🔧 Wheel Bearing - Replacement

The wheel bearing on your Explorer is part of a sealed hub assembly. When it gets noisy or loose, the fix is to replace the full hub/bearing unit rather than trying to repack or service the bearing itself.

Difficulty Level: Advanced | Estimated Time: 2-4 hours per corner

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• Support the vehicle securely with jack stands on level ground. Never work under a vehicle supported only by a jack.
• Use wheel chocks on the opposite axle.
• If working near the brakes, let the rotor and caliper cool first.
• If your Explorer has an electronic parking brake active on the rear, make sure it is fully released before starting.
• Disconnect the negative battery cable if you need to unplug any ABS wiring and want to avoid a fault code.
• The ABS wheel speed sensor wiring is fragile. Do not pull on the harness.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands
• Wheel chocks
• Safety glasses
• Mechanic gloves
• Breaker bar
• Torque wrench
• Ratchet
• 21mm socket
• 18mm socket
• 15mm socket
• 13mm socket
• Torx T30 screwdriver
• Bungee cord or brake caliper hanger
• Penetrating oil
• Dead blow hammer
• Trim clip tool
• Hub puller or slide hammer (specialty)
• Wire brush

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Front wheel hub and bearing assembly - Qty: 1 per side
• Rear wheel hub and bearing assembly - Qty: 1 per side
• ABS wheel speed sensor bolt or clip - Qty: 1 if damaged
• Brake caliper bracket bolts - Qty: 2 if replaced by service procedure
• Brake rotor - Qty: 1 if damaged or rust-jacked
• Wheel bearing grease - Qty: 1 small tube if needed for rust prevention on mating surfaces

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground and set the parking brake.
• Loosen the wheel lug nuts before lifting the vehicle.
• Use Liftgate > Disable or secure the liftgate if you will be working near the rear hatch area.
• If the ABS sensor connector is in the work area, disconnect the negative battery cable before unplugging it.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the Explorer

• Use the floor jack to lift the corner you are repairing.
• Place jack stands under the proper support points.
• Remove the wheel with the 21mm socket.
• Keep the opposite wheels chocked.

Step 2: Remove the brake caliper and rotor

• Use the 15mm socket to remove the caliper slide pins.
• Lift the caliper off and hang it with a bungee cord or brake caliper hanger.
• Use the 18mm socket to remove the caliper bracket bolts.
• Pull the rotor off. If it is stuck, tap it gently with a dead blow hammer.
• Torque on reassembly: Caliper bracket bolts to 175 Nm (129 ft-lbs).

Step 3: Disconnect the ABS wheel speed sensor

• Locate the ABS sensor wire on the knuckle.
• Use the trim clip tool to release any harness retainers.
• Remove the sensor bolt with the Torx T30 screwdriver if equipped with a retained sensor.
• Move the harness aside so it cannot be damaged during hub removal.
• Do not twist the sensor wire.

Step 4: Remove the hub/bearing assembly

• Spray penetrating oil on the hub-to-knuckle bolts and let it soak for a few minutes.
• From the back side of the knuckle, use the 15mm socket or 18mm socket to remove the hub bolts.
• Use a hub puller or slide hammer if the assembly is rusted into the knuckle.
• Tap the hub out evenly if needed, but do not hit the ABS tone ring area.
• Rust makes this step harder.

Step 5: Clean the mounting surface

• Use a wire brush to clean rust and debris from the knuckle mounting face.
• Make sure the surface is flat and clean before installing the new hub.
• Check the ABS sensor opening for dirt or corrosion.

Step 6: Install the new hub/bearing assembly

• Position the new hub assembly into the knuckle by hand.
• Install the hub bolts by hand first to avoid cross-threading.
• Use the ratchet to snug the bolts evenly.
• Torque to 97 Nm (72 ft-lbs) for the hub bolts.
• Reconnect the ABS sensor and secure the harness retainers.

Step 7: Reinstall brakes and wheel

• Reinstall the rotor.
• Reinstall the caliper bracket with the 18mm socket.
• Reinstall the caliper with the 15mm socket.
• Reinstall the wheel and snug the lug nuts by hand.
• Torque wheel lug nuts to 135 Nm (100 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• Pump the brake pedal until it feels firm before driving.
• Start the vehicle and check for ABS or traction control warning lights.
• Test drive slowly and listen for noise changes.
• Recheck lug nut torque after 25-50 miles.
• If the ABS light stays on, scan for codes and clear them after confirming the repair.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $450-$900 per corner (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $120-$260 per corner (parts only)

You Save: $330-$640 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 2-4 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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