As long as you catch a wheel bearing issue early, though, it shouldn’t be a massively expensive or time-consuming fix, and if you’re decent with a spanner, it’s potentially something you can sort yourself. Here’s what a wheel bearing is, why it’s important, and how to tell if there’s something wrong with one.

Hopefully, our high-quality parts and the instructions above give you everything you need to successfully replace the wheel bearings and hub in your 2004-2011 Toyota Camry. If you have any questions about the process (including buying parts for your vehicle), contact us and speak with a team member who will be happy to tell you what you need to know!

Hub bearing on carcost

Which means, that a few months prior, I’ve just hit 210 KPH with broken wheel bearings in what’s essentially a 20 years old coffin on wheels. Yay.

Once the calipers are off, you can remove the rotor. Again, you may need to gently tap it from behind to loosen it up sufficiently. If you’re replacing the rotors, there’s no need to be precious here—but if your current rotors are still good and you want to keep using them, be gentle and avoid damaging the lug studs during this part of the process (again, we recommend wrapping a hammer in cloth and tapping gently near the outside of the rotor for best results).

WheelHubAssembly Kit

Your 2004-2011 Toyota Camry was designed to be reliable and practical for many years—but some parts experience wear and tear on even the most economical vehicles. You’ll need to replace your Camry’s wheel bearings periodically if you want to keep driving it smoothly and safely.

Fortunately, we’ve got you covered. Find high-quality aftermarket wheel bearings for Toyota Camrys here, then read the guide below for step-by-step instructions on how to install them. Our bearings outperform others, and our guaranteed fit makes it easy! Let’s dive in.

One 17mm bolt and two 17mm nuts connect the rest of the knuckle to the control arm. Remove these with a socket and set them aside. Hold the knuckle as you do so that it doesn’t fall off—once these are gone, you should be able to remove the knuckle completely!

Replace the tie rod end and torque the nut on top to 36 lb-ft. Make sure the slot of the nut is lined up with the hole in the top of the tie rod so you can get the cotter pin back in. If you can’t, keep tightening the nut until you’re able to replace the cotter pin.

The wheel bearing is housed within the hub assembly, providing the static connection with the hub carrier through an outer ring or ‘racer’. On driven wheels, the driveshaft travels from the transmission and passes through the centre of the wheel bearing through the inner ring, creating the rotational partnership. Ball-type bearings are generally used on the driven wheels of a vehicle, while tapered roller bearings, with cylindrical rollers arranged around an inner ring, are predominantly used on the non-driven wheels.

A car’s wheel bearing does this by using small metal balls or cylindrical rollers that roll between two smooth rings of metal. Helped along by grease, the bearing rotates in tandem with the wheel’s rotation, the rolling motion of the balls or rollers allowing the wheel hub to rotate as freely as possible. It also helps absorb some of the forces exerted on the car’s wheel during acceleration, braking and cornering.

Need to see this process for yourself? Don’t worry; we found a great video that shows you exactly how to perform the steps described above. Check it out below:

Although it can be a labour-intensive job if one were to fail, the shift to selling entire hub assemblies should make a bad wheel bearing fixable from home, with a decent tool kit and a bit of know-how. So do not fret the next time that horrid whir begins to creep into the cabin, as a fix may be only a ratchet spanner away.

Hub bearing on carnoise

Line up the hole in the ABS shield with the hole in the knuckle and tap the edges down with a hammer so that it goes down as far as possible. Now you can start putting the knuckle back onto the car.

Hub bearing on carprice

Slide the ABS wire over the knuckle and back into its original position. Then, place the ABS sensor back in place and replace the mounting bolt.

Just a few months ago I’ve had the rear wheel bearings of my E36 replaced. When the mechanic popped them out, he said that the rear right bearing was shot beyond recognition and it was a miracle that it didn’t break.

Front wheelbearingnoise symptoms

There’s a decent chance that at some point, you’ve had your car back from an MOT test and found a patch of orange on the results that says something along the lines of ‘play in offside front wheel bearing.’ It sounds scary - after all, in order of everything you want to function correctly on your car, the wheels are pretty far up the list.

When pressing the new bearing in, be sure to apply pressure to the outer lip, not the inner portion of the bearing. Press it straight into the knuckle and make sure it doesn’t lean over to one side. Then reapply the snap ring and use a pry bar to knock it down into place.

© Crash Media Group Ltd 2024.The total or partial reproduction of text, photographs or illustrations is not permitted in any form.

They never seize immediately. No need to fear. I have a comparison to make. My Skoda had 5 out of 4 changed in its 175 000 km lifetime. Only one bearing failure might have been caused by an accident. My E46 has had the originals for 245 000 km and 13 years. And none of them seems to be on their way out.

But wheel bearings need to be replaced about once every 85,000 to 100,00 miles, or they’ll wear out. When this happens, the wheels on your car may no longer turn at the same rate, which can make your car harder to steer properly and can also impact your ability to brake effectively. For this reason, replacing your wheel bearings on time with high-quality parts is a vital part of operating your car safely.

Hey, i have driven a car to the limit where humming sound is so loud inside that you can’t even hear a Radio. They can last a long time before they go, even if they are shot.Also had an situation where from the moment bearing started to hum, till it disintegrated it self, it lasted about 2 km…. I guess it depends on how good brand you use and how lucky you are.

Wheel bearings should last tens of thousands of miles, but many mechanics will simply hammer the bearing back into the hub assembly instead of precisely aligning it and using the aforementioned press. This will inevitably lead to the bearing not rotating in the perpendicular fashion that it was designed for, accelerating wear and damage to the part. It’s important, therefore, if you’re not 100 per cent confident in your own ability, to ensure you’re using a trusted, professional garage.

