Hey man, thank you for taking the time to make this video. I reviewed all 3 parts and because of your sharing, you made the job easy. Had it not been for this resource, it would have taken a lot longer. You have done a good service. Thank you and God bless you
Well thanks to your invaluable help, I changed both the front bearings on my 2006 Altima. Has 110,000 miles and was starting to growl at hiway speeds. Did the left yesterday and right today. I even went down to Harbor Freight and bought a front bearing press tool like you recommended. Worked great! I could have taken it down and had them press the bearings, but I hate to have someone do anything that I can do, cause I usually do it better. Thank you so much for taking the time to post the procedure!
Thanks for this video set. Did it in pretty much exactly the same way, was a great help. It's a beastly job, though. Nissan did not do us a favor on the front.
Mustang Resto is the man this is a great video like all of his. thanks to his help I was able to get my bearings done. This guy really knows his stuff and does a great job explaining it!
Brilliant demo video clear and to the point; no long winded jargon. Ours is 32 mm socket to get hub nut off. It was super tight, used heavy duty extension leverage.
Thank goodness Nissan changed this in the 2009 altima. It's about half the repair time and half the energy than having to knock the bearing out and press in a new one.
This video was helpful up until I tried to put the castle nut back on the tie rod (what you are calling the steering knuckle). Because I hit it with a hammer as you demonstrated, the grooves are warped.
Great tutorial, however my experience says you hit the item the bolt is going through strongly, not the bolt. It's just almost always a no no on any job.
mustangresto the way you show in the video is completely wrong and ryan found out why ... the threads on the tie rod were fouled because of hitting it with a hammer. had nothing to do with the nut so telling him to just get a different nut is stupid... most likely ryan had to buy a new tie rod because he followed your direction. David kinman explains the correct way to remove tie rods
excellent video - thanks. Does this hub assy press fit to the spline? The other option is with crafty use of a hammer or a puller... remove the 3 bolts holding the hub to the spindle and then pull the hub (no need to pull ball joints/c arms, etc).... maybe this style is one piece?
A Nixon No, the hub is not press fit on the spline (drive shaft). There is a large nut on the end that holds it on. You can push the spline shaft out of the hub easily.
There is not 3 bolts holding the bearing in on this model but a large snap ring holds the bearing in oh and don't hit the tie rod thread end with a hammer to get it out you hit the the part of the steering knuckle that it goes through on the outside of where the tie rod end goes through until you distort the shape of the tapered hole it goes through until it pops free
Thanks to boredmder for pointing out the following: +MustangResto FWIW what you call the hub mounting bracket is the steering knuckle, and what you call the steering knuckle is the outer tie rod end. Good vids otherwise, though.
Is there a way to spin that bearing to test it without tearing everything out first? I think that my car has this issue since it gets really loud >50mph. Good video!
+RageQuit Relief That noise you hear when you are driving is the bearing. You can determine which side is making the noise by driving around a curve when you hear the noise. If you turn left, you will put more load on the right wheels. When my bearings had more load on them, they made more noise. If the noise gets quieter when you turn left, then the left side is bad, if it gets quieter when you turn right, then the right side is bad.
absolutely DO NOT ...EVER....use a hammer of any sort and bang on the threaded part of a ball joint..common sense should be evidently clear on the matter and a decent mechanic would always tell you not to also...the way to do it is to place a long prybar over the top of prybar as close to ball joint as possible and being wedged under the lower a arm apply downward pressure and then use hammer to smack the caseing that the balljoint sits in squarely on the side and the ball joint will pop out real easy with no mushroomed threads or damage anywhere...think people!!!!
i just came to the comment section to say same thing about the tie rod end same thing NEVER REMOVE THE WAY HE DOES IN THIS VIDEO hit the side of the knuckle where the tie rod threads go into and it will "pop" upwards...easy peasy, and no damaged threads.
It's a 32MM socket that may be able to be used. Because of manufacturer's tolerances in either the nut or socket, a 32MM socket may not work as well as if you just used the 1.25 inch socket. Hope that helps someone.
How come you had to undo the steering knuckle and the strut to remove the wheel bearing? I thought the wheel bearing was just the hub with the lugs and the base with the four bolts that attach. Unless this model has the wheel bearing and the strut as one solid piece?
On this model, the rear assembly is a bolt on; the front are pressed in. However, you still don't need to take loose from the strut. Just pull the hub with a slide hammer and then get the axle out. You can then use a bearing press or ball joint press to get the bearing out. You can borrow the slide hammer and bearing press from most auto parts stores for free.
