How to Replace a Front Wheel Bearing Without a Press or Bridge

I planned on doing this write up a few months ago when I did this and took the pictures - lets see how good my memory is ;)

I hate the hub design on the Aveos. In order to get the front hubs off (to replace the bearing), you have to press the hub off the bearing and then the bearing out of the knuckle. To do the first procedure, you need a special tool called a Support Bridge (GM p/n J 37105-1). I decided to make my own bridge and use a general fwd bearing pulled kit to replace my bearings. I've read that some have taken the steering knuckle off the car and taken the whole unit to have the hub and bearing removed on a press. Not an inexpensive approach.

I used a "Front Wheel Drive Bearing Removal Adapters Puller Pulley Tool Set Kit" that can be purchased or in Canada rented for free from Parts Source or Canadian Tire.

To replace the bearing, remove front CV shaft (I believe there is a How To in this section), taking care not to move the CV shaft too far out or you may ruin the CV joints.

I then used my home made support bridge:

http://www.aveoforum.com/forum/attac...e-100_4599-jpg

http://www.aveoforum.com/forum/attac...e-100_4598-jpg

I used 1/2 steel plate with holes drilled for the forcing bolt (middle) and 5/16 threaded rod (sides). I ground down the treads on the rod so that it slid in the hub holes more easily. Note that the holes in the hubs are factory - I didn't drill them. Not sure if all Aveo's are like this, but I'm glad mine was!

I put a bearing adapter and forcing nut on the other side of the hub (not shown) making sure the drift (bearing adapter) was bottomed on the axle and not on the bearing. Then you just turn the forcing bolt. I had to remove the drift once it started bottoming on the bearing. I then used washers (smaller than the inside race of the bearing) and the forcing bolt to move the hub the rest of the way out.

With the hub free of the bearing, the bearing needs to be removed from the steering knuckle. First the cir clip must be removed:

http://www.aveoforum.com/forum/attac...e-100_4591-jpg

Then I used a bearing adapter that was large enough to cover the outside race of the bearing, but small enough to fit through the knuckle. I also needed a sleeve and the forcing bolt and nut again.

http://www.aveoforum.com/forum/attac...e-100_4589-jpg

Once the bearing pops free, you are left with an empty steering knuckle:

http://www.aveoforum.com/forum/attac...e-100_4579-jpg

The inner race of the bearing stayed on the hub shaft and pulled out of the bearing when I pressed out the hub. If this happens, get out the dremel and a cut off wheel and cut the race. Be careful not to cut all the way through the race, because you will damage the hub. Stop just before you cut through and then use a cold chisel to crack the inner race. When it cracks on the cut line, it will come right off:

http://www.aveoforum.com/forum/attac...e-100_4585-jpg

Not the best picture, but you can see the race and the crack in it after cutting and whacking it with the chisel.
Now to install the new bearing in the knuckle.

Put the new bearing in the hub. I greased the bearing a little so that it would press into the hub easier. MAKE SURE it is aligned properly or you will have metal shaving from where the bearing cuts the hub if its crooked. Don't ask me how I know. Set up the bearing adapters so that they are pressing on the OUTSIDE race and supported on the OUTSIDE race.

http://www.aveoforum.com/forum/attac...e-100_4586-jpg

http://www.aveoforum.com/forum/attac...e-100_4588-jpg

Once the bearing is in, replace the cir clip. Then its time to install the hub. Make sure the hub shaft is aligned in the bearing. Make sure the INNER and OUTER bearing races are supported with a bearing adapter when pressing the hub back in.

http://www.aveoforum.com/forum/attac...e-100_4593-jpg

http://www.aveoforum.com/forum/attac...e-100_4596-jpg

Once the hub is in, replace the axle shaft and put on a new axle nut. Torque to spec and peen the axle nut.

All done!
Enjoy

Great write up. Thanks!

No problem - just glad I finally got around to doing it.

Superb article Whitefish. fantastic. I have been struggling with the drive hub all day. But I don't have your tool and quite frankly, do not see how it works. But it has given me some ideas. thanks.

If I were an actual mechanic for a living or owned 3 Aveos I could see making somthing like that but I instead bought the front bearings instead from Amazon.com for $20 ea and removed the front / hubs / rotors to have the new bearings pressed in. I was charged $30 to have this done. I then put it all back together.

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Superb article Whitefish. fantastic. I have been struggling with the drive hub all day. But I don't have your tool and quite frankly, do not see how it works. But it has given me some ideas. thanks.

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Markstack, if you are anywhere near a Canadian Tire or Parts Source (same company), you can loan the Front Wheel Bearing kit from them, free of charge. If you have any questions, just let me know and I'll try to walk you through it.

