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Front Wheel Bearing Removal Advice - Knuckle removal & alignment?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by PolarBear, Mar 25, 2018.

  1. PolarBear

    PolarBear Junior Member

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    I am in the process of changing out a bad front wheel bearing. I pulled the axle shaft out of the way to give me more room to work. I live in an area where the roads are salted so the wheel bearing assembly is rusted inside the knuckle. Ideally I would have a huge slide hammer but I don't now.

    If I pull the bolts on the top that attach the knuckle to strut assembly does anyone have any experience if it will thrown the camber alignment off much? I would rather not pay for a new alignment if I can get away with it. I would also remove the bolt on the lower ball joint so I could remove the whole knuckle. Then I could really hammer it hard from the back and knock out the wheel bearing assembly or take it to a shop to get pressed out.

    I am debated on pulling the whole knuckle or ordering online or trying to find a slide hammer to buy next week. One trick I tried but was not enough is to turn around the rotor and put in 3 spare nuts just a few turns and use the old rotor as a slide hammer. I also heated the knuckle up on the inside real good too. Seems like this would work well in areas with less rust.
     
    #1 PolarBear, Mar 25, 2018
  2. valde3

    valde3 Senior Member

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    If the bearing is really corroded you just have to remove the knuckle. Bearing just won’t come out with slide hammer. You would probably just get half a bearing out. Removing the knuckle will also make it easy to install the dust shield on the back of the bearing.

    Scribe mark on the knuckle where the strut edge is before you open the bolts that attach knuckle to strut. It’s easy to just align the markings when putting it back together.

    To remove the knuckle you also have to remove the abs sensor. Soak it in penetrating fluid first and try not to break the bolt. You can also remove the sensor with the knuckle but then it might be in the way when removing the bearing.
     
    #2 valde3, Mar 25, 2018
    SFO likes this.
  3. PolarBear

    PolarBear Junior Member

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    I marked and pulled the knuckle. I tried to hammer it out with no luck. I am glad I pulled the whole knuckle I think a press is the only thing that is going to take this one out. The ball joint nut is completely rusted. Probably could of just left it but the top of the nut just broke into pieces when I tried to remove it. So the ball joint will get replaced also. Will see how much a ball joint is from dealer.

    Got a Toyota Koyo wheel bearing assembly from Toyota. The wheel bearings I always go with the Toyota parts. Aftermarket ok for a ball joint?
     
    #3 PolarBear, Mar 25, 2018
  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Toyota nuts and bolts seem to have near-zero rust protection. :mad:
     
    #4 Mendel Leisk, Mar 25, 2018
  5. IMkenNY

    IMkenNY Im just being nosy

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    I just replace one last weekend and I live in Tropical Buffalo NY where they use road salt until the glacier recedes in May.
    I find removing the knuckle and mounting it in a vice is absolutely necessary.
    A five pound sledge smashing it from behind using a 3/4" drive socket as a punch eventually works (same process used on the other side last fall)
    The nice part about this job is you wont have to make the trip to work out at the gym that day!
     
    #5 IMkenNY, Mar 25, 2018
  6. prius_deep

    prius_deep Member

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    wait!!

    see youtube video by IGATECK:
    Don't Break a Sweat! Remove Seized Wheel Bearing Quick And Easy

    it not a prius, but it's about a way of doing the same thing.
     
    #6 prius_deep, Mar 25, 2018
  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    If some bearing manufacturer would provide a couple of ears with drilled and tapped holes, I think the world would beat a path to their door. Something like this:

    upload_2018-3-25_13-48-20.png

    So you could screw in a pair of bolts, pushing against the backing plate until the bearing breaks free, pulls out.
     
    #7 Mendel Leisk, Mar 25, 2018
    scona likes this.
  8. PolarBear

    PolarBear Junior Member

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    I ended up pulling the whole knuckle and taking it to a shop with a big press. The inside of knuckle hole where wheel bearing assembly goes in had salt or some white stuff caked on and fair amount of rust. I cleaning it all up and got it all back together. Now I am doing the rear brakes that holds the caliper mounts and the edges of the lower bolts just crumbled when I went to loosen them. I am going to see about getting some bigger vice grips or a might just have to cut the end of the bolts to get the mount out so I can replace the rotors.

    I am pretty good at getting stuck bolts loose but living in a salted road place is a completely different pain with the rust. Guess I need to wash under my car more during the winter?
     
    #8 PolarBear, Apr 4, 2018
  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I heard there was some change in bolt coatings, due to carcinogen concerns. But they're more rust prone. It shouldn't be though. Couldn't they galvanize or something? :mad:
     
    #9 Mendel Leisk, Apr 5, 2018
    scona likes this.
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