Advice needed on Wheel bearing replacement

I think my 05 PreRunner w/117k needs new front wheel bearings. I've got a consistent roar/grinding noise in the front end that changes sound/pitch when I turn the wheel or change speed. You can put it in neutral and take your foot off gas and still hear it. Would anything else cause this noise?

Called 1 local shop and the dealership. Local shop said they said that if the hub is fine, they could replace both front bearings for around $700. Dealership wants around $870 for the pair. I don't know anything about the local shop other than word of mouth (Foothills Imports), so I'm a bit hesitant to mess with another independent shop. Log story short, I haven't had much luck with anyone but the dealership. So hard to find a qualified, trustworthy mechanic where I live.

 

Consult @BamaToy1997

He makes hubs and can help diagnose and guide your fix.

 

Your symptoms are definitely those of wheel bearings. If you're mechanically inclined at all, do it yourself and save yourself a ton of cash.

If you do decide to do them yourself, do as Ed suggested and buy the completed assemblies(hub and bearing) from Bamatoy. I did mine a few years ago before anyone was selling them as whole assemblies, so I had to do all the assembly work myself, and the assemblies that he sells make replacing them pretty easy.

 

Check the brake system. Look at the anti-wear indicators on the brake pads. Also, the shims on back of the pads can break off and fall down where they rub on the rotor; this is not a common occurrence, but it has happened. The point is to rule out the brake system as the noise maker. If all looks good, it's likely one or both wheel bearings.

Best way to check bearings is to remove the brake pads, use 2 or 3 nuts to tighten the rotor in place, and free-spin the rotor. It should spin smoothly. Next, grab the rotor on the sides and move fore and aft gently; there should be no looseness. If you move too hard, you will get movement from the tie rod ends flexing.

 

Thanks for the great words everyone! Yes, @vram74, it does sound like a high possibility of wheel bearings. A simple check is to lift the front end of the truck and spin the wheels by hand. If the noise you are describing is as bad as you as indicating, then you should feel one, or both, having a rough spin, and some noise evident. It should spin freely, and smoothly. Also you can grab the wheel at 12 and 6 with the truck lifted and it should NOT move any when you rock it back and forth. If the wheel and hub move, you have bad wheel bearings. My 4WD units come preassembled with all new parts, and if you check I have great customer service, and a great price. $175 each, including shipping.

http://www.marionbumper2bumper.com

 

Mine is a 2wd prerunner. Those were $275 each, correct? Given your rep here, I'm sure yours are much better quality, but I don't have the skills or space to do the work myself and hesitant to bring my own parts to the shop. I don't want to get into a situation where something isn't done right and the shop starts blaming it on parts I brought.

 

It's very easy to do. I'm sure for a 6 pack, someone here will help you out. Where are you from?

 

SC.

Sorry for taking so long to get back. My neighbor is going to come down tomorrow or Thursday and fix it for me in exchange for fixing his PC. Nothing good will come of me touching it except a shit load of screws everywhere and a bewildered WTF face.

Hopefully the weather cooperates!

 

I bought two bearing assemblies and inner seals from you last year. I read some of the threads on how other people have replaced their bearings. I knocked out job on my own rather quickly and easily!

Turned out that I only had one hub/bearing that was bad, so now I have a spare. I've put probably 12,000 miles on it since then, and no problems at all.

 

There are some youtube videos that can help out. The non-4X4 versions of the 4Runner and FJ are just as useful.

 

The 1st 30 seconds of this video show you how to remove the original 2WD hub assembly. Then you just go in reverse to install my new unit. In the video at the 20+ second mark you will see the tech install a slide hammer to pop the old assembly loose from the truck. You don't have to have a slide hammer, and if you don't, simply use a hammer and a screwdriver, and carefully drive the screwdriver in between the back of the hub (at the flange behind where the bolts pass through) and the dust shield. Drive in a little at a time, moving to all 4 sides, and it will come out.

 

@BamaToy1997 Im trying to figure out whats going on with my front driver side wheel. It was thrown out it might be the wheel bearing.

Im getting small click while turning. When making a turn around a corner the wheel kinda locks into the turn and I need to help it come back to straight. When I hit bumps in the road it feels like the wheel is loose and almost wants to fall off. First I thought it was my uca loosely connected to the spindle but I checked that and its tight. I checked the coil over bolts aswell which are all tight aswell. I dont really know where else to look. Any help would be appreciated

 

If you lift the truck up off the front wheels you can wiggle the tire at the 12 and 6, then again at the 3 and 9 positions. Check for abnormal movement in either position. Movement at 3 and 9 can bee steering components (tie rods, rack, rack bushings, etc) and movement at 12 and 6 can be upper ball joint and upper control arm issues, as well as wheel bearings. Wheel bearings will show up as movement at the hub/rotor area. To check the lower ball joint you have to unload the ball joint by using a jack underneath the lower control arm. This takes the force-load off the lower ball joint so that you can check for abnormal movement there.

 

Great thanks. I will check tonight.

 

Thanks for all the info guys

 

is this a 4x4?

 

Yep .

 

cv axles start to click when they are going/wearing out, wheel bearings would make the roaring sound. I need to do both on my 2000 Tacoma.

 

It was actually all suspension. Figured it out once I got the tire off and pulled the coil over.

 

good to know...but in my case I think its cv axles and bearings.