Bearing or assembly hub

I think my driver side bearing is going bad. And wanting to tackle both sides eventually. Should I just change the bearing or the whole assembly hub? It seems changing the whole assembly is an easier job. What brand do you guys recommend?
Ran across this when I was searching
https://www.1aauto.com/2012-toyota-tacoma-wheel-bearing-hub-assemblies/y-mo-c/2012-405-384

Thanks

 

Do you have access to a press? If not, I think you’d be better off just replacing the whole assembly. I think there’s also a guy on Tacoma world that presses and sells them as a package. You could find his thread with a quick search

 

If you do a little searching on this site, you'll (pretty quickly) find that with bearings, you get exactly what you pay for. If you want my 2 cents:

1) OEM is definitely the best, but any top-quality bearing will do better than the no-name Chinese crap. Don't fall for testimonials from folks who love their cheap eBay or Amazon $150 assemblies after just 150 miles. (Especially when their OEM bearings lasted 120,000 miles.)

2) Getting a hub and bearing already pressed together saves some time and effort - particularly if you don't have access to a press and knowledge of how to use it properly.

3) I'd highly recommend: Wheel Bearings & Hubs Press Service *** 4x4 *** PreRunner *** | Tacoma World

 

1st gens require the bearing to be pressed in.

2nd gens is waaaay easier to do the assemblies.

After time spent to press in and out the bearings, I don't see how you could be ahead just doing the bearings.

I've done both. I'm never doing press ins again.

 

Replace the whole assembly.

And good luck finding an OEM assembly. I’ve never seen Toyota sell the whole assembly.
You have to buy it in piece and assemble it yourself to have a “full” OEM assembly.
The important parts are the bearings. There is absolutely nothing wrong going aftermarket, Stick to a reputable builder. Also, be sure to replace the dust seals (knuckle seal at a minimum) and cotter pin.
I also replace the axle nut, because it made me “feel better”.

I’d suggest this guy for quality assemblies.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/wheel-bearings-hubs-press-service-4x4-prerunner.537080/


And yes, I have experience with “cheap” and “expensive” assemblies.

 

I've installed a few and recommend the assembly from mentioned guy on Tacomaworld. Or bluepitbearings.com. Very high quality work/parts from either.

 

LOL

I’ve got probably 75k miles on a set of hub assemblies off of eBay. Each one cost under 150$ a pop.

If the hub is assembled correctly with quality parts, you won’t have an issue….

 

Here, here - I bought a 20-ton HF press specifically to press in the Taco wheel bearings some 10+ years ago, back when the few vendors that sold the assemblies were really expensive. Today, the bearing assemblies are so affordable, I will not bother with pressing. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I bought the press; I have used it to press bushings, ball joints, pulley bearings, and so many friends have borrowed it, I added wheel castors to roll it easier. I currently have DuroGo wheel bearing assemblies and will continue using them.