front wheel bearings on 2004 Aveo

[Dawnseal]

I changed my front brake pads and when rotating the wheel, I heard a screeching noise and thought maybe it was caused by rust. but now after driving around for a while I'm
hearing a clicking noise coming from front tire area, how do you replace the front wheel bearings

Thanks in advance

[DailyDriverMark]

I'm about to do this... It's not totally easy, and requires extra disassembly if you dont have the right bearing puller tools.

I dont have the tools so I'm going to remove the steering knuckle and take it to a shop to press the bearing out.

The biggest obstacle in my way is the Axle Nut which needs to be dealt with 1st thing. It's on there at 221ft lbs! The right socket, a sturdy wrench and an extension pipe are needed. Keep the wheel on. with the ebrake on and tires blocked stand on the bar for the thing to break loose. Be careful. Then remove everything else keeping the knuckle attached to the car.

[paulsaveo]

Make sure to unstake the axle nut before trying to remove it

[DailyDriverMark]

I got whooped by this project today... cant get the damn Hub off...It's coming off just a milimeter at a time...I have a slide hammer on it, been tapping for hours. and its barely moved a 16th of an inch. Today came and went and now I have to drive my sunday only car.. to work tomorow while the 'veo is stuck in the garage. I'll probably need a new tie rod when Im done, and new rotor and possibly a new hub ( the 2 philips head screws in the rotor stripped and had to be drilled out)... I'm letting a shop do the other side.

[petrified.rabbit]

you dont "need" those screws in the rotor.. but they are nice (only hold the rotor flat for when the wheel is off).

are you pulling the whole spindle? or just trying to pull the hub off?

[DailyDriverMark]

Thanks for that re-assurance PR. Thats good knowing I wont need a hub assembly too.

This hub removal tool has a nice pin that your thread in and is supposed to back the hub out as it applies pressure to the axle shaft, This would work great but the axle just backs off, and I dont want to ruin anything moving the axle back into the tranny.

Instead of the thread-in pin, I have a slide hammer attached. made a sight difference tonight anter another hour of banging on this thing. Hope to get this wrapped up by tomorrow. Looks like I can get a tie rod end and a brake rotor in town tomorrow.

Hope this hub comes off!!
I have the whole knuckle ready to be removed. Just the 2 upper and lower bolts are holding it to the car, All 4 are loose and reay to be removed.

[petrified.rabbit]

you should just take it the rest of the way out and press them out.

[DailyDriverMark]

Then just work on prying the bearing off the hub once there pulled? I cant see how I'll get the knuckle on a press with the hub in the way...as a matter of fact, thats how I took the knuckle to a shop and they said, I'd have to remove the hub first before they could press the bearing out.

What Id really like to know is if its ok to use the axle to drive the hub out with the FWD hub removal tool.. When you turn the removal screw inward against the snout of the axle it starts pushing the axle back inward.. I didnt want to be forcing the axle back into the tranny or damaging the CV joints so I stopped after about an inch of inward travel. Does it eventually stop and allow the tool to get the needed pressure on the hub? Or will I be damaging things?

[DailyDriverMark]

Day # 2 and still fighting with the hub! It's moved outward a tiny bit, but not buy much.
I took the spindle/knuckle off completely and sprayed the backside with some wd40. Reinstalled and spent from 7 to 10 pm working the slide hammer.

I gave in and gave the removal screw a try...It kept pushing the axle back until it popped out of the hub and bent to a wierd angle, I hope I didnt damage it. I backed out the removal screw and got the axle to pop back into place. Seems to have returned to normal, hope it's ok.

So I'm not sure how to remove this thing. I dont want to have to buy some stupid expensive gm tool to do it either.

I'm looking at possibly buying a spindle assembly from a local wreckers. Either one where the bearing is still good and will get me by for a while or one stripped of the hub and bearing. ready for the new bearing...I'll need a new hub if this is the case too...

[petrified.rabbit]

i have two spindles here with 15k miles on them, if you decide you need them.

but the hub should press out just as easily as the bearing. then you press out the bearing, and replace in the same order.