StuartH44 said:
My car has been making a whining sound from the front left, mostly when making
turns. By reading the manual and listening and looking at things when the
wheel was off, I have determined that it is the hub and bearing assembly.
How hard is it to replace?
It doesn't look that hard based on what I've read in the manual, but I wanted
to make sure. I am pretty handy and have replaced brakes, exhaust systems,
etc. many times.
Thanks for any information you can give me.
Stuart
You have properly diagnosed it - any time you can turn a noise on and
off by shifting the weight of the car gently from one side to the other,
the problem is a bad wheel bearing.
You should not have a problem DIY'ing.
Be aware that the connection of the lower control arm ball joint to the
steering knuckle is not a tapered press fit like on most cars, and
therefore is much easier than if it were a tapered fit, and avoids the
problem of separating them without damaging the ball joint rubber seal
in the process. With the car jacked up and the wheel and brake rotor
off, simply remove the keeper bolt and push the control arm downward
with your hands to separate the joint - you will be working against the
rubber suspension bushings to push the control arm down far enough for
complete separation, but it is very do-able by hand.
Careful when reassembling that knuckle/control arm ball joint - line the
half slot (on the ball joint stud) for the keeper bolt with the holes
(on the knuckle) for the bolt (I am talking *vertically* more than I am
rotationally). You can insert the ball joint stud *too* far into the
steering knuckle and damage the rubbber shield. The keeper bolt should
easily go in by hand - if you have to hammer or force it in, you *will*
do damage - get the half slot and holes lined up right - mate them far
enough, but not too far - that's the key to the re-assembly, and it will
go nicely.
Best advice in general on doing the job on this or any other FWD car is
to get a proper three-legged puller to push the axle stub out of the
bearing hub assembly (cost about $15 to $25 at your local auto parts
store, and a very useful addition to any DIY'ers toolbox). I don't like
using hammers on things like axles and bearings (many people do), and a
two-legged puller will flop to the side if a lot of force is needed
(sometimes a lot of force is needed, sometimes a puller is barely needed
at all - better to have and not need than need and not have) - a
three-legged puller can apply a lot of force with no problem.
You will need several 3/8" ratchet extensions (of different lengths -
maybe one or two 6", and a couple of 3" to mix and match as needed) to
get just the right lengths to remove and re-install the three bolts that
hold the hub/bearing assy. onto the knuckle. Trust me - you'll see what
I mean when you do it.
Oh - and get some 18mm wrenches - a combination and a 3/8" socket (and a
deep well wouldn't hurt). 18mm is not one of your more common sizes in
DIY tool sets, and you will need them for working on Chryslers,
including this job.
When putting the wheel back on, torque the lug nuts (star pattern) in
two steps to 95 ft-lbs with no weight on the wheel (have someone press
on the brake pedal for the final stage) - use a real torque wrench
unless you have calibrated arms. This will help prevent pulsating
brakes.
Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")
