Ok, I did a search, but did not find exactly what I am looking for.

I think my front driver's side wheel bearing is going bad (weird for a car with only 27,000 miles). I think it could be my under inflated snow tires making the noise, but I am going to check tonight when I get home for break.

Anyone know the general procedure for replacing the front wheel bearings? I have done rears, but never fronts.

Thanks,
Matt

 

The quick way is to grab the 11 and 1 o'clock position of the outside part of the wheel/tire. Then rock it back and forth to simulate a side load. If it clunks or feels like there is slop, then you likely have a bad wheel bearing. Just because there is a little slop does not mean that you need to drop everything and fix it. If there is significantly noticeable slop (+1/8" or +/- 1/16") then you should fix it soon. If you road race do it asap. If you auto-x, the tech inspectors will decide. If you drag or daily drive, you don't need to worry to much. Although you should eventually do it.

 

If it does turn out to be the wheel bearing, do it as soon as possible. I put it off once and the bearing locked up on me. It caused the CV shft to break, and as I po-goed off the shaft the motor mount bolts broke on one side. When the motor fell it pulled lots of wires loose and broke some of the sensors. $1200 later (plus towing)I still find little problems as a result of this.

edit: check it out and then I can tell you how to replace it


[Modified by PhucNguyen57, 8:35 AM 3/14/2003]

 

OK PhucNguyen I am pretty sure the bearing is toast.

Do you have a general procedure to replacing the bearings? I think I am going to both fronts at the same time for some piece of mind.

Thanks,
Matt

 

This is the way I do it, if anyone has a different method please explain or add to this one.

I would purchase a genuine honda wheel bearing and hub. The hub is usually worn from the bad bearing and will wear the new bearing out if not replaced.

-First, with the car on the ground, brake the axle nut and lug nuts loose. The axle nut can be a real bitch.
-Jack the car up
-Remove wheel.
-Unbolt brake caliper, and hang it from the upper control arm using a wire clothes hanger.
-Remove the lower/strut fork bolt from the control arm.
-Remover Cotter pin and loosen nut from lower ball joint (do not take the nut all the way off).
-Using a hammer, pound on the flat spot above the ball joint, on the knuckle to brake the ball joint loose.
-Repeat the last two steps on the tie rod end and upper control arm.
-Now remove blots from all three locations, these stay on to protect the threads while the pounding takes place.
-YOu should notice that nothign is holding the steering knuckle on other than the threads of the CV shaft.
-Pull on top/bottom/sides of kunckle until it is free of the shaft and off of the car.
-Take the knuckle to a local machine sho and have them press it apart and back together with new bearing and hub.
-Reverse process and exclude pounding to reassemble.

I hope I did not leave anything out. I'm going on my lunch break now and will not be checking this post for more than an hour.

 

Thanks for that description of the process.

It seems pretty straight forward.

 

Sprry to bring this back but I'm about to do the same thing to my R. I was wondering if there are any other parts that need to be purchased other than the wheel bearing, such as any kinds of clips or washers need for the axle or anything that aren't reuseble. Thanks, Ryan

 

make sure you have a BIG F'N HAMMER for the ball joints, and lots of liquid wrench...
Other than that, you should be fine

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by HondaRcB &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Sprry to bring this back but I'm about to do the same thing to my R. I was wondering if there are any other parts that need to be purchased other than the wheel bearing, such as any kinds of clips or washers need for the axle or anything that aren't reuseble. Thanks, Ryan</TD></TR></TABLE> you may want to get some cotter pins for the ball joints and tie rod ends.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Philly_NBP_R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">make sure you have a BIG F'N HAMMER for the ball joints, and lots of liquid wrench...
Other than that, you should be fine </TD></TR></TABLE>

and make sure you have new balljoints and a hydrolic press, b/c when you mushroom the bolts, you will need to replace them.

spend the 10$ on a balljoint fork.

 

if you axle is stuck in the knuckle, do NOT pull on knuckle with the axle in there still, it may dislocate the axle joint inside the boot an dthen youd have to open it up and crap.. ugh.

tap the axle end with a small hammer or nylon/rubber mallet to push it thru the knuckle, be careful to NOT damage the threads on the axle end.

 

Hmmmm?

What're the (real world) symptoms?

 

i too thought wheel bearings were dying on me. My advice, switch tires, you will find out.

my azenis were the whining sound.

wheel bearings were OK.

 

See post https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=632135
Thanks guys