How doable is changing a wheel bearing for a newb (but a somewhat intelligent one)?

[thehellend]

This might be a silly question, I guess because yall don't know me so it would be hard to say, but I want to start doing my own mechanical stuff and I'm wondering if I'm going to bite off more than I can chew.

The van needs new front wheel bearings. I've watched a video and, while there are a LOT of bolts to unscrew, it looks like changing a wheel bearing is a pretty low-finesse task. There was mention of using a torque wrench and getting the ft lbs set correctly, but I'm guessing the right tool will help make that a fairly easy call to make. I already have a jack, two 2-ton jack stands, those triangular things to stop the van rolling around, and a husband to keep an eye out and tell people "don't worry, she's not dead under there".

But then I think about things and wonder if I'm silly to attempt these things, and that I should leave stuff to my mechanic to avoid causing even more costly repairs.

So, how doable is changing the wheel bearings (front only, for now), and is it realistically worth buying the right tools to do it? I have lots of time and patience, and love learning. I just dislike f'in things up and spending more than I need to. I'm saving up for a banging sound system....

 

[Gary68]

86 chevy wheel bearings-2 bolts for the caliper and one nut at the hub,no special tools needed,allen wrench for the caliper
getting the races out might be a little issue but not much
to tighten- rotate hub and tighten to taught then back of to next slot on the lock washer

what makes you think yours are bad and not just in need of grease and tightening?

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

You don't really say how handy you are with tools, or what kind of other repairs you may have already done succesfully.

Maybe I'm funny, but I think a complete newbie should start out with non-critical stuff like mufflers and exhaust rather than critical stuff like working on brakes.  Work your way up to the stuff that could be dangerous if you screw it up.

The only thing worse than having a wheel fall off at 60 mph is having it fall off at 60 mph while I'M driving right behind you!

When you're ready for the more critical stuff, you'll know it.  You'll watch a YouTube video and you'll say,  "I can do that!"

 

[thehellend]

what makes you think yours are bad and not just in need of grease and tightening?

I had a checkup with the mechanic who told me they were on the verge of needing critical repairs.

You don't really say how handy you are with tools, or what kind of other repairs you may have already done succesfully.

Maybe I'm funny, but I think a complete newbie should start out with non-critical stuff like mufflers and exhaust rather than critical stuff like working on brakes.  Work your way up to the stuff that could be dangerous if you screw it up.

The only thing worse than having a wheel fall off at 60 mph is having it fall off at 60 mph while I'M driving right behind you!

When you're ready for the more critical stuff, you'll know it.  You'll watch a YouTube video and you'll say,  "I can do that!"

Yep, and this is my worry too. I've literally changed my oil once, and replaced a headlight. That being said, I once made a jacket with no prior sewing experience, and I can deadlift almost 300 lbs - I'm a quick and persistent learner. 

But your point about driving behind me is spot on - I'm willing to take the failure that comes with learning, but not at the expense of others. And when I watched the video I thought, boy, that's something I could do with a little more experience with tools.

 

[hepcat]

I had a checkup with the mechanic who told me they were on the verge of needing critical repairs.

Huh?  Say what?  Critical repairs?  Hmmm...  did your mechanic really say that?

Wheel bearings can be rough... having rust and pitting... get flat spots on them and ruin both the bearing and the bearing race.  Or they can be too tight.  Or the lube in them can turn to a waxy solid.  Or they can be too loose.  Or the bearing can "explode" if the cage disintegrates. Or they can weld themselves together with too much friction, heat, and too little grease.

I've never heard anyone describe them as being "on the verge of needing critical repairs" though.  

Most of the time, just pulling them apart,  thoroughly cleaning and repacking them is sufficient, unless they're pitted or otherwise not serviceable.  On an '86 van, for the cost of bearings and races, I'd just replace them at this point anyway I think. And insist on genuine Timken brand bearings if you're not buying OEM from a Chevy dealer.  There are LOTS of cheap bearings out there that will disintegrate on you at the most inopportune times.

