Assumption: This covers both front and rear wheel bearing replacement on your F-150. The front uses sealed hub assemblies; the rear uses press-in bearings on the rear axle.

🔧 Wheel Bearings - Replacement

Your truck uses different bearing designs front and rear, so the repair path is not the same on both ends. The front is a bolt-on hub assembly, while the rear requires axle removal and bearing service inside the axle housing.

Difficulty Level: Advanced | Estimated Time: 3-6 hours

---

⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• Chock the wheels and support the truck with jack stands; never work under a vehicle held only by a jack.
• If servicing the rear axle, avoid damaging the axle seal and ABS sensor tone ring.
• Front hub removal may require high force; keep hands clear of pinch points.
• Brake components will be removed on the front and rear; do not let calipers hang by the hose.
• No battery disconnect is normally required.

---

🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated for truck weight)
• Wheel chocks
• Safety glasses
• Mechanic gloves
• 19mm socket
• 21mm socket
• 24mm socket
• 30mm socket
• 13mm socket
• 15mm socket
• 18mm socket
• Torque wrench
• Breaker bar
• Ratchet
• Flat-blade screwdriver
• Needle-nose pliers
• Rubber mallet
• Bearing/seal driver kit (specialty)
• Slide hammer with axle bearing puller attachment (specialty)
• Hub puller or dead-blow hammer (specialty)
• Bungee cord or caliper hanger
• Grease
• Shop towels
• Drain pan
• Brake cleaner

---

🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Front wheel hub and bearing assembly - Qty: 2
• Rear axle wheel bearing - Qty: 2
• Rear axle seal - Qty: 2
• Front hub bolts - Qty: 4
• Rear axle shaft retaining clip - Qty: 2
• Brake cleaner - Qty: 1 can
• High-temperature wheel bearing grease - Qty: 1

---

📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground and engage the parking brake.
• Loosen the lug nuts slightly before lifting the truck.
• Raise and support the axle you are working on with jack stands.
• If the wheel speed sensor wiring is clipped to the hub, unclip it carefully before removal.

---

🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Remove the wheel and brake parts

• Use a 21mm socket to remove the lug nuts and wheel.
• Use an 18mm socket to remove the brake caliper bolts.
• Hang the caliper with a bungee cord or caliper hanger so the hose is not stretched.
• Use a 15mm socket to remove the caliper bracket if needed.
• Remove the brake rotor by hand. If stuck, tap it with a rubber mallet.

Step 2: Front wheel bearing hub removal

• Use a 13mm socket to remove the hub-to-knuckle bolts from the back side of the steering knuckle.
• Disconnect the ABS sensor connector and free the wiring from the clips.
• Remove the hub assembly from the knuckle. Use a hub puller or dead-blow hammer if it is seized.
• Penetrating oil helps on rusted hubs.

Step 3: Install the new front hub

• Clean the knuckle mounting surface with brake cleaner and a shop towel.
• Install the new hub assembly into the knuckle.
• Install the hub bolts with a 13mm socket.
• Torque to 103 Nm (76 ft-lbs).
• Reconnect the ABS wiring and secure all clips.

Step 4: Rear axle bearing removal

• Remove the rear wheel, brake caliper, bracket, and rotor using the same socket sizes as above.
• Remove the differential cover with a 13mm socket if needed for axle shaft access on your axle setup.
• Remove the axle shaft C-clip with needle-nose pliers, then slide the axle shaft outward.
• Use a slide hammer with axle bearing puller attachment to remove the bearing and seal from the axle tube.
• Keep the axle tube clean.

Step 5: Install the rear bearing and seal

• Clean the axle tube bore thoroughly with brake cleaner.
• Use a bearing/seal driver kit to install the new rear bearing straight into the housing.
• Install the new axle seal with the same driver kit.
• Lightly lubricate the seal lip with high-temperature wheel bearing grease.

Step 6: Reassemble the rear axle

• Slide the axle shaft back into place.
• Reinstall the C-clip with needle-nose pliers.
• Reinstall the differential cover with a 13mm socket if removed.
• Torque differential cover bolts to 30 Nm (22 ft-lbs).
• Reinstall the rotor, caliper bracket, and caliper.
• Torque rear caliper bracket bolts to 175 Nm (129 ft-lbs).

Step 7: Reinstall brakes and wheel

• Reinstall the rotor, caliper bracket, and caliper on the front and rear.
• Torque front caliper bracket bolts to 175 Nm (129 ft-lbs).
• Torque front caliper guide bolts to 35 Nm (26 ft-lbs).
• Install the wheel and hand-tighten the lug nuts with a 21mm socket.
• Torque lug nuts to 150 Nm (111 ft-lbs) in a star pattern.

Step 8: Final checks

• Spin the wheel by hand and listen for grinding or rubbing.
• Pump the brake pedal until it feels firm before moving the truck.
• Check for ABS warning lights after the repair.

---

✅ After Repair

• Test drive slowly and listen for humming, grinding, or clicking.
• Recheck lug nut torque after the first drive.
• If the ABS light stays on, scan for wheel speed sensor faults.
• If you replaced rear bearings, inspect for gear oil leaks at the seals after the test drive.

---

💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $700-$1,800 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $220-$650 (parts only)

You Save: $480-$1,150 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 3-6 hours.

---

🎯 Ready to get started?

HowToo makes it easy: same-day/2-day shipping on every part, plus all the tools and specialty tools you need! Check out the parts and tools sections below to add everything to your cart.