How do you change a rear wheel bearing on a 2002 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer?

Answer 1

The bearing is already shot so disregard what you hear about loosening the hub nut before you jack the car up. If you are doing this in your backyard it is VERY important to jack and support the car properly....you won't be able to use the parking brake because you'll be taking the disc/hat off. So work smart and safe. Remove hub cap.

Spray PB Blaster or another good rust killer in the hub, and all the nuts you will be removing. That means the pinch bolts for the toe link and the upper ball joint, plus the nut. Also the nut on the bolt of the lower arm.

Break the lug nuts AND 36mm hub nut a 1/4 turn. Jack up the car and support. Remove lug nuts, then tire. Remove brake caliper and support it to prevent damage to hose....I hung mine from the coil spring...The metal brake line fit in between the coils very nicely. Remove disc/hat. Remove the 36mm hub nut (you need buy a new one...really)

Use a hub puller to press the axle shaft in through the hub, just a little bit...to break the rust. JUST A LITTLE! YOU ARE JUST BREAKING THE RUST SO IT WILL COME APART EASIER LATER. Spray it again and move on. Remove puller for now.

Remove the springs, and retainers from the parking brake and remove the parking brake shoes. Remove the parking brake levers coming through the rubber bushing . Remove the Nut and Pinch Bolt from the Upper Ball Joint (at 12 o'clock) MAKE SURE YOU PUT THIS SAME BOLT BACK IN WITH A NEW NUT. THIS BOLT IS A LITTLE LONGER THAN THE TOE LINK BOLT! Note: The pinch arms are just a term for the design....the bolt goes through a split....when the bolt is tightened, it clamps on the part that is meant to be held.

Separate carefully....don't damage boot. I actually drove a stubby screw driver through the pinch arms of the knuckle to free it.

Remove the Nut and Pinch Bolt from the Toe Link (at 7 o'clock)

Separate carefully....don't damage boot. I actually drove a stubby screw driver through the pinch arms of the knuckle to free it.

Support lower arm (I used a cinder block)

Remove nut and bolt through lower arm (at 6 o'clock)

The only thing holding you back now should be getting the hub / knuckle assembly off the axle shaft.

Attach your puller again to the hub and as you tighten it the hub / knuckle assembly should start coming off the axle shaft pretty easily....if it doesn't, spray it.

The hub must be pressed out of the bearing

The bearing must be pressed out of the knuckle.

The new bearing must be pressed into the knuckle.

The NEW hub must be pressed into the bearing.

I don't have a press and had a local machine shop do this part for $50.00

I didn't have all tools and had to buy a few.

24" breaker bar $20

36mm hub socket $17

Universal Hub Puller $ 21....AutoZone will buy back but I will keep

The other tools are just a couple of sockets and wrenches....I think 18mm.

A ball joint splitter....PB Blaster (I swear by this stuff)

You SHOULD replace the HUB and bearing. I got the hub and bearing at AutoZone for $121.....tools cost $58...Machine Shop was $50.

Total cost was about $230.....dealer wanted $750.

PS....The hardest part of the re-assembly was getting the parking brakes back on.....I'm not going into detail but I did start losing my patience!

It was worth it though....the next one will be much easier.