Help!

[Elinor]

Hi, I have a 1988 Festivia and I need to replace my front wheel bearings..How do you get the hubs off? I got the caliper off and took off the drive shaft nut and I cannot get the hub to come off so I can replace my front wheel bearings.. I have had the car for a year and I like doing my own work but this stumped me..can anyone help?

[dalebwilson]

The hub and rotor are both pulled as one assembly. Disconnect the 2 strut bolts, the lower control arm pinch bolt and the outer tie rod. The complete assembly can then be removed and disassembled for bearing replacement.


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[WmWatt]

These photos might help...

http://s1086.photobucket.com/user/ag384fb/library/Festiva-frontwheel

[FestYboy]

Ok the pics are awesome, but here's the skinny: remove the knuckle as stated above, place the strut arm in a vice securely, IIRC it's a 27mm or equivalent socket that is used to tap the hub from the knuckle.

WARNING!!!: When the hub comes loose, DO NOT loose the spacer ring that comes with it. It must be reused with THAT knuckle, they cannot be swapped.

One the hub and knuckle are separated, the knuckle can be treated as a rear drum as far as bearing replacement goes. The hub, I find, can either have the bearing cold chiseled off, or I like to cut the inner race with a cut off wheel once the cage is removed, and then snap it loose with the chisel. The trick here is to cut at an angle across the face of the race till just above the hub shaft surface. The chisel and hammer will the break it the rest of the way.

Once the new bearings and races and seals are installed, place the hub face down and the knuckle on top of it and you can either press or pound the two pieces together.
I set the tention by feel, but I've been doing this stuff for years... done MANY sets like this and haven't had a failure yet ( knock on wood).

[WmWatt]

Yeah, I borrow a 3-prong puller from the parts strore free tooll loan program, and separate the hub and knuckle with that. It ruins the dust shield which is usually rusted away to nothing anyway.

After the wheel is back on the car it might feel stiff and not turn freely. That's normal. Let the car down and roll it down the dirveway and back, jack it up, and it should turn freely. Seems like bearings need to have weight of car on them to settle in.

[ricko1966]

I seperate the lower ball joint pop the axle out of the hub put the spindle back on the ball joint.ip. A cheap dent poker right thru the center big washer then the nut tug tug hub spacer everything right there Ina stack and secure.reassemble with wood blocks a hamme and chunk of all thread. Reuse your spacer it is spindle specific