Replacing the wheel bearings isn't, as they say, "rocket science" but there are some critical parts to it; mostly getting the bearing thoroughly cleaned, thoroughly re-greased, and having the hub properly tensioned on the bearing when re-assembling it.  Probably the toughest problem you'll encounter will be removing the brake calipers.  I'd expect them to be pretty difficult to remove from rust, and the brake lines are likely to be old, and ready to break with any movement.  And make sure you don't allow the caliper pistons to move while you have the caliper off of the rotor.  That could lead to a whole 'nother set of issues. 

Frankly, the potential brake issues are what send ME to a mechanic to have the bearings packed.  I just don't want to deal with that any more.  Been there, done that... got the t-shirt... and don't want another.

BTW, deadlifting 300lbs is impressive as H*ll! Well done!!! : )

 

[thehellend]

Huh?  Say what?  Critical repairs?  Hmmm...  did your mechanic really say that?

No, that was me putting words in his mouth. He said they were worn and it was causing a lot of other issues, like play in the steering. The 'nearly critical' thing was that the steering is off, and there is a lot of creaking on crank of the wheel, that would likely be resolved by it. TBH I sort of half listen to the mechanical jargon when I trust the person doing it... lol, should probably start paying more attention, huh.

I watched a video of a dude replacing them on a newer vehicle, and the part where he said to "gently tap around the base" to get the rust out, and chunks of the stuff flew off... yeah, I think I'd be buried in it if I did that.

I guess I'll be booking a return Dr's appointment for old madame Bacon.

 

[hepcat]

Hmmm... ok... thank you for clarifying that... it just seemed to be a kinda... well... un-mechanic-like statement.

here's a couple of things you can do for yourself to diagnose them... when the van is parked, can you grab the top of the tire and give it a good, solid tug and then shove. If the bearing is loose, you'll feel and likely hear the bearing clunk and you'll feel the wheel move ever so slightly. If you hear and/or feel that, then yeah... get it in ASAP. As far as play in the steering wheel though? My money is that you'll still have that after the bearings are replaced... while it's possible you might get a little of that from bearing play, my money is on tie rod ends there. They're going to be getting old and will likely be pretty loose too. And the creaking? More likely ball joints. Ball joints are notoriously noisy on Ford vans around 35k miles as they can't be lubed. The ones I had put in my '95 van have grease fittings and should last nearly the rest of the life of the van now. I'm not sure what the issues are with Chevy vans... but I'm willing to bet that yours are creaking.

Remember that free advice is worth exactly what you pay for it... and of course, since I'm only an old shade-tree mechanic what I'm suggesting may be all wet... but please keep us posted on what you find out, and what's actually happening with The Bacon Van!

 

[highdesertranger]

lots of good advice. Hepcat's advice about Timken bearings is spot on. I only use Timken. doing wheel bearings is an easy job, however there are some tricks you must know to avoid catastrophic failure. the best thing to do is to have someone tutor you, someone who knows what they are doing. good bearings don't go bad unless they are not serviced. once a year they should be repacked. so in the long run it would be best for you to learn how to do them. it is best to be proactive with maintenance. highdesertranger

 

[DannyB1954]

If all goes well, they are pretty easy. When something goes wrong the person doing the work needs experience. Sometimes the inner bearing will seize on the spindle shaft. The hard part is getting them off without damaging the spindle.
Pressing the races in can also be tricky for a first timer. My opinion is the risks are not worth the cost of labor for someone who has done a number of these. My 2 cents, take it to a shop. Doing something wrong can ruin your and someone else's day at highway speeds.

 

[thehellend]

Thanks all. You've sufficiently put the fear in me - I'm a safety junkie, so I'll be working with my mechanic and a mechanic friend of mine to figure out the right, most affordable, option.

 

[Gary68]

the devil on your other shoulder here

get yourself a Haynes manual and do it,basic go to know stuff

 

[travlinman and wife]

Find a retired mechanic and give him a few bucks and a 6pack to coach you. you do the work under his direction.

