front hub and bearing replacement

For those still reading this go to the parts store and get a wheel bearing puller. You can rent them for not very much, when you take them back you get your money back.
 
This is an old thread but since my LS is humming along, I figured I would throw in a little new info.

I looked at the websites for Autozone, O'Riellys and NAPA in my area and they have prices from $146 to about $180. Looks like prices are up since the last postings, or my area is more expensive. Most are store brand names. Rock Auto has TImken for about $107 shipped to me, but someone posted on the LVC website that Timken quality had taken a turn. If someone knows othewise please let me and us know since this looks like the cheapest I have found in my usual haunts.

So, for old time sake I figured I'd look up JC WHitney. They have Raybestos, a brand I like, and it is made in the USA. Cost delivered is about $126. Since I have had good luck with Raybestos and JC Whitneys I think I'll order one of these soon. And then maybe a few years later I'll let you know if they lasted.


http://www.jcwhitney.com/profession....jcwx?skuId=668909&filterid=c3843d1403y2004j1

Jim Henderson
 
Pragmatic--Thanks for posting the tip for removal of the front hubs. I also tried everything but the jacking bolts. Once I got them in position, the procedure worked like a charm.
 
Did the other side last month. Didn't waste anytime with any method other than the bolts through the lug holes (see post #25 above). Whole job took maybe 3 hours (wheel off to wheel on).
 
Took me about two days of re-applying penetrating oil and a couple good swings of the BFH, Once I got a gap big enough to fit a pry bar in I was set.

I got my bearing for 50 bucks on ebay, call me crazy, but I'm just over 1000k and no problems.

6798220228


www.flickr.com/photos/tyellis/6798220228
 
Here is the best way to prevent this from happening. Don't drive on salty chemical de-iced roads. Lol

I know some of you can't do it that way. This is really an easy job when there's no corrosion. The mating surfaces should always be silver colored. My first LS was run in the Ozarks so not that much de icing. Anyway, I made it a point to dis-assemble these parts atleast every quarter and cleaned them up.
 
Had to replace right front hub today. Our Gypsy has been a Chicagoland (MUCH SALT) car since new (03). We are the 2nd owners purchasing her about 18 months ago w/96K miles. She now has ~110K miles on her. We now live in FL.

Man, was I dreading this task! I had put this off for almost a month because of all the issues that I have read about. Well, having figured out that this method that pragmatic posted was probably the best for me, so I hit it today. My only change was that I used 3/8"x2" hex head screws, otherwise, everything was the same. The complete job took me about 2-1/2 to 3 hours, from getting all my tools, jacks & stands out until having everything put away along w/a test drive.

Thanks pragmatic for sharing this as it made the job a whole lot easier! Also need to thank Jim Henderson from this thread (http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/fo...ng-the-Front-Wheelhub-Bearing-plus-some-ideas) for his step by step. It was also a big help!

Information like this is what makes these forums the greatest!!
 
heat slide hammer with what looks like a harmonic puller made for pulling those backing plates chisel but be careful I saw some melling ones for 65 apiece too but they look about the same just different plastic covers ... I would trust national bearings or Timken also its new to me I see ya there ...
 
I want cromolly wish bones and a helwig for the rear its an interesting car runs like a bat out of hell right after you put the brain to sleep for a day or two
 
Another possible approach: Mevotech makes a knuckle/ ball joint assembly for LS that costs about $90. A new wheel bearing can be installed into this knuckle easily at the workbench. Remove the old knuckle and hub and install the Mevotech assembly to the car. This at least gets your car back on the road quickly. Then at your convenience, you can do battle with old hub and knuckle at your workbench and when you feel like it. Low stress.
 
Robert Crain said:
Another possible approach: Mevotech makes a knuckle/ ball joint assembly for LS that costs about $90. A new wheel bearing can be installed into this knuckle easily at the workbench. Remove the old knuckle and hub and install the Mevotech assembly to the car. This at least gets your car back on the road quickly. Then at your convenience, you can do battle with old hub and knuckle at your workbench and when you feel like it. Low stress.
Click to expand...
I got them changed using the bolt method to press them out but nowi have abs light, brake lights on and now my advancetrac doesnt work, my trunk release doesnt work, interior lights dont come on, heater control lights do not work.
 
Word to the wise: Unless Mevotech has drastically upgraded, their ball joints last around 6 months. When they fail, it's quite dramatic. When it happened to me, (4 times) the internal friction inside of the ball joint is so strong that when turning the steering, it actually loosens the new thread-lock nuts that hold it in with 110 lb/ft of torque. I drove 90 miles after emergency re-tightening and the nut was half off the ball joint stud.
 
my right front bearing died about 150k miles, i'm at 222k miles now, no other problems. bought a cheap replacement off ebay.
 
I’ve rebuilt most of my car’s suspension with Mevotech Supreme parts without any problems what so ever. My suggestion to go with the Mevotech knuckle was a way to get your car back on the road quickly. You could easily reinstall the original Lincoln knuckle once you got the bearing out. The swap could easily be made without stress on a Saturday afternoon. To me, not incurring the stress of fighting a stuck bearing is worth the $90 investment. Just another option, that’s all.
 
Moog Bearings out again. Havent done this in a couple years. What do you use to push the wheel studs out a front end service kit? Dont remember what I did. At least they are on closeout now on rockauto..
 
nghtshd88 said:
Moog Bearings out again. Havent done this in a couple years. What do you use to push the wheel studs out a front end service kit? Dont remember what I did. At least they are on closeout now on rockauto..
Click to expand...
Do you really mean to remove the studs, or are you asking about removing the hub?
The hubs just fell out for me (no road salt here). I do think there was a thread about using nuts on bolts to push the hub out as they were turned.
 
joegr said:
Do you really mean to remove the studs, or are you asking about removing the hub?
The hubs just fell out for me (no road salt here). I do think there was a thread about using nuts on bolts to push the hub out as they were turned.
Click to expand...

This is that thread thats why Im asking. Have to remove studs to insert "jacking bolts".

No way is it coming out of the spindle after 20yrs of corrosion. The other I antiseized a couple years ago and the metal on the hub was bending on the way out it was so seized..
 
Being that the knuckle is aluminum, and the hub is steel... It causes galvanic corrosion.

Don't use "Never Seize". It will act like a glue. If anything, use a propane torch to heat up the knuckle. The knuckle will expand... and at some point you will be able to beat the hub out from the back side, since aluminum expands more than steel.

Clean up all "mating surfaces" using emery cloth to get rid of any corrosion.

I found some hubs (for a Jaguar) on Rock Auto a while back. The outside diameter of the hub body was a bit smaller than the knuckle. The were pretty much "drop in".

I forget the brand name.
 
it’s not a subaru, even the worst ones don’t take a whole lot of force to remove once you’ve got it on the press
 
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