Bocatrip

I've been trying to get pricing to replace a front passenger side wheel bearing for an 01 LS430 with not much luck. I assume the entire wheel bearing hub needs replacing and the closest I've come for pricing is the cost of the hub at a Lexus dealer for $414 which sounded on the high side. Many posts discourage going aftermarket (which is quite cheaper) but I would go OEM anyway. Any one have a clue of what I should expect pay to replace on one front wheel bearing hub? My car is an 01 with 122,000 miles on it. Thanks all.

BMW7_LS430

That sounds about right. I think mine was about $325 or so but with some other parts and labor it totaled to $800+
I wish I knew better then. I would have bought after market and replaced myself.

tradosauru

What symptoms is your car exhibiting to warrant a wheel bearing replacement?

Bocatrip

When driving over 50 mph on the highway, I can hearing a whirring/rumbling sound from the front right. When I turn the steering wheel to the left (taking the weight off the front right wheel) the noise is gone. This is some f.....G expensive repair for one wheel bearing. I've read many posts that mention the aftermarket bearings don't hold up.

Bocatrip

Did you do just one or the pair? At that cost it is something to consider about keeping the car when you know there are 3 more that may be potentially on their way. Unfortunately I have a zillion speed bumps where I live which don't help even though I crawl over them.

tradosauru

I'm on a chevy malibu forum and the 2013-2015 models are showing rear wheel bearing failures at 40,000 miles. Many of those guys are going with aftermarket since the OEM is a pos. lol

Arcturus

Check out www.mylparts.com. OEM part there is $335:

https://www.mylparts.com/parts/2001/...T%20SUSPENSION

The bearing is an integral part of the wheel hub and is changed out as one unit. I estimate an honest shop should charge 1-2 hrs. Not a difficult job and you can do it yourself if you feel so inclined. Just need to remove the the brake pads, caliper and rotor, then loosen the 4 bolts holding the hub to the knuckle and knock it out. Hardest part for me was getting the hub out of the knuckle as it got seized in there from corrosion - but I live in a rust belt it may not apply to you.

There are actually DiY instructions on this website and it is a relatively common problem on these cars.

P.S. If you are cost conscious, just change out the one hub - it'll be fine. I don't believe in replacing parts if there's no problem.

Bocatrip

Thanks Arcturus and everyone else for all your invaluable information. I was told by Lexus 2 flange bolts must be purchased as well as they can only be used once. Their part number is LE9010514151. The wheel bearing hub part # is LE4344050011. I will try the discount lexus parts as well (thanks again) however Lexus and most independents won't guarantee the work unless they get the parts. I will take the chance because of the savings as long as they give me the old parts back. I've been reading that the OEM part has had failures shortly after the install and am hoping this in not the case for many owners as this is an expensive fix. I'm an old timer (66) and can no longer do any DIY repairs. I'm fairly knowledgible with repairs so shouldn't be taken too easily, but need shops to do the work. How about a Toyota dealership? Any savings there? Are they ok with this kind of work? Thanks again to everyone for their imput.

911LE

If you use www.mylparts.com don't forget the "CL5" coupon code for an extra 10% off. Plus they ship for free.

BMW7_LS430

FYI: This is description of my service.

REPLACED RIGHT REAR WHEEL BEARING AND EMERGENCY BRAKE SHOE RETENTION SPRINGS

Duck05

Replaced the front passenger side wheel bearing on our '01 430 about 15 months back; independent shop that uses quality parts. Came in around $350 parts and labor....

The dealerships are always much higher but if you do not have the skills to DIY or been fortunate to find an independent shop with a good reputation (mine is over 60 miles away and worth the drive) then the dealer is a safe choice (albeit the most expensive).

This is not a part that has to be replaced "in pairs" but for some folks it gives them peace of mind.

volson

Where do you live? I am going to do mine soon.

Arcturus

The two flange bolts are actually the bolts that hold the caliper to the knuckle. They are large, long aluminum bolts, and believe they were around $5-$10 dollars each from the dealer. Although the manual says to replace them each time I have removed and installed them at least 3x without issue. I don't know why such huge bolts need to be replaced each time, all I can think is that Toyota / Lexus is worried that they could deform or seize in the caliper as they are aluminum. I personally don't think these worries are warranted.

I know here in Quebec, the Toyota service centers won't service Lexus vehicles. They have some sort of agreement to shaft the customer for as much as possible. However, I have heard in the US that they will often will and that you can save a few bucks.

In my opinion, if you want to get a shop to do it, it is not a difficult job and can be easily handled by an independent garage. Get estimates from the dealer or the independent and see what the savings will be.

Non OEM hubs can be purchased from quality manufacturer's Moog ( PN# 513163), Timken ( PN# HA593550) and SKF (#PN BR930293) for similar prices and they should be just as good. You can ask the shop what manufacturer they're going to use if you are concerned.

1A1

You don't need to replace all of them at once. Typically the front drivers side goes first due to the fact that we make more right turns than left so it takes more abuse.

Steve K.

Tom57

Agree you don't need to replace in pairs. More severe abuse to wheel bearings (as well as steering suspension - ball joints and bushings) comes from road potholes too, and these tend to be on the passenger side of (U.S.) roads.