How to Change a Front Wheel Bearing on a 2000 Mercury Mountaineer

In 1997, Ford Motor Company decided that the Explorer needed a sibling and released its near-identical twin, the Mercury Mountaineer. This was Mercurys first dive into the SUV market, so choosing the already popular Explorer as its base was a good start. Just like the Explorer, the 2000 Mountaineer was available with two-, four- or all-wheel-drive systems. These options made for two different processes in replacing the front wheel bearings, the main difference being that the two-wheel-drive models had an inner and outer bearing, whereas four- and all-wheel-drive models had hub and bearing assemblies.

Instructions

Two-Wheel Drive

1

Loosen the lug nuts on the wheel with the failed wheel bearing, using a ratchet and socket. Raise the front of the SUV with a floor jack, then slide jack stands under the SUVs subframe. Lower the Mountaineer onto the jack stands. Remove the lug nuts and pull the front wheel off its hub.

2

Remove the upper and lower caliper bolts with a ratchet and socket, and pull the caliper up and off its bracket. Hang the caliper from a nearby suspension component with a bungee cord. Mark the inner brake pad with an I and the outer brake pad with an O, using white marking paint, and pull the pads from the caliper bracket. Remove the caliper bracket bolts and pull the caliper bracket off the front steering knuckle.

3

Pry the grease cap from the center of the rotor with a flat-head screwdriver, exposing the spindle shaft and hardware behind it. Pull the cotter pin from the spindle shaft with needle-nose pliers, and pull the castellated spindle nut retainer from the spindle shaft. Remove the spindle shaft nut with a ratchet and socket, and pull the washer off the spindle shaft.

4

Pull the brake rotor outward to disengage the outer wheel bearing, and pull the outer bearing from the spindle shaft. Slide the rotor off the spindle shaft. Pry the grease seal from the rear of the rotor with a grease seal puller, and pull the inner bearing from the rotor.

5

Set the rotor on two 4-inch-high blocks of wood with its outer part facing up. Insert a drift punch into the center of the rotor until it contacts the inner bearing race. Tap around the circumference of the race with the drift and a hammer until the face falls out. Flip the rotor over and repeat this step on the outer bearing race.

6

Clean the inside of the rotor -- where the races were -- thoroughly with parts cleaner and clean, lint-free cloths.

7

Select two bearing race drivers from the bearing race driver set: one that fits snug into the outer hole in the rotor, and one that fits snug in the hole on the inner part of the rotor.

8

Set a new inner race on the rotor, so it aligns with the inner hole in the center of the rotor. Drive the race into the hole, using the bearing race driver that fits snug in the inner hole in the rotor and a hammer until the race seats inside the rotor. Flip the rotor over and repeat this step to install the outer bearing race.

9

Fill a bearing packing tools reservoir with a long-life grease meeting Ford specification ESA-M1C75-B. Pack each new bearing by placing each bearing in the packer tools reservoir, inserting the packer tools plunger into the reservoir and pressing the plunger downward until it stops moving. Remove the plunger and pull the bearing from the plunger.

10

Apply a generous coat of long-life grease meeting Ford specification ESA-M1C75-B to the inner and outer races. Set the new inner bearing in the inner hole in the center of the rotor. Set a grease seal in place over the rotor, and drive it in with a grease seal driver and hammer.

11

Slide the rotor back onto the spindle shaft. Guide the new outer bearing onto the spindle shaft and into the hole in the center of the rotor. Guide the washer onto the spindle shaft and hand-thread the spindle nut onto the spindle.

12

Tighten the spindle nut to between 17 and 24 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket while spinning the rotor backwards. Loosen the spindle nut about a half-turn, then tighten it to 2 foot-pounds while spinning the rotor forward.

13

Guide the spindle nuts castellated retainer onto the spindle shaft, lining up one of the valleys in the retainers castellated section with the hole through the spindle shaft. Insert a new cotter pin through the hole in the spindle shaft and bend its legs in opposite directions to lock it in place.

14

Line the grease cap up with the hole in the center of the rotor and tap it into the hole with a rubber mallet.

15

Set the caliper bracket back onto the front steering knuckle and hand-thread its retaining bolts. Tighten the retaining bolts to between 72 and 97 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket. Slide the brake pads back into the caliper bracket, using the O and I marks to identify the inner and outer brake pads.

16

Position the brake caliper back in place on the caliper bracket and hand-thread its bolts. Tighten the caliper bolts to 24 foot-pounds.

17

Set the wheel back on the front hub and hand-tighten the front lug nuts. Raise the Mountaineer off the jack stands with a floor jack, then remove the jack stands. Lower the vehicle to the ground and tighten the lug nuts, in a crisscross pattern, to 100 foot-pounds.

Four- and All-Wheel Drive

18

Follow Step 1 in the section titled Two-Wheel Drive to remove the wheel from the hub. Instruct an assistant to hold the brake pedal as you loosen the axle nut with a ratchet and socket. Remove the caliper, brake pads and caliper bracket by following Step 2 in the section titled Two-Wheel Drive.

19

Pull the brake rotor off the front hub. Remove the three bolts securing the brake dust shield, using a ratchet and socket.

20

Remove the bolt securing the antilock brake system speed sensor in the wheel hub, using a ratchet and socket. Pull the ABS speed sensor from the hub.

21

Unfasten the three steering knuckle-to-wheel hub bolts, which you can access from the rear of the hub, using a ratchet and socket. Pull the hub outward to remove it from the front axle and steering knuckle.

22

Guide the new wheel hub into the steering knuckle and onto the axle shaft, aligning the bolt holes on the hub with those on the steering knuckle. Thread the steering knuckle-to-wheel hub bolts by hand, then tighten them to between 74 and 96 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket. Thread a new axle nut onto the axle shaft, by hand.

23

Insert the ABS speed sensor into the new wheel hub and hand-thread its retaining bolt. Tighten the ABS speed sensor bolt to between 5 and 8 foot-pounds. Set the dust shield on the steering knuckle and had-thread its three retaining bolts. Tighten the dust shield bolts to 9 foot-pounds.

24

Set the rotor on the wheel hub and reassemble the brake system using steps 15 and 16 in the section titled Two-Wheel Drive.

25

Instruct your assistant to press and hold the brake pedal as you tighten the axle nut to between 157 and 213 foot-pounds.

26

Install the wheel, lower the SUV and torque the lug nuts by following Step 17 in the section titled Two-Wheel Drive.