Honestly, I think the whole 'just replace the whole assembly' advice for a bad wheel bearing is lazy sometimes, like when I saved a customer $400 last month by pressing in a new bearing on their old hub.

Tbh, the shop down the road in Akron wanted to sell them a whole new hub assembly for a 2015 Civic, but after checking the hub itself for wear with a micrometer, I pressed in a Timken bearing for just the part cost and an hour of labor, and it's been quiet for weeks now, so when do you guys actually decide a hub is too far gone to save?

3 comments

3 Comments

christopher94322d ago

Man, I've done that exact same press-in job on a few older Civics. It's satisfying when it works. I check the hub surface for any grooves you can catch a fingernail on, and like @young.kim said, you gotta trust the micrometer over your eyes. If the bore is smooth and measures right, a quality bearing pressed in with the right tools will last. I only junk the whole hub if it's visibly scored or the wheel studs are messed up.

the_jennifer25d ago

Used to think it was always a hub job until a micrometer proved me wrong.

young.kim25d ago

Yeah, that "until a micrometer proved me wrong" hits hard. Been there thinking I knew a part was good, then the numbers show it's totally out. Makes you second guess every eyeball check after that.