jbrady33
04-12-2005, 11:22 AM
Front Wheel bearing replacement, 2002 (and similar) Grand Am.
The manufacturer recommends replacing them in pairs, here is what you will need:
- 2 Wheel bearing/hub units. Mine were Timken, many other brands available. Don't know if this board allows posting vendors and prices but will post in response if someone asks.
- Hub Nut socket. 36 mm for this model, is deeper than a regular socket. The auto parts store I purchased my hubs from loaned these for free. (Paid $15 and got a full refund when brought back)
- 1/2" drive breaker bar to turn the hub socket. 18 inches or longer makes the job easier.
- Hub Puller. Also loaned for free from store (Pay $40, get full refund on return) The one I got needed to be turned with a 16mm socket or an adjustable wrench.
- 12 & 13 mm sockets and ratchet. (1/2 drive if you can) A word of advice, don't even try this with 12 point sockets, get the six sided kind that just fit around the nut. Started to do mine with a 12 point and very nearly rounded off a bolt, they are on that tight.
- extensions for the sockets & wrench, a 3 or 5” and a 6 or 10” should do it.
- small adjustable wrench (has to open to about 15 or 16 mm).
- 2 long wire ties or a piece of mechanics wire, or whatever else you can think of to tie the caliper up to the strut spring so that it doesn't hang by the rubber brake line. If you use a wire tie make sure you have something to cut it with later.
- lug wrench, the one in the trunk is fine.
- torque wrench - The official docs from Alldata and the like specify torque settings, I didn't have a torque wrench so I can't say how important this is - your car, your call.
- jack & jack stand - I used a floor jack, I guess you could get by with the scissors jack, but the jack stand is mandatory!
- caliper compressor, to get the brake caliper back on you will probably have to push the piston in some. Cheap tool available at auto parts store.
- New Axle nuts - optional? There is a new style axle nut available from GM (part number 10289657) The old nuts have a black sheet metal 'cage' around them, the new nut looks like a regular nut with an attached washer. The new nut is specified at a lot less torque than the old one and is supposed to improve bearing life. None of the dealers near me had them in stock, and they wanted around $10 each.
Here we go:
Pick a wheel to start on, loosen the lugs a little bit with lug wrench. Chock back wheels, jack car up high enough to get jackstand under car. Place jackstand on 'U' shaped frame rail that surrounds the engine compartment (that is from Alldata, the u is open end towards grill, 'legs' just inside of wheel wells. Lower car onto jackstand, makes sure it's stable. Remove lug nuts and take off wheel.
Locate two 12mm bolts on backside of brake caliper. These are the slide pin bolts for the caliper, notice that when you turn one there is a six sided nut that also turns on the slide pin. Hold the slide pin with adjustable wrench, remove bolt with socket. Repeat on second bolt. You may have to push caliper in and out to work it over the disc and pads. Once off the bracket the caliper will only be attached by brake hose, DO NOT ALLOW IT TO HANG ON HOSE. Tie or wire it up on the strut spring out of your way. Set bolts and brake pads aside for later (check for thickness and uneven wear while you are at it)
Locate two 13mm bolts on backside of caliper bracket, remove. Mine were on very tight, had to start car and turn the steering wheel so I could get more leverage on the wrench. Set bracket and both bolts aside where you won't lose them.
Slide brake disc off and set aside. Now brush all of the rust off of you that fell out of the disc vent slots. :)
Disconnect ABS electrical connector on the backside of steering knuckle, near CV joint (it’s the only electrical connection there, slide together quick connect). With a flat blade screwdriver to pry the clip a little, slide connector off of sheet metal bracket.
Locate the three hub bolts on the back of the steering knuckle, close to where the CV boot meets the knuckle. They are conveniently located in little recesses in the casting (making it hard to get a box end wrench on) very close to the CV joint (forcing you to use an extension on your socket). These were on VERY tight for me, almost rounded a few bolt heads. Use the shortest extension that will let reach the bolt and clear the CV joint. Turning the wheel to allow better access to each bolt was needed here too.
One thing that might help – you can see the tip and a few threads of the bolt between the halves of the bearing/hub assembly. They are probably rusty and dirty. A shot of liquid wrench on the threads might help get it out.
Turn the wheel back to straight ahead, put the hub socket on the hub bolt in the center of the wheel, use the breaker bar to remove. Slow steady pressure works best here, not pounding on the bar. It takes quite a bit to get it to move at first, lean your weight on the bar or even use your foot, but be smooth about it – don’t kick it or hit it with a hammer. Put nut aside for later, unless you bought new ones.
Put hub puller arms around hub, the center of the axle is indented to accept the center point of the puller. Turn puller with ratchet, it will gradually pull the hub off of the splined end on the driveshaft. (I used a little Liquid Wrench on this also) Without the puller I would have never gotten this off, with the puller it took 30 seconds. I have heard other people that had some trouble getting the hub off even with the puller, requiring some hammer work as well. Keep the sheetmetal spacer/ABS connector bracket for the new hub, make a mental note of what direction the bracket went on.
