If you want to experience the most comfortable ride in your Chevy Silverado, then you have to learn to preserve it appropriately.
A worn front wheel bearing may seriously affect your riding experience; hence you should replace it as soon as it goes bad.
So let’s cut to the chase and learn how to replace front wheel bearing chevy Silverado 4×4.
How To Replace Front Wheel Bearing Chevy Silverado 4×4?
Before we get into the tutorial, the very first thing you should know the signs of a worn wheel bearing. A bad wheel bearing will definitely make some friction noise, like some grinding or clunking sound. This will happen when your vehicle is running.
Your wheel will also face vibration or wobbling if it is extremely damaged or loses the clamp. You will know you should change the bearing when you feel your driving is not under control. A broken or worn-out bearing results in loose steering that has less response/ precision than the usual state.
Anyways, you now know if your wheel needs to be changed, you can focus on the tutorial. This tutorial calls for multiple steps, each having precise tasks. So let’s check out the steps—
Removing The Front Wheel
Firstly, remove the front wheel as you’ll be replacing the front wheel bearing. Almost all Silverado owners know how to remove a wheel from a vehicle, so we won’t bore you with the details. Note that you only have to remove the wheel of which you want to change the hub bearing unit.
You should try to lift up your vehicle to such a height that you can work comfortably. Use a car lift ramp to obtain the height, and a hydraulic car lift ramp is recommended for personal uses. Then move on to the second step.
Inspecting The Brakes
Secondly, inspect the brakes. You should obviously check if there is anything wrong with your brakes. To do that, turn the rotor and check the following things—
- Front brake pads’ thickness
- Brake wear indicators
- Gouges or dents on the rotor, both sides
If you find any odd on your brakes, check further to determine probable damage of the brake and fix it in the right way. You need to check the brakes to exclude bearing problems in your wheel.
Removing The Brake Caliper and Pads
You’ll definitely have to replace or remove some of the car parts before reaching the actual hub-bearing unit. Thus, removing the brake caliper and pads won’t be tough.
First, remove the bolts from the brake caliper and pull it aside. Then, the brake pads need to come off. You can do it with a flat-blade type screwdriver & finally remove and set aside the brake pad slides.
Removing The Front Brake Caliper Bracket & Rotor
In order to expose the hub bearing unit, you also need to take off the front brake caliper bracket along with the rotor. Just like the previous step, remove the bolts from the bracket of the brake caliper, pull it off, and set it aside.
For removing the rotor, start with removing the Torx screw that is on the rotor. Then you can easily pull the rotor off with your hands. If you can’t, apply some penetrating oil to the rotor studs and you’ll easily be able to pull it out. For pressing the rotor off, you have to tighten the M10 bolts.
Removing The Hub Bearing Unit
Now to the main step, you’ll see the hub bearing unit once you remove all the parts around it. You have to remove the unit in order to install a new one.
Start by penetrating some lubricating oil to the bolts of the hub. That will help you to take the bolts off easily. You will see three different 15mm size bolts on the hub mount, of which remove any two of them and loosen up the third one. Then use a hammer to slightly loosen up the unit. The hub unit is connected to an ABS sensor, so disconnect the sensor that is located near the chassis. Finally, detach the third bolt and pull off the hub bearing unit along with the backing plate. Finish it off by eliminating the ABS sensor that is located on the hub.
Installing New Hub Bearing Unit
After you have removed the old, worn-out bearing hub unit, it’s time to install a new one. Start by cleaning the knuckle on the steering with a brush and covering the flange with white grease. Now push it through the backing plate as well as onto the knuckle. After that, one should start tightening the bolts.
As you’ve noticed, you’ll need to install three bolts to make the hub unit secure. So start by mounting the bolts with your hand and tighten them up with torque. The final step is to re-establish the connection of the abs sensor at both hub & chassis.
Reinstalling The Previously Removed Parts
So, as you’re done with installing the newly arranged hub unit, put back the parts you previously removed. Reinstall the caliper bracket and the rotor. Then install the brake caliper & pads again to make it all ready to install the wheels.
Reinstalling The Wheel & Checking The Brake
The very last step of this whole process is to install the wheel again and checking the brakes again. Now, keep the front wheels on the back of the truck and make sure to tighten all the nuts firmly.
After that, check your brakes again. Pump the brakes as long as they feel firm. Now go for a test ride with your truck starting at a low speed but increasing the speed gradually. When you feel that the driving is pretty okay, you’re done!
So that’s how you can replace the front wheel of your truck. The process may seem a little lengthy, but you’ll love the result once you do that. Because there’s absolutely no compromise with your safety & comfort. Happy riding!