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Lexus: How to Replace Your Wheel Hub Bearing

Loose steering is often caused by a loose wheel hub bearing. Here's a step-by-step guide to replacing it.

By Piyush Kayastha - December 4, 2014

This article applies to the Lexus (2005-2013).

If you ever feel a little play or wiggle room in your Lexus' steering wheel, you probably have a bad wheel hub bearing. You can also identify a bad wheel hub bearing by listening to noise and roughness coming from your wheels. The worst case scenario is that your wheel could literally separate from your car. Here is how to replace your wheel hub bearing and avoid that situation.

Materials Needed

  • Tire iron
  • Torque wrench
  • Pry bar
  • 10mm, 17mm, and 22mm sockets
  • Control arm puller
  • Jack, jack stands, and wheel chocks
  • Impact gun

Step 1 - Loosen the wheel

With the car on the ground, use a tire iron to loosen each lug nut.

Figure 1. Loosen lug nuts on the wheel.

Step 2 - Raise the car

Raise the car using a jack and secure the vehicle with jack stands.

Figure 2. Raise and secure the vehicle.

Step 3 - Remove brake caliper and rotor

Once you have the wheel off, you can begin to remove the brake caliper and the disc brake.

Figure 3. Remove brake components.

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Step 4 - Secure caliper

Remove the two 17mm bolts and secure the carrier off to the side using a wire hanger or place on top extra jack stand.

Figure 4. Hang the calipers so you don't ruin the brake line.

Step 5 - Release control arm

Using a 17mm socket, undo the nut on the bottom of the tie rod. Using pliers, remove the cotter pin; save and set aside. Using the gear puller or control arm puller, release the control arm.

  • Figure 5. Control arm location.
  • Figure 6. Remove the control arm.

Step 6 - Loosen shock absorber bolts

Using a 22mm socket, loosen but do not remove the upper shock absorber bolts located under the hood on top of the wheel well.

Figure 7. Loosen the upper shock absorber bolts.

Step 7 - Remove axle nut

The axle nut is on the axle with a lot of torque. Make sure the impact gun you're using is fully charged or connected to a full air compressor.

Figure 8. Remove the axle nut.

Step 8 - Pry steering knuckle from shock absorber

Remove the two upper 22mm bolts completely from shock absorber. Using a pry bar, pry the steering knuckle off of assembly. You will be able to remove the wheel hub assembly as one piece.

Figure 9. Pry the steering knuckle off.

Step 9 - Get new bearing pressed into hub

Take the hub assembly and new bearing to a machine shop. They will use a special service tool to "press" the bearing and race into place. Once this is done, installation of all components is reverse of removal. Refer to the links below for proper torque procedures.

Figure 10. Take the hub assembly to an auto shop.

Featured Video: Front Wheel Bearing

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