2004 Ford Explorer Rear Wheel Bearing Replacement

Great video.

One thing that video reminded me of: I’m sometimes a little surprised at how much “violence” there seems to be in auto repair. Especially for folks who have to fix vehicles that are past their warranty period.

Hammers, air-powered and otherwise, plus large pry bars and the occasional 20-ton press seem to be a part of daily existence for people working with suspension and brake parts that have been marinating in North American Highway Sauce for a decade or two.

In general, the engineering half of my brain tells me that wheel bearings aren’t really a wear item on most personal automobiles. They are designed to last the life of the vehicle. But the reality is that seals are imperfect, and that poor alignment and violent impacts with curbs can put strains on rollers and seals they weren’t meant to take.

That video also made me think of the dilemma facing Flat Rate mechanics. If the book tells you a certain operation should take 1.5 FR hours – and you get confronted with a part seized or rusted in place. I wouldn’t blame a Tech for a second for junking the part and telling the customer he needs a new one from the parts dept.

The difference the DIY’er has is this: He sometimes may not have that option. It might be Sunday afternoon, the parts store is closed, and he needs to get that vehicle back on the road by Monday AM. Or he might not have the money for a new part. Or – especially on obscure or very old vehicles – it may not be available at all.

I tip my cap to every mechanic whose ever toiled for hours under circumstances like Eric did with that wheel bearing.

[quote=”no_common_sense” post=158829]Eric, I’d like to see you take on front wheel bearings on an old Kia Sedona someday. The last pair I did took an hour just to press out the bearings and I actually had to pull the one of the knuckles with the half shaft still in it. All that fun required a 60 ton press, the rosebud, and a friend literally hanging off the pump handle. I accidentally tweaked on of the knuckles and pulled it camber back into spec when the alignment finally got done but I was right on the edge of the positive side of tolerance…whoops 😀 I know Fopeano’s done worse with some Mitsubishi hub too. You can maybe make it a contest out of it for your next ETCG meet. Make it your very own Iron Man competition, so to speak.[/quote]

In 2005 I started my career as a tech working at Kia, and spent my first few years at 2 Kia dealers. Those 1st Gen Sedona wheel bearings were failing rampantly while still in warranty and I did a ton of them back before they had a chance to get too rusty, but one in particular was special. It came in with the left front bearing missing all rollers and cages, just the inner and outer races were there. I test drove it very briefly, got it up to 50 then immediately got nervous, stopped/turned around and came back. It turned out that the brake rotor being trapped within the caliper bracket what the primary way of keeping the wheel attached to the car. They use a sealed (non-preloaded) dual tapered roller bearing instead of the usual dual ball bearing, but with PLASTIC CAGES!!! I don’t know if aftermarkets are steel, but factory ones are plastic, it’s almost comical.

You can forget about that Iron Man competition, though. I’m not really the competing type, but competing to be the one to deal with the shittiest rust job, well, the very idea is making me laugh uncontrollably right now. It’s a funny idea for sure. I picture it turning out to be Eric and I tag teaming it, like when 2 dudes are hammer forging as a team. Then one of us rolls out a 10,000 ton press and the other whips out a industrial torch (#6 cutting tip, 5/8″ hose, liquid oxygen tank, the whole deal) and we light the whole rusty mess up till it glows white, then crush it until a diamond is all that’s left behind.