Replacing rear wheel bearings

Does anyone know what book or the expected cost would be for replacing a rear bearing? I have a 2011 CrewMax 2WD (186k miles) with a clicking right rear wheel. I've already replaced both front wheel bearings on my own within the past year, and do as much DIY maintenance as I am comfortable with. I don't have a torch or a press to attempt to remove and replace a rear wheel bearing from the hub/shaft. YouTube videos on the subject have me convinced to let a shop/pro do the work. TIA

 

This is another option but not so inexpensive. This fits my specs, confirm for your model
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinf...34iNaeqfsQ1JsmurFB1PEZd5vCMAPUDglrWV4RgXnnw==

 

I just did my buddy's '09 last week. Both rear bearings cost $850.

If you can do brakes, you can do wheel bearings.

Unbolt the axle flange and slide out the axle. Take the assembly to your automotive machine shop and have them press off the old bearings and press on the new bearings.

This is exactly what your dealer shop will be doing.

The axles slide into the differential with a little fiddling. No need to open up the diffy.

My bud got quoted $3500 for the bearings. It is steep, but you are paying for the truck to be on a hoist overnight. No chance for the dealer to get income from that hoist for 24 hours. I have no issue with the dealership quoting those numbers. They need to stay in business.

 

Thats reasonable, Parts and machine shop labor for completing both axels ?

 

Yes. This also included the cost for 4qts of mobile 1 gear lube. Figured why not change the gear lube as it had 300k miles on the truck.

 

Thanks for the feedback. It's interesting that replacement axle, and repairs to the existing would be approximately the same cost. I had considered removing the axle(s) and taking them to a shop along with replacement Toyota bearings and let them do the hard part. Now I need to to find a reputable shop here in Tyler (East Texas) for this.

 

Any automotive machine shop can do this job. Let them source the bearings as well.

 

I assume the parts quality is comparable but who knows for sure.
I havent decided to go that route as yet. I will call you for a tow if my axel snaps late one night lol

 

I figured rear wheel bearing failures were so common, I wanted anything else other than OME.

 

I'm going to let a reputable local shop diagnose before I invest in a hub bearing or replacement axle and go from there. That shop will R/R the hub if I bring the axle to them but their labor plus the bearing and two replacement oil seals is getting close to the cost of the Dorman assembly from RockAuto above. In the meantime I found that RockAuto has really great pricing on replacement Stabilus hood struts and the tailgate support strut so taking care of those too.

 

Sounds good, but anything involving Rock Auto or Doorman is my last " go to" supplier. If I'm flipping the rig, no problem.

I drive my trucks to 300k miles before selling. I want quality, not the best price.

 

More expensive is not always better. I just did rear bearings. Bought bya brand from rock auto for $90 each. Bearing are stamped “koyo”. Same place Toyota gets them, but $750 cheaper . I bought a carrier bearing fro RA, spicer brand, which is where Toyota gets them. It was badged with “Toyota “. Exact same part at 1/4 of the cost.

Yes, a lot of stuff out there is a lesser quality, but certainly not all of it! And sometimes cheap is ok. Broke a wheel speed sensor doing the bearings. Toyota wants over $200 for one. I got a pack of four from Amazon for $28. It can fail 4 times and still be money ahead. Now, obviously i did that because replacement takes 5 minutes. Wouldn’t go that way with a rear bearing that takes half a day.

 

Or buy a 20 ton press from HF for $200 and do it yourself. Good learning experience and save thousands. It is not all thar difficult to press the bearings on and off.

 

Anyone have p/ns for the following:

Rear Axle Shaft Oil Seal
O-Ring
Rear Axle Shaft Snap ring
Rear Axle Bearing Inner Retainer
Rear Axle Shaft Washer - (Found out I reuse the existing washer)
Rear Axle Hub and Bearing Assembly (Drivers & Pass)

Am I missing anything for a Rear bearing replacement?

 

@lr172

What adapters in addition to the press did you need to remove/replace the bearing?

 

https://www.megazip.net/zapchasti-dlya-avtomobilej/toyota/tundra-38474

https://toyota-usa.epc-data.com/tundra/

 

@FuegoMCS
My right rear bearing is on the way out.
Local shop quoted me $950.
Dealership quoted me $2000 (My Tundra is a pre-April 2010 build and dealership "has" to perform the TSB for the backing plates.)

Option I'm exploring is buying parts, pulling the axle, and taking it to someone with a press (4WD or driveline shop).

Here are a couple sources I've used
https://www.tundratalk.net/threads/diy-2007-tundra-rear-axle-shaft-and-bearing-hub-removal.166282/

Although this is a 4Runner, this is a " my speed" DIY which increased my desire to tackle this myself.
https://adventuretaco.com/replacing...a-toyota-4runner-also-tacoma/#google_vignette

 

That's what I do. I've done it twice.

I do both sides, just for the piece of mind.

It was $1200 for everything.

Pull the axle assemblies and run them down to the local automotive machine shop.

I don't know what the backing plate recall work you needed done, so that may change things a little.