Sorry for my poor definition of components... What I was wondering is whether or not the hub was removable by itself as many are held from the back with bolts. My 08 Altima is like that so I was just curious. Thanks for the response.
A Nixon No, the hub is pressed into what i called the hub mounting bracket. It isn't bolted into the mounting bracket. You have to remove the mounting bracket and then press the hub out. That's why you need the press tool or a hydraulic press. The rear wheels on my 03 Altima have hubs that are bolted in with 4 bolts and those hubs can be removed by taking out those bolts (after you take off the wheel and the brakes and the rotor). i've changed the rear wheel bearings and it is a much simpler process.
Justin, I got the pipe at Lowe's in the plumbing department. It's just a regular galvanized steel pipe, 1-1/4" or 1-1/2" diameter about 3 or 4 feet long.
Justin Mojica I got the pipe at Lowe's in the plumbing department. It's just a regular steel galvanized pipe, prethreaded at the ends, 1-1/4" or 1-1/2" diameter, whatever it takes to fit over your breaker bar. My pipe is about 3 or 4 feet long.
guitarguy940 the bearing is pressed into the steering knuckle, so you have to remove the steering knuckle to press out the bearing. You can save time and buy a new hub with the bearing pressed together, but you still have to remove the steering knuckle to take out the old bearing and hub and press in the new one. There's no way to leave the knuckle on the car and replace the bearing. On the rear wheels, the hub and bearing just unbolts and comes out, no pressing required.
+ATCkeepsUsafe No. Nothing regarding the alignment is changed when you remove the steering knuckle as long as you don't fool with the tie rod end. You have to press the tie rod out of the steering knuckle, but as long as you don't turn the threaded end of the tie rod in or out when the steering knuckle is off, then the suspension is the same when you reinstall the knuckle. We did not take the car for a realignment and have not had any problems with it in nearly two years.
+ATC-Keeps-U-Safe It really depends on the type of car. Obviously this altima steering knuckle/strut interface isn't designed for adjustment, however on Many vehicles the top mounting hole in the knuckle will be slotted allowing adjustment. With 20+ yrs as auto/diesel tech, I recommend having an alignment after a wheel/hub bearing assy replacement. You will clearly see the excessive amount of movement in the knuckle/strut interface, even with all the hardware in but lose, you can get an inch of flex at the hub. This design obviously has a better chance of going back together still within alignment specs, but definitely not fool proof.
U need new tie rod ends. People, when u see a torn boot, it's lost its grease so, replace that part , also while ur there. Inspect everything visible for safety sake.
keneth cunningham Keneth, it could be the REAR wheel bearings. They make a loud noise that sounds like it's coming from the rear of the car. If the noise is in the front, i could either be your brakes or CV joint. When I replaced the bearings, i replaced the brakes since everything is apart anyway.
its easier to disconnect the abs line under the hood because 9 times out of 10 your not getting them back out once there in the steering knuckle. that tie rod end looked horrible also hope you replaced that.
Hitting studs can easily ruin the plastic bearing thst the ball stud sits in. How about some penetrant and air hammer on side of knuckle. need to avoid mushrooming stud also, but it's a little caveman like
+Dunc w I couldn't disagree with you more. Video is enhanced by audio. There is an old technology called "silent movies" that is no longer used because nearly everyone prefers to hear the sounds that accompany the activity that they are watching. But, if you prefer to just look at the pictures, turn the volume down.
See if you didn't take so long the audio might be helpful but the time you take to explain things makes the video painfully slow. I want to see how to replace a bearing not chat for hours about different bolts, listen to you 'pounding' on things or saying neeesan it's so annoying. The video would be much better if you explained things quicker and more accurately.
Referring to different parts of the car as animate objects is pretty annoying too... 'you just take this guy out' just make a nice quick and easily explained video on changing a bearing. I bet you could do it in under 15 mins not a massive painfully slow three parter. Nobody wants to watch you talk to your car.
Hey man, thank you for taking the time to make this video. I reviewed all 3 parts and because of your sharing, you made the job easy. Had it not been for this resource, it would have taken a lot longer. You have done a good service. Thank you and God bless you
Well thanks to your invaluable help, I changed both the front bearings on my 2006 Altima. Has 110,000 miles and was starting to growl at hiway speeds. Did the left yesterday and right today. I even went down to Harbor Freight and bought a front bearing press tool like you recommended. Worked great! I could have taken it down and had them press the bearings, but I hate to have someone do anything that I can do, cause I usually do it better. Thank you so much for taking the time to post the procedure!
+ATCkeepsUsafe
see my answer above.
Thanks for this video set. Did it in pretty much exactly the same way, was a great help. It's a beastly job, though. Nissan did not do us a favor on the front.
