Im having to drive my 97 Sunfire in the snow atm because my DD took a crap and as my luck would go, something broke on the sunfire...

It sounds like a wheel bearing and I can feel some play in the front drivers side wheel with the car on the ground so it pretty much has to be that wheel bearing making the noise...

Since its my only drivable car now and I work 2nd shift Im either gunna have to have it fixed (sealed baring = I cant do it myself) before work or on a saturday... so im wondering how long it will take.

For those of you that have had a shop do this, how long did they have your car?

I know whats involved (I used to be a mechanic) and I wouldnt think it would take over a couple of hours... but im just wondering.

Thanks,

it takes an hour taking your time

take the axle nut off, wheel, brakes, push the axle out of the hub and there are 4 torx bolts holding the hub assembly in. It's very simple, no pressing bearings or anything like that, just unbolt it, throw it away and bolt in the new one.

you can see one of the bolts at the top, one of the holes in the hub face lets you get the bolts out. takebolt out, spin it to the next one take bolt out, repeat. Once the bolts are out just hit the thing with a hammer till the rust pops free and comes apart.

It may require some pounding to get it loose but its a fairly simple replacement. Just make sure you have torx bits ready as well as a large enough socket for the axle nut. I cant think of the size off hand.

OK thanks guys.... I kinda wish I realized this sooner LOL

But Im having someone replace it for me this thursday before work.... Its getting really bad and it needs replaced right away and i just dont have the time or place to do it myself right now.... So im gunna break the cardinal rule of being a gear head and pay someone else labor

Good to know for future reference though.... I've had both axles out of the car before but never thought to look at how the hub assembly and bearing are put together.

this is what is looks like once taken apart.. really easy to do.




take your wheel off
undo your brake caliper. set that aside.. i like to use some rope or a coat hanger and let it hang from the springs
remove the rotor
loosen and remove the axle nut.
once you have all that off you will see three holes on the hub
one hole is bigger then all three, this is the hole that you will be using a torx bit to take the 3 bolts out.

after that im sure you can figure it out. i would say one hour for both sides, if you dont run into problems .


i remember my bearing was so bad on my 96, that it actually broke in half haha. only thing holding them together was the axle nut

God, I wish my explorers front hub assembly was that easy. If possible, do both. Because when one fails, the other aint too far behind it.

It takes a T-55 torx for the bolts. Sounds like He's given up to the evil gods of the service shop. <grin>

Yup taking it to a shop, but I didnt give up LOL

its just atm its my only drivable car (dd isnt running) and the only other way to get it done would be to jack the car up in the snow before work and I just dont want to do that.

If it was just starting to go out I'de do it myself this weekend, but I can feel play in the wheel with the car sitting on the ground.

Its fixed.... hopefully if this ever happens again its in the damn summer time (so I dont have to work on it and the snow, and I'll have more then one form of transportation)