i have been debating on taking this task on with my brother but i been hearing how its a hard process and not really worth doing it yourself. whats everyone elses opinion about taking on this task? we did all my supension work so were somewhat mechanicaly inclined especially him. if i was to pay someone how much should i expect to be charged?

 

With two of you, this is the type of project that DIYers should try. It takes a couple of hours, so having the right tools and a garage to work out of are must-haves. As for estimating costs for having a shop do the work, that really depends on the geographic area and what the shop charges. In the Denver, Colorado area, I'd say it would be a minmum of $300 + parts for changing a rear wheel hub.

 

piece of cake. takes little over an hour to do one side of the rear.

 

Not hard, definately within your range if you did suspension work already.

If you want a shop to do it, I work at the Miami beach firestone, I can get you a quote from there.

I'm also an ASE Master Tech and available for side work if you wanted.

 

Definitely a relatively easy job. However! be prepared that the bearings may not come out easily. I had 180,000 miles on mine including all kinds of winter weather and it took me lots of time to get them out of the hubs. Once I figured out an effective technique for mine the other side still took 30 minutes of beating on it with a slide hammer. Make sure you have something like a slide hammer and a large round piece of metal about the size of the bearing to put on the inside and attach the slide hammer on the outside through the axle hole if necessary. If you search for something on rear wheel bearing (I think on this site - or just google) you will see another guy that had this problem as well.

Short version - be prepared for a full day if needed but if you are handy you will get it no problem. Make sure you have another car to run out and get tools, etc.

 

Just buy one of these. Makes life a lot easier.

 

That puller is not what he's talking about. BJR is referring to the hub assembly being corroded into the knuckle, after you knock the axle out you may have to quite forcefully beat out the hub. Being that OP is in Miami, if the car isn't a previous northern car, one good whack with a hammer is usually all it takes.

I had to get behind a hub bearing and beat it out with a hammer and chisel to show one of the other techs at work how to do it last week. He was trying to take an air hammer to the seam on the side. It took quite a bit of persuasion to knock it free but it came out eventually. Be sure to CLEAN the inside surface and all mating surfaces well and apply a layer of grease/anti-sieze so everything goes together nice and true.

 

OP is talking about the rear

 

Yes, and I was using a driven front hub in my example.

Once the axle is removed, you have nothing in the center to pry against.

Easiest method is using a press to remove/install the hub from the bearing. If you don't have access to one, most shops will do that simple part of the procedure for a nominal fee.

 

i dont remove the axles when i change them

 

Yeah if they come apart clean that makes it quite a bit easier. I get that on FWD every now and then. GM stuff with bolt-on hubs almost always come out clean without touching the axles.

 

I just tap the axle with a rubber mallet a few times, and it makes enough space to get the 4 bolts behind the bearing.

 

Looks like the OP has left the room. While I certainly respect those who replace just the bearings in their hubs, a replacement hub isn't that costly and is much easier for most DIYers. Less down time usually means more motivation to get this done!

 

i havnt been able to replay for awhile now being busy with car problems and family. the end result was me taking it to a guy and honestly kind of regret it. i had boughten only the hub thinking it was just the hub. he then told me its the entire assembly so i gave him the ok to buy the part from the dealer since its only a "dealer part". after he bought the part he said it didnt come with the hub. long story short it cost $380 and i got a squeak but i think that just my break pads due to my rotors being bad

 

lol they got your *** good! they love people like you

 

no kidding right. i have always had a problem going to mechanics thats why i did my suspension and other things with my bro. idk y i even bothered with a mechanic. how much should of this actually have costed to have someone do it

 

$380 for parts and labor is probably about right for an OEM hub and bearing (retail purchase) installed by a private tech.

 

i had called around to verify myself and yea sounds legit to me. only problem is i noticed the dust pan scraps my rotors when i drive. ( squeaking sound) when i push the dust pan back the noise goes away for about a minute. lose dust pan? i doubt these things can go bad right?

 

i just pushed back the dust pan again today but the noise didnt go away. it seems to disapear when i break. i put in brand new break pads with the lub. any idea?