Greetings all. Has anyone ever replaced a real wheel bearing on a 99 AWD? I’ve been putting it off but it’s at the point where I’m either going to have to replace them or let it set.

Thanks

 

I have not had the need, but it is not going to be case of slip out and slip in. You would need a hydraulic press or bearing puller/pusher tool. I would recommend replacing both rear and don't skimp on seals. There is big no no, on putting the vehicle on ground without the shaft in the bearing.
Also splurge on the bearings and get high quality bearings. They will cost a pretty penny.
If you take out any suspension part to get the bearing pushed out/in, remember to wait to torque the fasteners till the vehicle is sitting on the ground [The components must be in their natural position].

Salim

 

I would get a spare used rear knuckle and install the new press-in bearing into that, so that your car doesn’t have to be out of commission for a while, and labour costs will be less. 1+ on getting a nice bearing. My Highlander came with NSK, so I chose to stick with NSK. Aftermarket one was identical to the OEM one, right down to the labelled markings on the bearing.

You can get one from any AWD 99-03 RX or 01-03 Highlander. What you can also do is convert your entire rear end to the 2004-2009 RX setup. This is more laborious and expensive, but you get bolt-in wheel bearings and a fresh start. (New control arms, cv axles, ABS sensors, etc).