You’ll want to elevate your car off the ground before you do anything else. Using your jack, support the car on the subframe. Then secure it in place and remove the hubcap.

Wheel bearings are generally made from hardened steel, so they can withstand a serious amount of rotational abuse. But apply heat (through lack of lubrication) or dirt and water (broken seal) and all hell can break loose (this is yet another reason to avoid driving through deep water). Hitting one too many potholes or taking speed bumps too quickly can also exert excessive force on your bearings, shortening their useful life.

Slide the axle into the bearing while moving the ball joint studs into the lower control arm. Next, start the bolt and nuts that connect the knuckle to the control arm. Torque each to 55 lb-ft.

How unbearable, those bearings look like Lindor balls all melted up. I’m losing my bearings, I think it’s hazelnut Lindors, but i’m not sure if it’s Dark chocolate or not, or milk chocolate bearing a dark top layer. Bare with me here……….., cuz i don’t really care, I’ll eat them both.

Like all mechanical parts on a car that rotates, rub and roll, they tend to wear out eventually. There are several signs of a knackered wheel bearing. The most common is a constant drone, hum or growl from the affected wheel, which will get more noticeable as speed increases or the car turns. You may also notice less responsive steering or speed-dependent wheel wobble. On more modern cars, which often have anti-lock brake sensors integrated into the hub assembly, you might get an ABS warning light on the dash.

Your next step will be to remove the 10mm bolt holding the ABS sensor in place. Then remove the ABS sensor from the knuckle and set it aside.

Last year I was driving from Townsville to Brisbane. And about 800km in the wheel bearing on the rear right wheel went which shook the wheel completely off. I was only a learner at the time so it was the scariest thing that had happened to me while driving. The worst part was the car had just been serviced for the trip and the bearings had been replaced.

If left to wear down further, a wheel bearing could seize and lock the axle, causing all sorts of additional damage to the drivetrain. Worst-case scenario, the wheel may come off the car altogether, so it’s best to get the car looked at as soon as possible if you suspect a dodge bearing. However, considering the forces that a drivetrain has to counteract during its lifetime of usage, it is impressive how long wheel bearings can last if inserted properly and looked after - depending on the car, original bearings can generally last for comfortably over 100,000 miles.

Wheelbearingreplacement cost

Your wheel bearings absorb friction during everyday driving maneuvers like accelerating, cornering, and braking. When they’re functioning properly, they help the wheels of your car turn smoothly and evenly, contributing to a safer and more comfortable experience behind the wheel.

Wheel bearings play an important role within the drivetrain of any vehicle, as they provide the first connection between the moving and static areas of the car. A bearing – in its simplest form – is a friction reduction device placed within something like a wheel to aid the efficiency of rotation. This is achieved as rolling produces much less friction force than sliding.

Take the caliper and slide the brake pads on over the rotor. Start both of the bolts that hold the caliper in place and bottom them out. Then torque them to 79 lb-ft.

Hub bearing on carsymptoms

Remove the outer tie rod end from the knuckle by removing the cotter pin that holds it in place. You can use a hammer to loosen the tie rod, but leave the nut on the end so as not to damage the threads while doing so. Once the tie rod is loose, remove the nut and slide the tie rod out.

Next, remove the five 21mm lug nuts holding your car’s wheel in place. Once you’ve taken them off, you should be able to remove the wheel itself—gently tap it from the back with a hammer wrapped in a cloth if you’re having trouble.

WheelBearing HubAssembly Front

Make sure the rotor you’re putting back (whether it’s the original or a new one) is clean, then slide it back on and keep it in place by starting one of the lug nuts and bottoming it out.

Check to make sure your ABS wire is connected and the flex hose for your brake caliper isn't twisted. Then, remove the lug nut you started earlier so you can replace the rest of the wheel. When it’s on, put back each of the lug nuts in a criss-cross pattern and torque them to 76 lb-ft each. Put the hubcap back on—congratulations, you’re done!

The most common mechanical failure is due to a seal leak, which allows the lubricating grease to exit the bearing, and water and grit managing to worm its way in. This all amounts to the degradation of the balls and the outer and inner housing of the bearing, often creating that gritty, skimming sound as the wheel is rotating. Looking inside a worn-out bearing, there will often be small specs of metal that have broken off from inside the bearing itself and are grinding their way around the racers, causing more damage. If you have had a minor shunt, it’s always worth having the hub assembly checked over afterwards.

Now it’s time to replace the bolts that hold the wheel knuckle to the strut. Put the nuts on and torque each one to 133 lb-ft.

Most online parts stores will now sell the entire hub assembly with the wheel bearing pressed into it, saving the hassle and potential scope for mistakes within the specific bearing assembly. It goes without saying, but you should also make sure that, if possible, you or the garage is using an original manufacturer part or one of reasonably similar quality - this is one area you really don’t want to skimp on.

I feel dumb because I cant figure out how the bearings work with the rotating axle and how it doesnt just spin and the wheel not move.

To replace a wheel bearing properly, it has to be popped out of the hub assembly, preferably using a hydraulic press. Problems can arise with the re-installation of the new bearing, as the alignment must be accurate to avoid the bearing wearing out rapidly and causing further pain.

Finally, use a 12.30mm socket to remove the axle nut and set it aside. Then use your hammer to drive the axle out of the bearing area.

Next, you’ll want to take off the caliper. To do this, insert a pry bar between the caliper and the rotor and gradually apply leverage until it becomes loose. Then, remove the two 17mm bolts holding in the caliper bracket, then slide the caliper up and remove it from the rotor. Hang it on a hook away from the rest of the wheel.

Now it’s time to remove the old bearing from the knuckle. To do this, you’ll have to remove the snap ring holding the old bearing in place (you can use a pair of pliers). You may need to use a press to drive the old bearing out. Then clean the area before installing the new bearing.