Need Advice on How to Approach Repair

[Brian757]

Wheel Bearing Repair Advice...

Okay, so I noticed that my passenger side wheel bearing is pretty much shot. I know this because I took everything off of my hub, spun it, and notice a sound from within. The only thing in there is wheel bearings, and I know I need to change them.

However, I wonder if I can do them myself. It doesn't look like an extremely hard job, but I know it requires a press.

I called my local lift shop and they said for parts and labor, to do both wheel bearings, (driver and passenger), it would cost $919.20. I feel like that is steep, and they tried to validate the cost by, "yeahhh, wellll, we have to press it. We have to actually press the wheel bearing out."
I said, "Ahhh... So what's $900?" They replied, "Parts, and then, pressing is most of it."

Is there a How-To or whatever I could go by?
Also, how common is it to replace wheel bearings?

 

[DirtDawg]

$900?? Thats a super steep price. Press work shouldn't take long at all, at least not long enough to support those prices.

 

[Brian757]

$900?? Thats a super steep price. Press work shouldn't take long at all, at least not long enough to support those prices.

That's my idea. But I cannot find any How-To's, so I assume this job isn't the easiest.
I was quoted around $900 for an entire timing belt/water pump job and turned that down. I am not about to pay that for a press job. I can get a 6-ton press, but don't know the procedures of this job, can someone elaborate?

 

[RS Dude]

I did my front suspension last year. Took off steering knuckle and brought it to an independent auto machine shop were they charged me $20 per wheel to press out old and press in new front wheel bearing.:guitar2:

 

[Brian757]

I did my front suspension last year. Took off steering knuckle and brought it to an independent auto machine shop were they charged me $20 per wheel to press out old and press in new front wheel bearing.:guitar2:

I just don't want to have to take off my upper ball joints again. I am dreading that.

 

[JayRolla]

That is insane pricing, that shop is a total rip off, the labor hour are no where near that amount. So easy to pull, last shop charged me $35 to press them.

 

[Brian757]

I called the dealership.

$301.10 for both front sides.

 

[downpour11]

I just don't want to have to take off my upper ball joints again. I am dreading that.

I hear ya on that - but you're gonna have to anyway so you can take it to a shop to get it pressed out. Or you could take it to the dealership and they can do it all for ya. $300 sounds pretty good for both sides. lol it's so much easier for a shop to remove the UBJ since they have the air tool fork.

 

[Brian757]

Alright, so I went to the dealership and they told me that there is no noise coming from my wheel bearings, although, I do have a coolant leak somewhere and she said the technicians were, "Too scared to even drive it, because the reservoir was empty." So she wanted me to do a pressure test before they would even field test it.

Which is funny, because when they pulled my truck around the building, I could hear it loud as hell, and the tech hopped out and gave me my key and said, "Have a good one." I just stood there, wondering if they hire deaf mechanics.
So I looked in my radiator and its full. Whatever, thats another issue for another thread.

So this noise is still here. One thing I've noticed is that it stops when I press the brakes. I am certain it is on the passenger side. Anyone have ANY ideas?
I'm bringing it to a family mechanic on Saturday.

Also, my passenger side rotor has a gash in it from when my friend hand threaded my wheel spacers and I drove a couple miles on it, before finding out. But, when I get almost near stopping, like approaching a red light, I get a light pop in my steering wheel. I know it relates to the noise, because it thuds outside as well. And when I go real slow, its a steady grinding from the passenger side front.

OH, and I was re-quoted at the dealership, they originally told me $301.10 for the front two, and when I was quoted again, the woman told me $301.10 for each side, so $602.20 for the front, way different.

And that ay-hole from the dealership tried to tell me, "The technicians noticed that the timing belt and tensioners have not been replaced, those need to be replaced." I told her I just changed everything out not but a month ago. She tried to counter it by saying, "Ok sir, we go by the mileage." "They why would you say the technicians NOTICED that the timing belts havent been replaced?"

And they also told me I have irregular wear on my front passenger tire, that I need to replace my tires. I just said, "How much is it if I just come pick it up." She said, "Free of charge, sir." I said, "I'm on my way." Ughh! Dealerships, at least in my area, have treated my family horrible.