Mustang Resto is the man this is a great video like all of his. thanks to his help I was able to get my bearings done. This guy really knows his stuff and does a great job explaining it!
Thanks for the kind words and i am glad you were able to get your bearings done. You did it!!
Brilliant demo video clear and to the point; no long winded jargon. Ours is 32 mm socket to get hub nut off. It was super tight, used heavy duty extension leverage.
thanks Steve.
Very good video,step by step.Thank you.Perfect explanation.
incredible video! Thanks for the time and effort put into helping people save money!
I am happy you liked the video, and thanks for commenting.
Thank you for this excellent three parter
You're welcome toyo toe and thank you for watching.
Thank goodness Nissan changed this in the 2009 altima. It's about half the repair time and half the energy than having to knock the bearing out and press in a new one.
Thanks for sharing, helped me alot.
This video was helpful up until I tried to put the castle nut back on the tie rod (what you are calling the steering knuckle). Because I hit it with a hammer as you demonstrated, the grooves are warped.
+Ryan Hurley
Ryan, generally nuts are made of lower strength material than the bolts, so if your nut is damaged, get a new one.
Great tutorial, however my experience says you hit the item the bolt is going through strongly, not the bolt. It's just almost always a no no on any job.
mustangresto the way you show in the video is completely wrong and ryan found out why ... the threads on the tie rod were fouled because of hitting it with a hammer. had nothing to do with the nut so telling him to just get a different nut is stupid... most likely ryan had to buy a new tie rod because he followed your direction. David kinman explains the correct way to remove tie rods
I will never work on a car im for certain. .. but this was educational ... thanks
excellent video - thanks. Does this hub assy press fit to the spline? The other option is with crafty use of a hammer or a puller... remove the 3 bolts holding the hub to the spindle and then pull the hub (no need to pull ball joints/c arms, etc).... maybe this style is one piece?
A Nixon No, the hub is not press fit on the spline (drive shaft). There is a large nut on the end that holds it on. You can push the spline shaft out of the hub easily.
There is not 3 bolts holding the bearing in on this model but a large snap ring holds the bearing in oh and don't hit the tie rod thread end with a hammer to get it out you hit the the part of the steering knuckle that it goes through on the outside of where the tie rod end goes through until you distort the shape of the tapered hole it goes through until it pops free
Thanks to boredmder for pointing out the following:
+MustangResto FWIW what you call the hub mounting bracket is the steering knuckle, and what you call the steering knuckle is the outer tie rod end. Good vids otherwise, though.
Is there a way to spin that bearing to test it without tearing everything out first? I think that my car has this issue since it gets really loud >50mph. Good video!
+RageQuit Relief
That noise you hear when you are driving is the bearing. You can determine which side is making the noise by driving around a curve when you hear the noise. If you turn left, you will put more load on the right wheels. When my bearings had more load on them, they made more noise. If the noise gets quieter when you turn left, then the left side is bad, if it gets quieter when you turn right, then the right side is bad.
Thanks again!
absolutely DO NOT ...EVER....use a hammer of any sort and bang on the threaded part of a ball joint..common sense should be evidently clear on the matter and a decent mechanic would always tell you not to also...the way to do it is to place a long prybar over the top of prybar as close to ball joint as possible and being wedged under the lower a arm apply downward pressure and then use hammer to smack the caseing that the balljoint sits in squarely on the side and the ball joint will pop out real easy with no mushroomed threads or damage anywhere...think people!!!!
i just came to the comment section to say same thing about the tie rod end same thing NEVER REMOVE THE WAY HE DOES IN THIS VIDEO hit the side of the knuckle where the tie rod threads go into and it will "pop" upwards...easy peasy, and no damaged threads.
Any decent mechanic...even a shade tree mechanic should know that
you can do that if you have a piece of wood between them. DO NOT Hammer direct to it.
It's a 32MM socket that may be able to be used. Because of manufacturer's tolerances in either the nut or socket, a 32MM socket may not work as well as if you just used the 1.25 inch socket. Hope that helps someone.
And what you call the drive shaft is actually the CV axle (constant velocity axle). Just saying
How come you had to undo the steering knuckle and the strut to remove the wheel bearing? I thought the wheel bearing was just the hub with the lugs and the base with the four bolts that attach. Unless this model has the wheel bearing and the strut as one solid piece?
On this model, the rear assembly is a bolt on; the front are pressed in. However, you still don't need to take loose from the strut. Just pull the hub with a slide hammer and then get the axle out. You can then use a bearing press or ball joint press to get the bearing out. You can borrow the slide hammer and bearing press from most auto parts stores for free.