 

I finished my wheel bearing replacement. Here's my research in case it helps someone else.

TSB - https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2013/MC-10133898-9999.pdf

My summary/guess based on reading past posts: This issue "rubbing or grinding noise from the rear when making left or right turns" must come from the parking backing plate flexing and a common cause is the plate rusting out.

Here is a list the Toyota parts counter guy built for me. He said the special service kit mentioned in the TSB is no longer available.

 

Parts Shopping

Since I wasn't having the noise problem mentioned in the TSB and my backing plates were not rusted I decided to just go the wheel bearing replacement route.

I got my parts from Rock Auto and online through My Toyota dealer's online parts store which had a 25% off sale. You will see some duplicate parts. I anticipate doing the bearing replacement on the left side and wanted to compare parts quality.



Lesson learned: Check all your parts when they arrive! My first bearing did not make it intact.

I was curious to compare the Axle Shaft Lock Ring aka Rear Axle Bearing Retainer Inner as the price diff was approx $13 for this complex part! The SKF went on the right rear. I'll use the 'yota part on the left.

Wheel seal was a different story. Toyota part was about $3 more but it has a nicely machined edged and is pre-greased. Nothing in the RockAuto parts gallery was close.

 

Pulling the axle.

Reflections/Corrections: Measure the diameter of the parking brake assembly. (Handy to have just in case)

Tools: Metric wrenches and socket set. Dremel tool with cut off wheel. Skinny needle nose pliers.

Edit: My driveway is too steep to put my truck on jack stands, so I had to pull the axle in the street. This worked in my favor as I positioned the work area on the high side and eliminated the issue of rear end fluid running out. I also raised both rear wheels which helped during assembly.

A couple pics of the axle mounting area.

Removing

1. Brake line (Instead if disassembling, most sources recommended using the dremel to notch the mounting bracket and slide the brake line out. The mounting bracket clip covers the notch when reinstalled.) I found removing the brake line hold down bolts on the rear axle housing created enough slack to slide the brake line out.
2. Parking brake cable. I decided to keep the parking brake assembled on the axle and just slide out the cable. It worked...this time.
   
3. ABS sensor. Just unbolted it. (btw- notice the milky rear end grease. I was told this is the sign the axle sealed is leaking into the bearing assembly.)

Disconnected the right side parking brake cable at the adjuster (under driver side door).

Enough slack to slide out the brake cable!


Removed the four flange nuts and slid out the axle. See post 24 on failure diagnosis - Replacing rear wheel bearings


Will post bearing fun later...

 

Replacing the wheel bearing

Reflections/Corrections: Although I didn't have problems I wish I had some emery cloth to better clean the axle after getting the bearing off.

The Tool: I can not emphasize this enough, this is the most important tool to have: https://www.ebay.com/itm/204555690732

Other tools: 20 ton press, air gun, 17mm deep well impact socket, small sledge, propane torch, 3-4" long piece of 2x4, infrared thermometer, snap ring pliers, a really good pair of thin vise grips with sharp teeth, emery cloth, a buddy with all the aforementioned tools and an extra set of hands

Video: Mr Slug takes you through the bearing swap step by step. (I am so happy Toyota got rid of the ABS tone ring on the Gen 2!) https://youtu.be/5Xwxq_b5E4c?feature=shared

Installation Document: Gen2 starts on the bottom of page 3. (see bottom of post for the file)

Some highlights for your entertainment.

Attached the mounting plate to wheel bearing. I used the flange nuts that I removed during dis-assembly. They are a little tight around the nylon spacer, but worked.

Attached press adapter to mounting plate. Ebay seller includes all the mounting parts.

Ugh! A 70 ton press is too big.

20 ton Harbor Freight press is just right. Took me a minute to visualize this...the fixture is holding the wheel bearing assembly in place and press is pushing the axle out the bottom. (Yes, this is my first shop press rodeo!)

Like Mr. Slug said, "bang" and the bearing comes apart during removal.

Next is removing the spline mounting bolts. Little heat at the wheel bearing mounting plate (I used 200 degrees) and a whack with the little sledge. Easier than I feared. Note: I used the flange nuts the protect the threads. I also put that piece of 2x4 underneath to raise the parking braking assembly off the bench. Don't want to be pounding on the brake shoes. (I'm trying to cut corners here!)
Note 2: Almost forgot! Now is a great time to move that ABS sensor mounting stud from the old assembly to the new one!

Wheel bearing assembly removed from the parking brake backing plate/dust shield/caliper mount assembly. (It's a party of assemblies!)

The pesky inner bearing race remains. This is where spending the extra money for the McSpecial gets you the Bearing Race Removal Tool! (see bottom of post for the instructions) Video has the details.
If you like fire you can try this method to remove it: https://youtube.com/shorts/bqKmvhbh1eY?feature=shared

Mount the new Wheel bearing assembly to the parking brake backing plate/dust shield/caliper mount assembly by installing the spline mounting bolts and drawing it all together using the air gun. Video has it covered.