Putting it all together was much quicker:
Remove any cardboard or plastic shipping stuff from new hub, mine had a round plastic shipping piece holding the ABS electrical connector also. My hub was marked with a paint blob to show the top, the location of the ABS wires has to be near the connector bracket you just saved.
Place bracket on steering knuckle, carefully thread the ABS connector wire beside the axle. Hold the hub up to the steering knuckle, put the threaded part of the axle though the hub and get one of the 3 small hub bolts started to hold it on the knuckle. Now start the other 2 bolts and tighten all with socket wrench. Alldata states 70 ft lbs on these bolts. I didn’t have a torque wrench so I just made them tight.
Slide electrical connector from hub onto bracket, then connect to wire from car.
Start the hub bolt on the axle and tighten. As you tighten you will feel the nut forcing the hub onto the splines, it should be a firm resistance but not hard work. Alldata states 284 ft lbs on the old style nuts and 173 ft lbs for the newer style nuts.
Slide brake disc over axle/lug nuts.
Place caliper bracket over disc and line up bolt holes. Mount bolts and tighten. Alldata states 85 ft lbs on these.
Use caliper compressor to push piston into housing. Watch the fluid leveling the master cylinder, you don’t want it overflow. If you have never added brake fluid it should be fine. You don’t have to push it all the way in, just enough to get it over the pads.
Place brake pads in caliper bracket, slide caliper over pads and line up bolt holes. Mount and tighten the bolts, using adjustable or open end wrench on slides. Alldata states 23 ft lbs on these.
Note: I over tightened one of these the last time I changed my brake pads and the caliper would not move on the slides, which wore out the inside pad fast while the outside pad did nothing. Make sure the caliper can move in and out a little on the slides. Alldata states 23 ft lbs on these.
Put wheel back on car, tighten lug nuts. Jack car up to remove jackstand, then lower car and check the tightness of your lugs again.
That was fun right? Now you get to do it allover again on the other side.
After you are done, be sure to pump the brake pedal in short little pumps until it is firm (with the engine off). This is to move the caliper pistons back against the pads, and long pumps to the floor can be hard on your master cylinder seals. Now start the car and do the same. The brakes might feel spacy for a few stops, until the pads get firmly seated again, so go easy.
The manufacturer recommends replacing them in pairs, here is what you will need:
- 2 Wheel bearing/hub units. Mine were Timken, many other brands available. Don't know if this board allows posting vendors and prices but will post in response if someone asks.
- Hub Nut socket. 36 mm for this model, is deeper than a regular socket. The auto parts store I purchased my hubs from loaned these for free. (Paid $15 and got a full refund when brought back)
- 1/2" drive breaker bar to turn the hub socket. 18 inches or longer makes the job easier.
- Hub Puller. Also loaned for free from store (Pay $40, get full refund on return) The one I got needed to be turned with a 16mm socket or an adjustable wrench.
- 12 & 13 mm sockets and ratchet. (1/2 drive if you can) A word of advice, don't even try this with 12 point sockets, get the six sided kind that just fit around the nut. Started to do mine with a 12 point and very nearly rounded off a bolt, they are on that tight.
- extensions for the sockets & wrench, a 3 or 5” and a 6 or 10” should do it.
- small adjustable wrench (has to open to about 15 or 16 mm).
- 2 long wire ties or a piece of mechanics wire, or whatever else you can think of to tie the caliper up to the strut spring so that it doesn't hang by the rubber brake line. If you use a wire tie make sure you have something to cut it with later.
- lug wrench, the one in the trunk is fine.
- torque wrench - The official docs from Alldata and the like specify torque settings, I didn't have a torque wrench so I can't say how important this is - your car, your call.
- jack & jack stand - I used a floor jack, I guess you could get by with the scissors jack, but the jack stand is mandatory!
- caliper compressor, to get the brake caliper back on you will probably have to push the piston in some. Cheap tool available at auto parts store.
- New Axle nuts - optional? There is a new style axle nut available from GM (part number 10289657) The old nuts have a black sheet metal 'cage' around them, the new nut looks like a regular nut with an attached washer. The new nut is specified at a lot less torque than the old one and is supposed to improve bearing life. None of the dealers near me had them in stock, and they wanted around $10 each.
Here we go:
Pick a wheel to start on, loosen the lugs a little bit with lug wrench. Chock back wheels, jack car up high enough to get jackstand under car. Place jackstand on 'U' shaped frame rail that surrounds the engine compartment (that is from Alldata, the u is open end towards grill, 'legs' just inside of wheel wells. Lower car onto jackstand, makes sure it's stable. Remove lug nuts and take off wheel.