Sorry for my poor definition of components... What I was wondering is whether or not the hub was removable by itself as many are held from the back with bolts. My 08 Altima is like that so I was just curious. Thanks for the response.
A Nixon No, the hub is pressed into what i called the hub mounting bracket. It isn't bolted into the mounting bracket. You have to remove the mounting bracket and then press the hub out. That's why you need the press tool or a hydraulic press. The rear wheels on my 03 Altima have hubs that are bolted in with 4 bolts and those hubs can be removed by taking out those bolts (after you take off the wheel and the brakes and the rotor). i've changed the rear wheel bearings and it is a much simpler process.
MustangResto Can you tell me where exactly did you get that pipe. I'm trying to look for them everywhere.
Justin,
I got the pipe at Lowe's in the plumbing department. It's just a regular galvanized steel pipe, 1-1/4" or 1-1/2" diameter about 3 or 4 feet long.
Justin Mojica
I got the pipe at Lowe's in the plumbing department. It's just a regular steel galvanized pipe, prethreaded at the ends, 1-1/4" or 1-1/2" diameter, whatever it takes to fit over your breaker bar. My pipe is about 3 or 4 feet long.
guitarguy940
the bearing is pressed into the steering knuckle, so you have to remove the steering knuckle to press out the bearing. You can save time and buy a new hub with the bearing pressed together, but you still have to remove the steering knuckle to take out the old bearing and hub and press in the new one. There's no way to leave the knuckle on the car and replace the bearing.
On the rear wheels, the hub and bearing just unbolts and comes out, no pressing required.
+ATCkeepsUsafe
No. Nothing regarding the alignment is changed when you remove the steering knuckle as long as you don't fool with the tie rod end. You have to press the tie rod out of the steering knuckle, but as long as you don't turn the threaded end of the tie rod in or out when the steering knuckle is off, then the suspension is the same when you reinstall the knuckle. We did not take the car for a realignment and have not had any problems with it in nearly two years.
+ATC-Keeps-U-Safe It really depends on the type of car. Obviously this altima steering knuckle/strut interface isn't designed for adjustment, however on Many vehicles the top mounting hole in the knuckle will be slotted allowing adjustment. With 20+ yrs as auto/diesel tech, I recommend having an alignment after a wheel/hub bearing assy replacement. You will clearly see the excessive amount of movement in the knuckle/strut interface, even with all the hardware in but lose, you can get an inch of flex at the hub. This design obviously has a better chance of going back together still within alignment specs, but definitely not fool proof.
U need new tie rod ends. People, when u see a torn boot, it's lost its grease so, replace that part , also while ur there. Inspect everything visible for safety sake.
i replace the front wheel bearing on the 2005 nissan altima and iam still hearing the noise can it be someting else.
keneth cunningham
Keneth, it could be the REAR wheel bearings. They make a loud noise that sounds like it's coming from the rear of the car. If the noise is in the front, i could either be your brakes or CV joint. When I replaced the bearings, i replaced the brakes since everything is apart anyway.
Thank you
its easier to disconnect the abs line under the hood because 9 times out of 10 your not getting them back out once there in the steering knuckle. that tie rod end looked horrible also hope you replaced that.
What's the cost for the labor? each one
I have heard about $350 per wheel.
if you're half competent and know how to service ball joints, skip to part 2 where he actually presses the bearing out
Claw Hammer?
I would open the bleeder on an abs car before collapsing a piston.
Hitting studs can easily ruin the plastic bearing thst the ball stud sits in. How about some penetrant and air hammer on side of knuckle. need to avoid mushrooming stud also, but it's a little caveman like
not bad except for the talking. Would be better quiet. Also why neeeeeeeeesaan it's a Nissan!
+Dunc w
I couldn't disagree with you more. Video is enhanced by audio. There is an old technology called "silent movies" that is no longer used because nearly everyone prefers to hear the sounds that accompany the activity that they are watching. But, if you prefer to just look at the pictures, turn the volume down.
See if you didn't take so long the audio might be helpful but the time you take to explain things makes the video painfully slow. I want to see how to replace a bearing not chat for hours about different bolts, listen to you 'pounding' on things or saying neeesan it's so annoying. The video would be much better if you explained things quicker and more accurately.
Referring to different parts of the car as animate objects is pretty annoying too... 'you just take this guy out' just make a nice quick and easily explained video on changing a bearing. I bet you could do it in under 15 mins not a massive painfully slow three parter. Nobody wants to watch you talk to your car.
Try saying Nissan
see when you say something like different situation for example do you pronounce it deeefferent seeetuation