Changed my first wheel bearing yesterday...

"Manwich - now Keto-Friendly" (manwich)
09/24/2017 at 18:26 • Filed to: None

.. and it was pretty easy.

The wheel bearings on the old 2005 Focus wagon are integrated with the brake drum. You can get the drum without the bearing, but it would be idiotic since you wouldn’t save more than $10.

The job was pretty easy... if you know how to remove a brake drum on the Focus, then you can replace the bearing.

Here is the old drum:

Notice how part of the bearing fell out and is lying to the left.

This drum is only a little over a year old... it was replaced by a mechanic who replaced it as part of servicing the rear brakes. I suspect that given the bearing got noisy in less than a year after that service, I suspect the mechanic either cut corners or did something stupid.

I don’t go to that mechanic anymore.

Here is the new drum with the bearing:

Not pictured is also a new axle nut and new dust cap.

The repair was a great success. No more howling from my rear driver side wheel at highway speeds.

And here is a caterpillar that was hanging out with me on my driveway while I was doing the repair:

DISCUSSION (8)

DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
09/24/2017 at 19:14

Probably just a shit part. I’ve been amazed at the POS parts the major chain parts stores have sold me.

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
09/24/2017 at 20:59

Could’ve also not replaced the bearing, or set the preload too tight.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
09/25/2017 at 04:24

maybe he used the wrong type of grease or insufficient amount.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > pip bip - choose Corrour
09/25/2017 at 10:00

Maybe.

The old bearing did have evidence of old grease on it.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc
09/25/2017 at 10:05

One other aspect... the drum/bearing is supposed to be turned as you’re tightening it. I tightened it, turned it a bit, tightened it some more. Also turned it and hammered it evenly as I was putting the drum on the spindle.

And for all I know, they might have used an air gun to tighten the axle nut instead of torquing it carefully by hand the way I did.

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
09/25/2017 at 11:46

Yeah, it’s a feel kind of thing, I’m sure there is a specific torque for hub nut, but I’ve always set by tight then back off a 1/4-1/2 turn and you’re good to go. But cheap parts or improper grease application could just as easily trash it.

Miles Archer > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly
09/28/2017 at 13:09

Than kind is easy. Now do the kind where you have to remove the front steering knuckle on a FWD car and press out the old bearing and put in the new.

Or the old front drums where the hub doesn’t come with a new drum and you have to have it swapped over.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Miles Archer
09/28/2017 at 13:16

Yeah... I watched youtube videos on how to do it BEFORE ordering the parts and doing it myself. For my car, it definitely looked like an easy DIY job that isn’t worth paying a mechanic $80+ an hour to do.

Anything involving having to press out the old and press in a new bearing would mean I would just take it to a mechanic since I don’t have the equipment to do that properly.