Wheel Bearing

[newportkev]

Hey everybody I just bought my first 4runner. It's a 1998 SR5 and I think that one of the wheel bearings might be going. It makes a noticable whirring on the road and the noise changes in pitch according to my speed. Has anyone had this type of problem before? Could I fix it on my own or is it best to have a mechanic do it?
Thanks a lot and happy offroading,
Kevin

 

[004Gunner]

Which wheel bearing do you think it is? I had to replace a bearing on the rear axle

 

[newportkev]

Well I just brought it into the mechanic and it turns out that it is actually a bearing in the rear diff. What kind of work was involved on yours? I was told that I could take the differential off myself and save a few bucks.
Thanks

 

[004Gunner]

I replaced a wheel bearing on the driver's side. Sounds like you need to replace the pinion bearing. Wheel bearing wasn't too bad, I just took out the axle, removed the brakes, and brought to a machine shop to have the bearing pressed on. It cost me $200+ for parts and labor. I had to put the inner axle seal in myself since it goes in the diff but it only takes a minute with the right tools. I don't think you would actually have to remove the diff in your case. I believe you can disconnect the drive shaft and make the repair without dropping the diff. Hopefully someone else on here has done the repair and can give you better info! Good luck and update your thread with the outcome!

 

[newportkev]

Well here's the whole story. The bearings inside the rear axle are what's starting to go. They will all be replaced. The rough part is that the price is dependant on how many hours it takes to drop the rear out a few inches and then put it back in after replacing everything. I could get lucky and it will drop out easily or it could take more time and thus more money. I still love my runner even though it's starting to be a bit of a money pit!

 

[004Gunner]

They should be charging you book time for the job. If it takes longer than book time, that's their problem, not yours. Unless they are trying to hook you up by only charging the actual time it takes them, which is almost always less than book time.