How do you replace a front wheel hub on a Nissan quest?

Answer 1

Here is some helpful advice.

Wheel hub/bearing is $133 per side at RockAuto.

Also, if you are in that far, you should replace the CV drive axles as well. Cost about $55 per side at O'Reilly and only takes a few more minutes while you are in there.

The job should take about about two hours per side but the first side took me six hours of trial and error.

Tricky Part #1: Separating the steering ball joint. This takes a ball joint separator. Is used the one that looks like a fork and you just drive it into the joint. Works good except you will damage the grease boot and need a new one. You could also try the screw type separator but I have less confidence in anything that does not involve a big hammer here.

Tricky Part #2: Turns out yo don't need to take apart the pinch joint. That joint at the very bottom that has a bolt going through and pinching a stud that comes up from the lowr control arm. Just leave that alone. I did get one side out but it was a royal PITA. Only to find out you don't have to.

Tricky Part #3: Once you get the steering ball joint loose and the two big bolts out at the top of the wheel knuckle (bolts going up toward the spring), you can start to swing out the wheel knuckle and should be able to get it far enough out to get the drive shaft out of it. The shaft may take a couple smacks with a hammer or you can use the elegant puller that attaches to your wheel studs but I found I did not need that. See, did not need to remove the pinch bolt.

Tricky Part #4: Getting the bearing assembly out. After you take out the four bolts that hold it in from the rear. And don't forget to remove the wheel sensor. Now it is time to get the bearing out. I pushed and banged and though for sure it was pressed in. that is why I took the pinch nut off the first one so I could take the whole assembly in to the shop only to look like a fool when they took a hammer to it and it came right out. Just keep smacking in from the the rear on the hard inner spline part and it will start to budge. When putting your bearing back in, notice there are three notches in the metal on the rear ring. One of these lines up with the wheel sensor. Make sure you put the bearing in correctly, not 180 degrees out.

Tricky Part #5: Getting the drive shaft out of the transmission (left side). The right side is easier. Like I said, if you don't spend the $55 to replace this part, you are crazy. That boot is going to go at eight years or 100,000 miles or so. you cant pull on the the axle or you will just pull apart the assembly. This takes a slide hammer which you can rent at your local auto store. The trick is what to put at the end of the slide hammer since it is such a small space between the axle metal and the transmission metal. I got on of the three jaw pullers from the auto store also and disassembled it so there was just a piece of metal at a right angle at the end of the hammer that slid between the parts. Then it came out no problem. The right side could also use the slide hammer but you have to rotate the collar (the one that has three small screws) after you take out the screws to get a piece of the metal that you can pull against.

Hope that helps!