sxwk12

Alright, I just finished replacing the wheel bearing for my Max and made a write up for it. If anyone needs it, here it is.

Front Wheel Bearing Replacement (1994 Maxima SE VE30DE 5 speed)


Tools needed:
17mm socket (2 bolts for the caliper and 2 bolts for the lower strut)
¾ (three-fourths) socket (1 nut for the tie rod)
22mm socket (holding the lower ball joint)
Ball joint separator
Impact wrench
36mm socket (nut holding the hub on)
Hammer
A friend.

Expertise:
Not hard at all. A newbie can do this.

Time needed:
20 – 30 minutes for removal
25 - 30 minutes to get them pressed out and in (actually depends on the shop)
20 – 30 minutes for replacement

Other things you could do along with this repair:
Paint your calipers.
Change your brakes, calipers, rotors, axle, tie rod, ball joint, hub (obviously, only if necessary)

1. Remove wheel.
2. Remove 2 17mm bolts for the caliper.
3. Remove the cotter pin and ¾ nut for the tie rod.
4. Remove 2 17mm bolts for the lower strut.
5. Loosen the 22mm nut for the lower ball joint. You will not be able to get this all the way out because the CV boot will be in the way. So loosen the nut as far as you can. Oh, this bolt also has a cotter pin so remove that first.
6. Remove the cotter pin holding the big 36mm nut in place holding the hub on.
7. Remove the 36mm nut holding the hub on. You will need the impact wrench for this nut.
8. Now you need to tap out the axle. But you can’t just “tap out the axle”. You have to push the control arm assembly down and move the lower strut to the side. This is where the friend comes in to help. While they are pushing down on the control arm assembly and pushing the strut out of the way, get a hammer and tap the axle out. BE CAREFUL NOT TO TEAR YOUR CV BOOT!!!!
9. Now that your axle is out, you can now remove the ball joint nut.
10. This is where the ball joint separator comes into play. You will need to beat the crap out of this thing to get the ball joint separated from the hub spindle. One thing though. In order to keep the hub spindle from rotating when you hit it, you will need to replace one bolt to the lower strut. Now beat the ball joint separator until you feel the spindle come loose from the ball joint. When it does, remove the bolt for the strut.
11. Now remove your hub spindle.
12. Take your hub, your new bearings and dust seal to the machine shop and have them pressed out and the new ones in. This should take about 20 –25 minutes per hub and costs about $45.00. I was lucky I knew a guy that had a 1 ton hydraulic press and he did it for $20.00 each.
13. Now just replace everything back in reverse order.

If you have any questions about the write up, email me at swallace@sc.rr.com

Sidney

Dummy

just replaced mine last month... took em out and put em in myslef(probably bad idea) took a few hours.... then 3 weeks later my hex nut comes loose... wheel rattles and completely trashes bearings ... there went 50bux down the drain heh.

Evil Yak

fun, i need to get my wheel bearings replaced too
they hum a cute tune on the freeway

DanNY

iTrader: (14)

you don't have to separate the ball joint.
just unbolt it from the lower control arm and you save the risk of tearing the boot.

sxwk12

Ooops, you're right. You do not take the ball joint out, but you need the ball joint separator to seperate the ball joint from the hub spindle. #10 above will be edited. Sorry about that. Oh, one more thing. I just did the driver's side today and damn that one was harder than the passenger's side. You WILL need a pipe about 4 feet long and the 2 ton jack handle to push the control arm assembly down far enough to get the spindle back on.

$267.00 or more at the shop each side.

Do it yourself:

$18.80 bearing
$3.05 seal
$20.00 pressed in and out
Total = $41.85 at home (parts and press) each side.


Damn, it's good to know people in the right place.

sxwk12

Dummy

you paid $18 for a bearings?? i paid 40 bucks for one side at autozone

Maxima_Van_WA

No impact wrench needed for 36mm socket (for those who don't have one) You need a 36MM socket with 1/2 drive, and of course a long 1/2 socket wrench (NON-RATCHETING!!), and a hella long bar (I used the bar from my hydraulic jack, fits right over my Craftsman wrench). Before you loosen any of your lugnuts, or jack up the car, take out the half-shaft cotter pin, and nut cover, then use previous items to loosen your 36MM nut, then proceed with the rest of the disassembly.

DanNY

iTrader: (14)

and again i ask...why do u need to separate the ball joint from the spindle?
the spindle is at the bottom for the spindle..the hub is no where close to that ball joint.
you can do this job without removing the ball joint from the spindle.

Dummy

it made it easier for me to seprerate the hub assembly from the bal joint.

DanNY

iTrader: (14)

if it made it easier then go for it...but it's not necessary...the press is not even going to be near that area.
but if you're going to have the spindle OFF the car...wouldn't it be easier to just take a hammer to the top of the ball joint and out it goes?? instead of jamming the fork in there and giving yourself extra work.

sxwk12

You can't fit the hammer in there to hit the ball joint, the axle is in the way. I am NOT saying take the ball joint out. I am saying that since my hub has never come off before in 182,000 miles and 8 years, the hub assembly is kinda STUCK on the ball joint assembly. You can't get anything on top of the ball joint bolt to force it out, there is just absolutely no room.

Question: How would be able to do the job without removing the spindle from the ball joint. You have to get the bearings pressed. How can you do that with it still attached to the car?

DanNY

iTrader: (14)

how to take entire spindle and hub out. (assuming the brakes and related components are out)..
disconnect tie rod
remove axle nut (big one in center)
UNBOLT lower ball joint from lower control arm (3 nuts w/ 3 stud cap on top for the threded part)
remove bolts for strut
use a wood block and tap on the axle and the spindle should slide right out..or fall out.

at this point you should have spindle in your hand...IE off the car and away from the axle.
attached to it will be the hub assembly (with lug studs) and ball joint STILL ATTACHED TO THE SPINDLE.

take the entire assembly...tap out the hub w/ a punch or drive to get the hub out...or use the press to push out the center hub.
you'll have two sections of the bearing. there are two row bearings...non serviceable. there's a inner race and outter race.

YOU CAN GET TO THE HUB WITH THE BALL JOINT ATTACHED. the ball joint is at the lower part of the spindle that's not even close to the hub center. you and dummy like to get the ball joint out..fine...take the spindle to the bench..undo the pin and nut and hammer away. how big is your hammer that you can't fit in that spot? (keep in mind the spindle is off the car and on your bench/work area - no axle in the way)

now which part did u not understand in my instructions? YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REMOVE THE BALL JOINT!
i did the work myself...i even pressed the bearings myself...all with the ball joint still attached.

sxwk12

Which part of my last 2 post did you not understand when I said, you're right, you are so FREAKING right, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REMOVE THE BALL JOINT?!?!? I said that already. What I was saying is that you still have to remove the spindle FROM the ball joint. That is what the ball joint separator is for. To remove the stuck hub assembly from the ball joint.

Sidney

DanNY

iTrader: (14)

ok ok...i think we might be talking about two different things.

our balljoints have a flange at the base of it. the flange have 3 holes that bolts up to the control arm. the stud part of the ball joint is attached through a hole in the steering knuckle/spindle.

you can disconnect the ball joint from the lower control arm to free the spindle/ball joint by removing the 3 nuts and pulling the 3 stud plate.

i still don't understand where u need the fork to get the ball joint out. once that spindle is on the bench w/ the ball joint..just take a hammer and wack it out from the stud if u want to do it.