 

[Zizzer_Zazzer_Zuz]

I recently traded some blacksmithing gear to a mechanic to come over and help me do major maintenance on my rig. I learn by doing but also like to have some back up when I take on new projects. I'm feeling much more confident about doing work myself now but would want some assistance with something like brakes. You might offer the mechanic an extra $50 to let you watch if you promise to stay out of the way and not ask too many questions. I've found a local shadetree mechanic that has been super accommodating when it comes to questions, watching, and even doing some of the labor to reduce costs. He usually does gassers and body work on cars and I think he finds my skoolie interesting and novel to work on. He's helping with some sheet metal work and roof top stuff that I'm not comfortable with. He's done some painting on small classic trailers and I think he wants to be able to claim experience installing vent fans and solar panels.

 

[bullfrog]

Check with a local vocational school and see if they offer night maintenance courses. They used to be 3 hours where I taught from 6PM till 9PM and catered to the students by letting them work on their own vehicles with help and supervision from the instructor and rest of the class.

 

[caretaker]

if you can follow directions with pictures,,i had a haynes man. and i got to where i didn't want anybody but me working on it. 1976 chevy van.

 

[djkeev]

Here's the rub...... many shops today hire young kids who have attended a tech school, maybe not.
But look around you, almost every new car being sold today is front wheel drive. Wheel bearings on these units are completely different than an older rear wheel drive unit.
It is POSSIBLE that these kids have never seen a front wheel bearing just like they have probably never seen a carburetor!

You may just end up paying someone to do on the job training on your Van!! "Professionals" today aren't exactly what you think they may be.

Do it yourself, you need tools anyway and there is always help available to you from someone.
Take your time, learn basic work safety habits (jack stands and wheel chocks!!! ) and "git er done!"
I'd much rather spend money on good tools that I will use in the future than pay for labor.

Dave

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

the devil on your other shoulder here

get yourself a Haynes manual and do it,basic go to know stuff

And don't forget to say, "Hold my beer, I wanna try something."

 

[Weight]

A good set of instructions, like a Haynes's. A clean work bench and place to clean parts. Regular set of tools. Slow, careful, and clean. I have replaced wheel bearings on the side of a road with a bottle jack, lug wrench, channel lock, drift pin, and ball-peen hammer. That was on drum brakes, but the principal is the same. It would be good to have someone that knows hang out.

 

[SternWake]

Beware of brake rotors with races already installed. the 'taper' of the races might not align with the bearings, and the majority of stress on the rollers will be on their edge.

I found this out using Autozone duralast rotors with timken bearings. In well less than 10K miles i heard the bearing noise, inspected and found the issue. One race was also spinning in its bore.

Also the race seats in the rotor were machined too deeply, bringing the bearings closer together than they were designed to be, basically increasing the torque applied upon them.

Those Economy duralast rotors wound up costimg me a bundle. NOw I have Brembo rotors that came with SKF races installed and used SKF bearings. Those with new calipers and some Hawk HPS high performance brake pads have turned my brakes from anemic to dowright impressive.

I too doubt that wheel bearings are adding much slop to the steering and that issue lies in other suspension/ steering components. If you do inspect the bearings yourself, make sure not to let the brake calipers hang by their hydraulic cable. Use an S hook or wire to hold them out of the way.

If You see cracks in the flexible hydraulic hose, consider new rebuilt calipers and perhaps master cylinder too, and be extra careful removing steel lines from the hydraulic system, or you will get to make new steel lines.

If your vehicle is as rusty as you say the lines could be compromised as is.

Often a simple project on an older vehicle is opening a can of worms, and best to hand the can opener to others.

 

[ArtW]

Your van is an 86 so the races drive out of the hub with a screwdriver or punch, but you need a race driver to seat them properly
Unless the 3/4 ton is different from a 1/2 ton (doubt it) your rotors press onto the hub, so the hubs should be factory
doing bearings isn't that big a boo, but it would be best if you can get someone who's done it to help you, as there is a feel to it