Making the jig took me about 1/2 an hour and cost me around $10. I had considered taking off the spindle arms, but this would throw the alignment out and result in more work/cost. Plus, pressing out the bearings and putting in the new ones would be $100 minimum here, not to mention finding a shop that would actually do it.

Hey Whitefish, where are you located in Canada?

Thanks for the budget how to on this job. Just a question at the beginning of the project. After removing the staked retaining nut does the shaft and CV joint assy. push inward far enough to remove it from the knuckle/bearing, hub assy. without doing any disassembling of it on either side of the car.

your going to have to take it off the ball joint at least.. like pictured. Just doing the ball joint like he did could save your alignment. But it is only 4 more bolts/nuts at that point to replace the bearing on a bench instead of the wheel well.

Sorry for the late reply. Yes, as PR mentioned, I just pulled the lower ball joint (which I replaced anyways). You could keep going and pull the whole front hub, but its more work and you may be into an alignment at that point. GM Service manual show replacing on the vehicle, so thats what I did.

I finally did the other side a month ago and I actually referred back to this post ;)

Great pictures and writeup. I am convinced if you are going to be a home mechanic then have your will need a home press. Found some cheap ones for 250 at Harbor Freight and Northern. Yes that's expensive and it will allow quick turn around.

If anyone needs a pair, I have a set of SKF manufactured WKH593 wheel bearings (front wheel bearings for an 04 Aveo) here in my parts box for sale. My wife since bought a new car, and with no Aveos handy I don't need them.

PM me if you're interested. I can ship.

Hey Whitefish, how did you support the inner race from the back? The knuckle would support the outer race. I see the bearing adapter is in place but do you have another spacer between that and the bearing?

Hey Jetfarm - sorry it took so long to respond. I suspect you figured this out by now ;). I think used an adapter from the bearing puller kit that is small enough to touch the rear of the bearing, supporting the races. I may have also used something else like several large washers. The hole in the middle has to be large enough so that the puller bolt can pass through and be threaded.

I did this job with the good old Harbour Freight press when I extended my lug nuts to fit some spacers and BBS rims. I kinda wish I had one of those bearing puller sets, but I hear they can be a pain too.

Thank you very much Whitefish for taking the time to post this detailed write-up. I just bought an '08 Aveo at an auction, knew nothing about it, and found out bringing it home the driver's side ft wheel bearing was toast. I checked out your post closely and followed along. I 'rented' a bearing press kit from Advance Auto (I'm in VT) as well as a ball joint press. I also had to score and crack the inner race off the hub, as you detailed. The job went well and I was happy with the result. Thanks much!!

So I've come full circle on this one......


I just replaced the same front bearing that started this post. Unfortunately, I can no longer rent the tool (at least not locally) I used to complete the bearing repair with the hub on the car. And I wasn't planning on paying $160 for a tool I would only use a few times. So I had to resort to pulling the hub off and pressing the old bearing out and replacing (that 12 ton hydraulic press I bought on sale gets used more often than I thought!).

The downside to this process is trying to get the tie rod and ball joints off the hub. Sometimes they are so seized that the only way to get them out is using heat and a tool that ends up destroying them. I just replaced both so it wasn't too bad. And then you have to diconnect the strut. All this combined definately impacted the alignment on the car, so I have to do that as well now. The upside is having the hub free to work on. This really came in handy when I had to get the rusted in circlip out before I could press the bearing out of the hub.

The car is jugging along at almost 200,000 miles so not bad so far :D

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Originally Posted by whitefish

.....The downside to this process is trying to get the tie rod and ball joints off the hub. Sometimes they are so seized that the only way to get them out is using heat and a tool that ends up destroying them. ....

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I've had very good luck popping them off undamaged using this tool.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Univers...EAAOSw3GtZwdw0

Although it might not be beefy enough for a larger vehicle, it's more than strong enough for our Aveos. I pulled the knuckles off to do the bearings on mine, and the job went so fast and so well that I wouldn't consider doing it any other way. And yes, I do live in the rust belt.

Glad to read that your Aveo is still on the road!

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Originally Posted by avguy

I've had very good luck popping them off undamaged using this tool.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Univers...EAAOSw3GtZwdw0

Although it might not be beefy enough for a larger vehicle, it's more than strong enough for our Aveos. I pulled the knuckles off to do the bearings on mine, and the job went so fast and so well that I wouldn't consider doing it any other way. And yes, I do live in the rust belt.

Glad to read that your Aveo is still on the road!

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Yup, I have a ball joint tool like that. Didn't need it this time, but when I have used them I still had to heat the knuckle at least 75% of the time to loosen it up.

As I mentioned, the other big pain is the need to do an alignment if you remove the hub.

whitefish - you should do a garage entry for your Aveo....

Garage empty: add car