Time to assemble the axle & wheel bearing assembly. (Make sure to re-use the cone washer the correct way.) Video has it covered. Took me a another minute to visualize this...the pulling fixture now becomes the mounting plate for the bearing installation tool and washer. The axle gets pushed down into the Wheel bearing assembly and Rear Axle Bearing Retainer Inner.

I used this groove as the measure of my progress. As my buddy and I got closer to the snap ring groove we found the installation washer was getting pressed on as well. We removed the installation washer and just used the bearing installation tool as at that point the taper of the axle was into the bearing installation tool which kept all the parts aligned...mostly. (Stay on target)

I think I got it together here. Mr. Slug has a really nice press and even though he said press till the bearing bottomed out I was nervous. The jack style press made the bearing move in tiny jumps. There is another post on the forum where someone pressed too much and their bearing was tight. If I can find the thread I'll post it.

All together. My formula for installation depth was smooth bearing play + free spinning snap ring = I ain't gonna press no more! (I had to stop and check my progress several times. This is where a buddy helping really shines.)

Next, putting it back together.

 

Installing the axle

Reflections/Corrections: Make a note of the installed depth of the oil seal before pulling it out.

Tools: Metric wrenches and socket set, Skinny needle nose pliers, slide hammer puller, torque wrench, seal driver with 81mm disc (I got the KOOPOOL 10-Pieces Driver Set from Amazon, but it's no longer listed. This has the same parts -

$23 SIXIWANZI Bearing Press Kit, 10PCS Bearing Race and Seal Driver Set

https://www.amazon.com/SIXIWANZI-Bearing-Press-Driver-Installation/dp/B0D8HWNP9T/)

Removing the the old oil seal.
- The official Toyota seal puller is available but pricey - https://www.ebay.com/itm/115811267777 My neighbor (restores classic cars) suggested the body slide hammer he has. KISS! No need to over think this one. I used the J-hook attachment- tap, tap, tap, working my way around the metal part of the seal and the seal walked out easier than I feared. Maybe you can borrow a slide hammer from the auto part store?


Installing the new seal.
- AdventureTaco had good encouragement about installing the seal square to the housing bore using a seal driver. Replacing rear wheel bearings
- The new seal does not go into the bore at all. I even tried the freezer trick. The seal diameter was bigger than the loaner driver at the auto parts store. The amazon driver kept the seal square to the bore. The 81mm diameter disc was smaller than the housing ridges but large enough to stop at the housing which was the perfect depth for installing the seal. I also posted some measurements in case you already have a seal driver.


Replace the O-ring. Nothing special here.


Putting it all back together. (I was racing against daylight, so no pics.) Here are some highlights
- Slide in the axle. I had my helper slowly spin the opposite tire while I twisted/pushed my axle until all the spliney bits got in alignment.
- Install the flange nuts. Torque wrench borrowed from neighbor.
- Parking brake cable. Helper pushed the cable from under the drivers side while I pulled it though with the needle nose pliers. (This worked very well and saved me from taking the parking brake apart!)
- Connect parking brake cable at junction under the drivers side.
- Install ABS sensor.
- Install brake line, clip, and hold down bolts (The notch was another time saver that was simple and worked well!)
- Neighborhood test drive (Got brakes? Got parking brake?)
- Freeway test drive (Enjoying the quiet.)

Some torque specs gleaned from the interwebs - I can not vouch for accuracy.
PARKING BRAKE CABLE ASSEMBLY - 71 in.lbf
REAR SPEED SENSOR - 8 ft.lbf
FLANGE MOUNTING NUT 44 ft.lbf

 

It’s not that the seal fails on the bearing, there is no seal. The speed sensor ring has no lip seal on the outer perimeter, a close fit with a tiny gap is what we get here…. eventually, as we all find out, the bearing will push all the grease out. Fortunately, this tends to take long time. If these bearings had an actual and appropriately designed seal (rotation on the inner perimeter), life expectancy would be much greater… we would rarely hear of this repair.

Look all that grease, it doesn’t do much lubricating outside of the bearing. Thank you Toyota.

 

Dang, it takes less time to pull a cylinder head and do the gasket on a lot of engines than replacing just on wheel bearing on Tundra! Why, Toyota, why?

 

How much force did you feel on your 20t press? I have its little 12 ton brother, would it suffice?

 

@vtl - Sorry, no clue on the amount of force. I can say I feel there was a lot left in the 20 ton jack.

Check out the puller tool instructions above. It mentions adding heat to help stubborn bearings and it has an email address for the manufacturer. If memory serves...while surfing the different versions of puller tools on Ebay I remember reading that it could work on a 12 ton press with modification.

 

I can get a 20 ton, too Chinese 12 tons were barely enough to press in new bushings into LCA of my Volvo anyways. It also wobbles in the guides like a drunk sailor and makes precise force application very difficult. And dangerous.

Can also use a 240V plasma cutter, it eats through metal with no effort, and the plasma is very focused.

But hopefully my 2019 w/ 57k miles wouldn't need a bearing for another decade or so