Venting, complete. :director: :crazy:

 

[JWaldz]

Are you experiencing any wheel wobble? A 100% accurate way of telling if you have a bad wheel bearing is jacking the tire off the ground, grab it at the top and bottom, and try to move the tire back and forth. If it moves a little, it's going out. If it moves a generous amount, it's done for.

For the complete job, including parts, I'm sure it's easily close to a $500-$600 job at the dealership. It damn sure isn't $900 though. It took me and my friend around an hour and half to finish one side. The parts aren't cheap. You'll need the bearing and both seals for each side. One of those seals is really expensive, too.

 

[Brian757]

Are you experiencing any wheel wobble? A 100% accurate way of telling if you have a bad wheel bearing is jacking the tire off the ground, grab it at the top and bottom, and try to move the tire back and forth.

For the complete job, including parts, it's easily close to a $500 job at the dealership. It damn sure isn't $900 though. It took me and my friend around an hour and half to finish one side. The parts aren't cheap. You'll need the bearing and both seals for each side. One of those seals is really expensive, too.

I have no wheel wobble. Hmm, now I'm reconsidering if its my wheel bearing. I am taking it into a shop Saturday morning, so I will get a good diagnosis of what it is. I've been so busy lately. I have the money, just not the time. I would attempt this over the weekend, but now don't have a lead on what the problem is...

 

[BlackCat914]

Are you experiencing any wheel wobble? A 100% accurate way of telling if you have a bad wheel bearing is jacking the tire off the ground, grab it at the top and bottom, and try to move the tire back and forth. If it moves a little, it's going out. If it moves a generous amount, it's done for.

For the complete job, including parts, I'm sure it's easily close to a $500-$600 job at the dealership. It damn sure isn't $900 though. It took me and my friend around an hour and half to finish one side. The parts aren't cheap. You'll need the bearing and both seals for each side. One of those seals is really expensive, too.

not totally accurate. Wheel bearings can be noisy as shit with absolutely no play in them.

 

[davidblyons]

Check out autoMD, like webMD but for cars.

Check out autoMD, like webMD but for cars. I've ball parked some jobs to consider DIY or let my buddy with a private shop or the dealer do the job.

They've come in close on all counts.

Auto Repair - Diagnostics, Estimates, Guides, Shops & Mechanics | AutoMD
Auto Repair Estimates - Know How Much Car Repair Costs | AutoMD

Also some generic how to guides, for what they're worth. At least help you decide if DIY or not.
Auto Repair Manuals and Videos - Find DIY Car Repair Guides | AutoMD

As a kid I would always help my Dad do our own front end work, I only knew about the dealers garage because I would see it from the parts counter. Simpler times for sure. Simpler times, I miss my Dad. Drag your kids into the garage and they'll learn a bunch and thank you later.

 

[Brian757]

not totally accurate. Wheel bearings can be noisy as shit with absolutely no play in them.

Yeah, that is my situation. And I strongly believe I nailed the problem. Because I jacked my truck up, spun both front tires, and the front passenger sounds identical to what I hear when Im driving. Its a very distinctive sound. It almost sounds like bicycle gears changing gears consistently.

I took my passenger side tire off, took off the caliper, took off the rotor, and spun the hub with the wheel bolts. I heard the identical sound again. However, one thing I noticed today is that the sound I hear goes away when I apply the brakes. Something to mention.. If I let my truck idle from a stop, there is a horrible grinding sound coming from the front passenger side. Not the calipers, not the dust shield (They have been HEAVILY inspected.) Anything?

Check out autoMD, like webMD but for cars. I've ball parked some jobs to consider DIY or let my buddy with a private shop or the dealer do the job.

They've come in close on all counts.

Auto Repair - Diagnostics, Estimates, Guides, Shops & Mechanics | AutoMD
Auto Repair Estimates - Know How Much Car Repair Costs | AutoMD

Also some generic how to guides, for what they're worth. At least help you decide if DIY or not.
Auto Repair Manuals and Videos - Find DIY Car Repair Guides | AutoMD

As a kid I would always help my Dad do our own front end work, I only knew about the dealers garage because I would see it from the parts counter. Simpler times for sure. Simpler times, I miss my Dad. Drag your kids into the garage and they'll learn a bunch and thank you later.

Very cool links David, thank you! I will be looking into these. I have already bookmarked AutoMD.

And as far as working with your children, that is a huge deal. I am grateful for all the ins-and-outs that my father has taught me over the years. Without him, I would have deemed most jobs impossible. But time and persistence shows greatly on the work my dad has taught me. My son or daughter will get the same treatment.