Locate two 12mm bolts on backside of brake caliper. These are the slide pin bolts for the caliper, notice that when you turn one there is a six sided nut that also turns on the slide pin. Hold the slide pin with adjustable wrench, remove bolt with socket. Repeat on second bolt. You may have to push caliper in and out to work it over the disc and pads. Once off the bracket the caliper will only be attached by brake hose, DO NOT ALLOW IT TO HANG ON HOSE. Tie or wire it up on the strut spring out of your way. Set bolts and brake pads aside for later (check for thickness and uneven wear while you are at it)
Locate two 13mm bolts on backside of caliper bracket, remove. Mine were on very tight, had to start car and turn the steering wheel so I could get more leverage on the wrench. Set bracket and both bolts aside where you won't lose them.
Slide brake disc off and set aside. Now brush all of the rust off of you that fell out of the disc vent slots. :)
Disconnect ABS electrical connector on the backside of steering knuckle, near CV joint (it’s the only electrical connection there, slide together quick connect). With a flat blade screwdriver to pry the clip a little, slide connector off of sheet metal bracket.
Locate the three hub bolts on the back of the steering knuckle, close to where the CV boot meets the knuckle. They are conveniently located in little recesses in the casting (making it hard to get a box end wrench on) very close to the CV joint (forcing you to use an extension on your socket). These were on VERY tight for me, almost rounded a few bolt heads. Use the shortest extension that will let reach the bolt and clear the CV joint. Turning the wheel to allow better access to each bolt was needed here too.
One thing that might help – you can see the tip and a few threads of the bolt between the halves of the bearing/hub assembly. They are probably rusty and dirty. A shot of liquid wrench on the threads might help get it out.
Turn the wheel back to straight ahead, put the hub socket on the hub bolt in the center of the wheel, use the breaker bar to remove. Slow steady pressure works best here, not pounding on the bar. It takes quite a bit to get it to move at first, lean your weight on the bar or even use your foot, but be smooth about it – don’t kick it or hit it with a hammer. Put nut aside for later, unless you bought new ones.
Put hub puller arms around hub, the center of the axle is indented to accept the center point of the puller. Turn puller with ratchet, it will gradually pull the hub off of the splined end on the driveshaft. (I used a little Liquid Wrench on this also) Without the puller I would have never gotten this off, with the puller it took 30 seconds. I have heard other people that had some trouble getting the hub off even with the puller, requiring some hammer work as well. Keep the sheetmetal spacer/ABS connector bracket for the new hub, make a mental note of what direction the bracket went on.
Putting it all together was much quicker:
Remove any cardboard or plastic shipping stuff from new hub, mine had a round plastic shipping piece holding the ABS electrical connector also. My hub was marked with a paint blob to show the top, the location of the ABS wires has to be near the connector bracket you just saved.
Place bracket on steering knuckle, carefully thread the ABS connector wire beside the axle. Hold the hub up to the steering knuckle, put the threaded part of the axle though the hub and get one of the 3 small hub bolts started to hold it on the knuckle. Now start the other 2 bolts and tighten all with socket wrench. Alldata states 70 ft lbs on these bolts. I didn’t have a torque wrench so I just made them tight.
Slide electrical connector from hub onto bracket, then connect to wire from car.
Start the hub bolt on the axle and tighten. As you tighten you will feel the nut forcing the hub onto the splines, it should be a firm resistance but not hard work. Alldata states 284 ft lbs on the old style nuts and 173 ft lbs for the newer style nuts.
Slide brake disc over axle/lug nuts.
Place caliper bracket over disc and line up bolt holes. Mount bolts and tighten. Alldata states 85 ft lbs on these.
Use caliper compressor to push piston into housing. Watch the fluid leveling the master cylinder, you don’t want it overflow. If you have never added brake fluid it should be fine. You don’t have to push it all the way in, just enough to get it over the pads.
Place brake pads in caliper bracket, slide caliper over pads and line up bolt holes. Mount and tighten the bolts, using adjustable or open end wrench on slides. Alldata states 23 ft lbs on these.
Note: I over tightened one of these the last time I changed my brake pads and the caliper would not move on the slides, which wore out the inside pad fast while the outside pad did nothing. Make sure the caliper can move in and out a little on the slides. Alldata states 23 ft lbs on these.
Put wheel back on car, tighten lug nuts. Jack car up to remove jackstand, then lower car and check the tightness of your lugs again.
That was fun right? Now you get to do it allover again on the other side.
After you are done, be sure to pump the brake pedal in short little pumps until it is firm (with the engine off). This is to move the caliper pistons back against the pads, and long pumps to the floor can be hard on your master cylinder seals. Now start the car and do the same. The brakes might feel spacy for a few stops, until the pads get firmly seated again, so go easy.