2007 Front wheel bearing replacement?

Yes, you need a 12 point socket that will fit the hub nut. Bring the new hub nut along when you are shopping for a socket.

Ideally you will use an impact wrench to remove the hub nut because the tightening torque is 159 ft.-lb. If you don't have access to an impact wrench then you can try using a 1/2" breaker bar and perhaps a cheater extension over the breaker bar if needed. It would help to have a helper depress the brake pedal to hold the wheel and the hub nut stationary, before you try to loosen the hub nut. Obviously this means that loosening the hub nut is one of the first tasks while the car is still on the ground and the brake caliper is still attached.

Remove the center cap in the wheel for access to the hub nut. Use a punch to lift up the indent in the hub nut, which serves to lock the hub nut in place.

I don't know why the wheel sensor would be damaged if you unbolt it from the steering knuckle and get it out of the way. Don't drop the sensor tip on the concrete garage floor.

The disc brake dust cover (what you call the backing plate) is thin sheet metal so it might be damaged as you remove the hub from the steering knuckle. If so, then just replace it and count that as part of your learning process tuition.

 

Yes, once you remove the rotor then you will see the bearing/hub assembly. It is attached to the steering knuckle with four bolts. Some posters have reported it is not easy to remove the bolts or to separate the bearing/hub assembly from the steering knuckle - that would be especially true if you live in an area that applies winter salt on the roads.

In that case my suggestion would be that you remove the steering knuckle and take that to a local machine shop, asking for the bearing/hub to be pressed out from the knuckle.

I recommend you subscribe to techinfo.toyota.com to gain access to the factory repair manual which contains detailed instructions, an exploded parts diagram, etc.

Also, disconnect the 12V battery before you start work on the car to avoid having the skid control ECU log a code as you are working on the brakes, or having a caliper piston shoot out of a caliper while the calipers are removed from the discs.

 

I've never changed the bearings/hub on a Prius, but I have on other FWD cars. My word of advice would be to loosen the hub nut before you jack the car and remove the wheel (get a helper to apply the brakes, and use the built in resistance of the brakes and the tire to your advantage). Then when you get it loose, lightly tighten it and go about the rest of the process. Your impact driver might do the job. But if it can't, you need to really get on it with a breaker bar and extension. I have a good impact gun that's rated for 550 lb/ft, and it wouldn't budge the hub nuts on my Camry. I had to use a 4 foot pipe on my breaker bar, and I was standing/bouncing on it before it broke free.

 

I do recommend something like a Schley 65420 for straightening out the staked portion of the axle nut before trying to loosen the nut. And it's important to get the staked portion totally lifted first—if you don't, you'll mangle the axle threads as the nut comes off, and the axle is pricey.

To be honest, nobody's ever shown me a really good way to stake the new nut after tightening it. Somehow I get the impression a lot of people just bang it with a large hammer and drift, but something bugs me about putting in brand new precision ball bearings and then banging them with large hammers.

-Chap

 

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Schley 65420