Like when your working all day on a stubborn, stripped bolt that doesn't want to come out, and your father walks out, grabs a blow torch, breaker bar, and some vice grips, and gets it off in 2 minutes, walks inside, and takes a nap. I wanna be bada$$ like that some day.

 

[robb1887]

Parts from camelback are 148 per side. (parts 10-15)

2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Parts - Camelback Toyota Parts - Genuine OEM Parts - Free Shipping

I have access to a hobby shop that has a press in it... I dont know if it will have everything needed, but I have a bearing/race driver set; however, I don't know about it being a DIY, I've never done a wheel bearing on a 4runner. If you do DIY, at least since you've replaced them recently getting the UBJ/LBJ out (again) should be a bit easier (I also have the pullers for these).

 

[Brian757]

Parts from camelback are 148 per side. (parts 10-15)

2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER Parts - Camelback Toyota Parts - Genuine OEM Parts - Free Shipping

I have access to a hobby shop that has a press in it... I dont know if it will have everything needed, but I have a bearing/race driver set; however, I don't know about it being a DIY, I've never done a wheel bearing on a 4runner. If you do DIY, at least since you've replaced them recently getting the UBJ/LBJ out (again) should be a bit easier (I also have the pullers for these).

Neither have I. I've replaced the wheel bearings in my T100, but they had bolts and then the wheel bearings came out. Its a '95 so the design is different, but I would rather have that setup than mine. I have also been told by the stealership that my wheel bearings are fine. But the sound is coming from within, so I have no clue.

 

[BlackCat914]

Yeah, that is my situation. And I strongly believe I nailed the problem. Because I jacked my truck up, spun both front tires, and the front passenger sounds identical to what I hear when Im driving. Its a very distinctive sound. It almost sounds like bicycle gears changing gears consistently.

I took my passenger side tire off, took off the caliper, took off the rotor, and spun the hub with the wheel bolts. I heard the identical sound again. However, one thing I noticed today is that the sound I hear goes away when I apply the brakes. Something to mention.. If I let my truck idle from a stop, there is a horrible grinding sound coming from the front passenger side. Not the calipers, not the dust shield (They have been HEAVILY inspected.) Anything?


Very cool links David, thank you! I will be looking into these. I have already bookmarked AutoMD.

And as far as working with your children, that is a huge deal. I am grateful for all the ins-and-outs that my father has taught me over the years. Without him, I would have deemed most jobs impossible. But time and persistence shows greatly on the work my dad has taught me. My son or daughter will get the same treatment.

Like when your working all day on a stubborn, stripped bolt that doesn't want to come out, and your father walks out, grabs a blow torch, breaker bar, and some vice grips, and gets it off in 2 minutes, walks inside, and takes a nap. I wanna be bada$$ like that some day.

a really easy way to diagnose a hub bearing is to drive the truck at a speed it is noisy at, and then sort of swerve back and forth. Typically, loading the bearing will make the noise worse, and unloading it will help with noise. For example, driving at speed and lightly swerve to the left. If the noise increases, it's the right one. If it goes away, it's probably the left one.

 

[yukonrider]

Call up Nix99, order a driver (and passenger) spindle, with a good bearing, should be about $140.

Un-do about 10 bolts maybe less, press out upper ball joint (real easy with the right tool from advance auto, bolt in new spindle, re-install.

I can do it in 40 minutes. Its 3 bolts beyond swapping a CV out if you have done that before. Special tools are the press thingy, and a 36mm socket.

 

[Brian757]

Alright, we'll my truck has seen 4 different mechanics shops, including the dealership, and some can hear it, and have no clue where to start, and some say they dont even hear the sound.

I'm getting extremely fed the f*** up with this. So far 75% of the mechanics think its my tires. I know what my tires sound like! Rubber hitting the damn road does NOT sound like metal-to-metal contact. How hard is it to get an ASE certification these days?!?!

I am going to tear down my calipers, the 13WLs when I get my truck back. I can't handle this. If you want something done right, you just have to do it yourself.

They say it obviously isn't a problem, but it pops real bad in the steering when I'm going slow, grinding is hideous in my parking garage, and no mechanic seems to hear it.

 

[JWaldz]

Did you eliminate the brake components being the cause??