Replacement of Rear Wheel Bearing
12-31-1969, 07:00 PM
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Just got done replacing my left-rear wheel bearing on my '93 SSE. The bearing-hub assembly had a bent flange and was quite loose, which caused the drum to grind on the shoes and the wheel to wobble. I picked up a replacement at a junk yard in Minnesota. I figured that, even if the "new" bearing went bad, I was still financially ahead: A brand-new bearing costs about $300, while the one I got cost $45. What follows is the replacement procedure, according to the GM service manual and my personal experience. Usual disclaimers apply.
How to Replace the Rear Wheel Bearing on a 1993 Bonneville
1) Jack up the corner of the car you will be working on, and support it with jackstands
2) Remove the wheel nuts, then the wheel itself. Remove the brake drum. If the drum is frozen to the hub, the service manual recommends using a puller. Forunately, mine was not stuck.
4) Disconnect the ABS sensor wire.
3) Remove the four mounting bolts that hold the hub/bearing assembly (HBA) onto the car. You'll need an extension on a ratchet and a Torx-50 sized attachment. Get access to the bolts via the three holes in the HBA flange. Be sure to support the brake assembly when you remove the bolts so that the brake lines are not stressed. I recommend using a length of wire.
4) In theory, the HBA should pull easily off the car. For me, despite hours of pulling, hammering, penetrant-spraying, and prying, the HBA would not come off the car. Eventually, a long crowbar braced off of the bottom strut mounting bolts did the trick. Note that the crowbar technique destroyed the old HBA.
5) Installation is the reverse of removal. The torque specification for the four mounting bolts is 52 ft-lbs. I recommend using a torque wrench.
6) I had a little bit of difficulty getting the brake drum back on. I worked it carefully for a while and eventually it popped into place. If you have trouble, make sure that your parking brake is not engaged, and that you haven't moved the shoes out of position.
7) Replace the wheel. The manual suggests torquing the lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs.
You're done!
I hope this helps if you ever need to replace one of your rear bearings.
Cheers,
Jeff
_________________
1993 Pontiac Bonneville SSE
Founder, http://www.bonnevilleclub.com
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: teuobk on 2002-01-10 00:19 ]</font>
How to Replace the Rear Wheel Bearing on a 1993 Bonneville
1) Jack up the corner of the car you will be working on, and support it with jackstands
2) Remove the wheel nuts, then the wheel itself. Remove the brake drum. If the drum is frozen to the hub, the service manual recommends using a puller. Forunately, mine was not stuck.
4) Disconnect the ABS sensor wire.
3) Remove the four mounting bolts that hold the hub/bearing assembly (HBA) onto the car. You'll need an extension on a ratchet and a Torx-50 sized attachment. Get access to the bolts via the three holes in the HBA flange. Be sure to support the brake assembly when you remove the bolts so that the brake lines are not stressed. I recommend using a length of wire.
4) In theory, the HBA should pull easily off the car. For me, despite hours of pulling, hammering, penetrant-spraying, and prying, the HBA would not come off the car. Eventually, a long crowbar braced off of the bottom strut mounting bolts did the trick. Note that the crowbar technique destroyed the old HBA.
5) Installation is the reverse of removal. The torque specification for the four mounting bolts is 52 ft-lbs. I recommend using a torque wrench.
6) I had a little bit of difficulty getting the brake drum back on. I worked it carefully for a while and eventually it popped into place. If you have trouble, make sure that your parking brake is not engaged, and that you haven't moved the shoes out of position.
7) Replace the wheel. The manual suggests torquing the lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs.
You're done!I hope this helps if you ever need to replace one of your rear bearings.
Cheers,
Jeff
_________________
1993 Pontiac Bonneville SSE
Founder, http://www.bonnevilleclub.com
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: teuobk on 2002-01-10 00:19 ]</font>
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