Changing a Front Hub

Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2003 12:03 pm Post subject:

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On mine, the trac-off, service vehicle soon, and anti-lock lights all came on. I ran with mine bad from April 4 of this year to about a week ago. So you can run with it bad. I replaced mine because I want traction control and ABS for the winter.

To change it:
1. Get a 1 and 3/8 inch socket and, with the car on the ground, loosen the axel nut. You may need a breaker bar for this.
2. Put the car on jacks and take off the wheel, then spin off the axel nut that you already loosened.
3. Take off the caliper and caliper bracket. Use a wire hanger or piece of wire to hang the caliper out of the way (don't stretch or kink the brake line).
4. Pull off the rotor.
5. Just behind the rotor you will see the plug where the hub plugs into the wire going to the computer. Unplug it.
6. Remove the three bolts in back of the hub that attach the hub to the steering knuckle. These can get tough. The one on top is the worst. You need a small socket wrench and a 13 mm socket. Get it out just enough so you can get an open-ended wrench on it, and finish removing it with that. All three bolts will probably be real tight (corroded in place), so have something nearby you can throw when you scrape the skin off your knuckles and get pissed off.
7. Get yourself a hub puller from a local tool rental place. An adjustable, twist-type one is easiest, because I went to autozone twice, and neither of the ones they had to loan out were the right size. Before I finally got the right one, I tried beating the hell out of the axel with a mallet to free it from the hub, and it wouldn't budge, so I don't think the slide-hammer type of hub puller would have worked for me. Twist the puller on and just crank the hub out from the axel / steering knuckle. Be careful not to pull out on the hub AND the axel, because there is only a limited amount of play in the axel joints down the line.
8. Guide the plug and wire through the hole past the axel.
9. Clean all of the now-exposed areas real good, and slip the new hub in, guiding the new plug and wire through the hole past the axel.
Put everything back together in reverse order of above, and you're good to go. When you tighten the axel nut, make sure to crank it on tight to properly seat the axel into the hub.

Now for me, I stripped two of the heads of the 3 hub / steering knuckle bolts because I wasn't careful enough, so I just replaced them all, as well as the main axel nut. Got everything from my dealer for about $10.00. Once everything was apart, it took only 25 minutes to get it back together and clean up. So if you have all of your tools and parts before you start, you should be able to do this job in less than half a day. Have fun!
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Hey, a banana!! That's the best news I've had all day!

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[brim]

hah i might as well say thanks again to you molson

I'm gonna pull my car apart soon and take a look at everything

Due to my TRAC OFF/ANTI-LOCK coming I'm also receiving any other codes (like my TP light even though my back tires have slow leaks, I'm seen them both go almost flat once since)

I'm gonna be looking it all over and hopefully solve the problem soon

If I go to autozone you think i can get a free scan and idea of the problem if If it's not a problem with a connection?

Autozone can not scan for Service Vehicle codes. They can only scan Engine codes. I got my dealer to scan mine for free while they were inspecting it.

mine's doing the same thing... with the abs, trac-off, and service engine lights.. now i know what to do....i was starting to freak out with my car... it does it quite a bit... especially on sharp turns

#1: Don't just start replacing hubs willy-nilly, you've got a 1 in 4 chance of getting it right. Do what 3.4Alero said, ask your dealer to scan it for you. Also, as a mechanic, I had a lot of those codes just turn out to be wiring problems, one got pinched or worn through somewhere- it's amazing what a little wiring shrink tubing will do to fix that.

#2: If you do replace the hub yourself, be sure to route the wires EXACTLY as the old one was- if you do it wrong and pull out the wires from the hub when you move the car (Yes, I've done this- ONLY ONCE!) you'll be buying another one, and it would have been cheaper to have the dealer do it. Also, if you're detaching the tie rod end from the knuckle to do this (which lets you move the knuckle freely and makes it a LOT easier) be sure to put downward pressure on top of the tie rod end while you retorque the nut, otherwise the joint inside will just spin. See "how to" topic on tie rod ends.

#3: Be aware, not all hubs are factory fit! If you get one from Autozone, you usually get the exact fit, but Pep Boys has been known to give you a universal GM type, which sometimes doesn't even have the sensor inside. Completely defeats the purpose of the project, ya know?

#4: Like 3.4Alero said here, get a hub puller. Hammering on the axle can mushroom the end, meaning A.) you're not getting it out of the hub without a grinder and a new one, and B.) The nut won't go back on if you CAN get it out.
If you have to hammer on it, put the nut back on the end until it is flush with the end of the axle. This will keep you from mushrooming the tip. Or you can use a block of wood between the hammer and the axle- use a dead blow hammer (if you have one) directly on the axle, and it won't mushroom it either (although it will take a bit longer).

THANKS GUYS. SO IF I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO REPLACE IT RIHT THIS MOMENT IT WON'T HURT ANYTHING TO DRIVE IT LIKE THIS FOR A WEEK OR TWO?

Nope, it'll just be REALLY annoying. Try not to drive, like, across the country or anything though.

hope it doesnt lock up on you, i had it happen to me in another car, it bunnyed everything up, had to buy new spindle, hub, upper control arm....ect.

Ivan, what is wrong with yours? Is it making a loud whining sound (wheel bearing), or have your ABS, trac-off, etc. lights come on? If it is the first, get it fixed asap. If it is the second, you're OK, just keep in mind you don't have abs or traction control.

[leroBob]

does any one have any clue if it would be the same procedure for ano 00' intrigue?? my buddy seems to have the same isues with the same lights coming on on his 00 intrigue thanks

Bob

[Schimmel03]

If my hub went bad, would it cause a rattling noise when I accelerate? I've noticed lately that my car makes a rattling noise under acceleration. I also throw all the codes.

[brim]

Originally posted by Schimmel03@Aug 30 2005, 04:34 AM
If my hub went bad, would it cause a rattling noise when I accelerate? I've noticed lately that my car makes a rattling noise under acceleration. I also throw all the codes.

Quoted post

check the codes, if it's an engine light have it scanned at an autozone for free

brake codes can be done for around $30 I'd say at mechanic shops

generally a bad hub isn't a rattle, the bearing start to seize and the wheel makes a rubbing noise that increases with speed

[natedawg9640]

just changed mine... took me about an hour and a half... and one blood blister... i did mine cause the three warning lights were on and sure enough... that was the problem... one hub seems fine... the other fell in half when i took it out... i'm guessing it was that one that was causing the problem... haha a tip would be... once you get the ratchet on any stuck bolt... dont hammer on it... do get a pipe to slip over the ratchet handle to give yourself lots of leverage... i didn't strip any heads doing this... and those bolts were TIGHT