down.
 

Attachments

#24 ·
2nd Go Round on bearings

Hey, thanks for all the great info. This is my first post...:) and of course, the question. I had that infamous "hum" of a bearing going bad at 37,000 miles! Dealer replaced it back then, $145.oo for labor, but each bearing for GM parts was $338.oo. Now at 71,000 miles, yup that "hum" is back!
I am unhappy to say the least :mad:, it is most prevalent at 40+ mph and really hums when turning left a that speed. Do you guys know if that would be right or left? Like others have indicated and found out this sounds really easy...thus the low labor cost but the bearings are outrageous. So, after I take my TB EXT back to dealer, and let them know my displeasure :hissy: if they won't replace the bearing for free(I'll pay the labor...of course). I may just do it on my own, I've done them before but on 60-70's vehicles.

Has anyone else heard of the bearings going out so quickly on the EXT versions?

THANX GUYS, glad I stumbled across this site!!:thumbsup:
 
#25 · (Edited)
Rag PA

Rag,

I can attest to this being easy as pie on my 2wd. Remove calipers and rotor and there it is - 3 bolts. I can't speak personally for how difficult it is to deal with the front drive shafts, though the bearing/hubs are the same, I think. They are all splined in the center for FWD shafts.

As far as the cost of the bearing, to each his own. But I bought a $63 unit from ebay with free shipping and after 3000 miles, I have no complaints. From my perspective, the Timkens that seem well recommended here are $180 on Rock Auto, so I could do the job 3 times for that price. The labor is plenty easy enough so I don't mind if it doesn't last as long. You're only averaging 35,000 miles on OEM, so how can it get much worse?

I got approx. 90,000 out of my original on the left and the right is still going. I know from my other vehicle, that with 4WD and All Terrain / Mud Terrain tires, uneven wear/shaky tires will wreak havoc on front end parts. Do you run bad riding tires just to get the mileage left on the tread? It seems something has to be at fault for so little mileage on the bearings to be failing.

If the noise goes away when you turn right, then it is your right that is bad. The right turn sends the intertia and weight to the left, so it lightens the load on the right and the noise goes away.

Direction for noise to go away= side of bad bearing


This is the exact bearing/seller I went with on ebay. I received it in less than a week. It is $63.60 "buy-it-now", so no bidding and there is no shipping charge.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/06-07-CHEVY-TRAILBLAZER-FRONT-WHEEL-BEARING-HUB-NEW_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem518a26cf34QQitemZ350210150196QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories
 
#26 ·
Bearings

TSB,
Thanks for the info, I always have just replaced both bearings at once so when one went bad both got changed, these being more affordable not OEM I may change out both unless the dealer will "deal". I usually change out tires when the tread indicators start to wear, infact the tires on it now arebrand new 1000 miles ago. So the tires aren't the culprit. I've never off roaded this TB it's a family hauler. I wonder if the dealer charged for both bearings and did only one? I agree and others are very suprised of the failure, especially with the low miles. My only thought is the 2003 4wd EXT version may be part of the problem, but I doubt it. Well, off to the dealer, or dirty knuckles.

Thanx Again

If anyone else has experienced a low mileage failure in a EXT, I am curious
 
#27 ·
Ebay

I considered changing both, but since I went the ebay route, I wasn't confident that what I was getting was better than the original that was still doing fine, so I didn't change it. Time will tell.

Honestly though, having done it once, I think I can do it again in 15 minutes, should the other side go bad or the ebay unit fail. It's almost equivalent to an oil change in difficulty. That's why IMO, it isn't worth spending the money on the high priced units. If the cheap one fails, changing it again is easy enough and I'll take the chance that 3 cheap units should outlast 1 high priced one. And further, with the way things have gone for me, it could well outlast the Trailblazer.
 
#29 ·
Great write up.

I think this is the issue with my wifes 2003 trailblazer 4x4. Its making a pretty loud and rough sound from the Drivers side wheel and has been getting worse, and while cruising at 50-60 and you turn the wheel to the right it becomes a louder high pitch sound. It does not make this additional sound at slow turns like at a stop sign.

So does this sound like its a front hub? My local Napa has the replacement for $155 or so.

Thanks in advance
 
#32 ·
Well got it changed out. It solved the problem, thanks again for this great write up. Its a pretty easy job I am not a mechanic but like to save money and like to see if I can do it. It took me a total of two hours a bit slow, but some of the bolts had almost 7 years of rust and crud on them. I have a Hayes manual and this write up is better. Also the Hayes manual scared me a bit because it says don't pull to hard when removing old hub because you dont want to seperate the CV. So for a while I just tapped here and there witht that fear, but I finally got it off and it all went back together and i had no extra parts left over...

Thanks again
 
#35 ·
Go back in time three days, and start using PB Blaster as has been mentioned many times. ;)

Or use a rubber mallet, dead blow hammer, or (in an emergency) put the nut partially back on the shaft and use a BFH onthe and of the axle. It's an impact that will break the corrosion lose. I never use a puller. If you grease the splines of the new hub when you reinsert the shaft, it may be easier next time.
 
#37 ·
I finally got it, with much effort and the puller. Greased up the new one, and it works perfectly now. No growling anymore. However, I will heed your advice next time I have to do this.

I was under the impression that the direction of turn for the noise indicates that it's the OTHER side that needs replacement, I.E. if you turn right and hear the noise then it's the left side that needs to be replaced. Am I correct?
This is how I diagnosed mine. The way other people suggested made zero sense to me, so I went with what I thought was right. When I turned to the right, putting more load on the driver's side wheel, it got louder. When turning left, taking the load of that wheel, it got quieter.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top