How to repair wheel bearing 1998 contour front?

Answer 1

Answer

There is always a secret to doing these jobs that nobody seems to want to tell you. This secret is in the lower balljoint.

If it wasn't there you would almost want to do this job for a living if you were paid shop labor rates.
But, you can only do so much of this job yourself, unless you have access to a press and you will need a torque wrench that goes up to 205 foot pounds to re torque the wheel bearing once its back on. Otherwise you'll be replacing the bearing all over again in six months.

First have the car jacked up and resting on a jackstand. Remove the wheel.
Take the nut off which is attached to the cv joint off using a breaker bar (its on there very tight) you will probably need someone to step on the brakes or do this part first with the car resting on the ground.
Remove the brake caliper and the rotor.
Remove the outer tie rod.
Unbolt the sway bar link (15 and 17mm inside to keep it from spinning).
Take off the lower bolt which holds the strut to the Steering Knuckle (that's what I call it).
I used a turn-buckle to assist in keeping the A-arm swung down.
Attach the turn buckle to the jack stand. You might have to move the stand closer towards your work.
Now remove the bolt holding the lower ball joint to the steering knuckle (plan on changing the ball joint if it is the original, if only to make life easier on reassembly). Using a suitable tool pry the a-frame down and using the turn buckle attached to the jack stand hold it in place.
Beat down on the steering knuckle to loosen the strut from it.
Once off (the strut) use a two jaw puller and take the knuckle (where the hub is) off the cv spindle shaft.
You should be done.
Bring the knuckle to a shop and have the new bearing (hub) pressed.
Do the reverse to put the car back together.
If the cv joint popped out of its mid housing use your feet and slam it back in.
You will probably have to grind the original ball joint from the A-frame as it is usually riveted on, but the new ball joints will come with bolts.
Put the knuckle back on the spindle and slide the strut back into place.
Put the ball joint on last.
The torque on the nut at the spindle is 205 foot pounds.
I've used these methods twice now and it has worked each time.
If you don't have new struts or they need replaced do this now also and just how old is that CV joint?
Doing both sides in N.E. Ohio cost around three-hundred dollars through Advance Auto Parts. That's one wheel bearing, two struts and two ball joints. I rented the spring compressor from Advance and did the struts myself also.
I know I used 9mm, 15mm, 17mm, 18mm sockets and wrenches, but I'm not sure what size the nut at the hub was.
Enjoy. You're saving hundreds of dollars in shop labor.


The original answer was:
Have the shop do it. I have done brakes & head gaskets. This was a major pain. Ended up costing more than shop quoted. Sorry, I'm a big diy but not on this again.