How to Fix a Bearing

The purpose of your vehicle's wheel bearings is to make sure the wheels turn smoothly. Bad bearings can ultimately affect your vehicle's steering as well as its stability. Your car may give you clear indications that a bearing is bad. One such indication is if you hear a squeaking or grinding noise coming from the wheels when you make turns. Hearing this noise means it is time to change the bearings. You can do this repair yourself at home with a few tools.

Instructions

1

Slide a car jack beneath your vehicle and use the jack to lift the wheel of the car off the ground. Put a jack stand behind the wheel to support the vehicle while you are working on changing the bearing.

2

Remove the wheel's lug nuts, using a lug wrench. Take the tire off the vehicle.

3

Use the wrench to take off the mounting bolts securing the brake caliper in place. Push the brake caliper to the side so that it is no longer in your way. Take out the retaining nut located on the back of the rotor and lift the rotor up and away from the vehicle's wheel assembly.

4

Remove the mounting bolts from the wheel hub, using your wrench. Take a wooden mallet and use it to loosen the hub, then remove the hub. Remove the inner and the outer bearings from your vehicle's wheel.

5

Take the new bearings and apply a thin layer of bearing grease to them. After you apply the grease, then slide the new bearings into place in the wheel. Reassemble the wheel assembly. Remove the jack stand and lower the vehicle back to the ground.