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Front hub/wheel bearing

101K views 19 replies 13 participants last post by  madbrad 
#1 ·
Hi all,
We have a 2008 Town & Country Touring and one of the front hubs/wheel bearings is noisy, so I ordered two new ones to replace both hubs. Does anybody know the procedure of replacing them and the torque specifications? I've replaced many wheel bearings before on other cars, but never on this model. Any help is appreciated! :)

Thanks!

-Ken-
 
#4 ·
I have an 08 and the right side went out. I replaced it myself, bout a 45 min job. Torque specs on axle net was 118ft/lbs. The blots that hold the actual bearing to the hub I used thread locker and just made sure they were tight. Its a very easy job, no press is needed.

I received a letter from Chrysler they were extending the warranty on the bearings to 5 years or 90000 miles. I have to send in a form to get my money back on the one I did myself.
 
#5 ·
2008 Town & Country / HUB AND BEARING / Installation:

1. Make sure isolation washer is located on halfshaft stub shaft. Washer is bi-directional, and can be installed in either direction.
2. Install hub and bearing onto halfshaft stub shaft and into knuckle until squarely seated on face of knuckle. Make sure wheel speed sensor is positioned toward rear of vehicle.
3. Install four hub and bearing mounting bolts from rear of knuckle. Progressively and equally tighten all four mounting bolts using a crisscross pattern. Tighten mounting bolts to 65 N·m (45 ft. lbs.).
4. Attach wheel speed sensor routing bracket to knuckle. Install and tighten screw to 13 N·m (115 in. lbs.).
5. Attach wheel speed sensor routing bracket to mounting flange on strut assembly. Install and tighten screw to 10 N·m (89 in. lbs.).
6. Clip wheel speed sensor connector and routing clip to bracket on frame rail.
7. Connect vehicle wiring harness to wheel speed sensor connector.
8. Install brake shield on knuckle. Install and tighten three mounting screws to 8 N·m (71 in. lbs.).
9. Install brake rotor, then install disc brake caliper and adapter assembly.
10. Verify that wheel speed sensor is routed properly, not allowing cable to come in contact with moving parts.
NOTE: Always install a new hub nut. The original hub nut is one-time use only and should be discarded when removed.
11. Install hub nut on end of halfshaft stub shaft. With aid of a helper applying brakes to keep front hub from turning, tighten hub nut to 160 N·m (118 ft. lbs.).
12. Install tire and wheel assembly. Install and tighten wheel mounting nuts to 135 N·m (100 ft. lbs.).
13. Lower vehicle.
14. Pump brake pedal several times to ensure vehicle has a firm brake pedal before moving vehicle.
15. Check and adjust brake fluid level as necessary.
 
#7 ·
About a week ago I started to notice a slight humming comming from the left front wheel area. I have a 2008 GC, and received my letter from Chrysler about the hub/bearing back in Sept 2011. Took the GC to deaaler yesterday. They took it for a quick road test, put it on a lift, and sure enough, bad bearing. They didn't have the hubs on hand, but ordered em, due in today, and going back tomorrow for the install. Told me about 1 1/2 hours to do both. They also ordered a modual for another recall that I wasen't aware of and will take care of that as well.
Great service from Augusta Dodge/Chrysler in Staunton, Va.
Grumpaw
 
#9 ·
Getting the old hub nut off can be a royal PITA (unless you have an impact wrench). If you don't, get a good long breaker bar (note: this is not the same thing as a cheater bar - always use the right tool for the job) and put your spare tire on. The spare is open in the center and will allow you to use the weight of the vehicle to your advantage when remove the hub nut.

While you're doing the job, since you have to take the brakes apart to get to the hub, might also be time to think about replacing some old pads?

Also, make sure you clean the mating surface on the steering knuckle before putting the new hub in place. it's a tight fit, and you don't want any dirt or rust getting in the way. A light coating of anti-sieze on ONLY the mating surface is not a terrible idea - it will make removal of this hub (should the need arise) that much less of an issue.

If your axle is stuck in the hub (which it probably will be), TAP it with a hammer until you see it just barely start to move. Once you see it even make the slightest twitch, don't use anything more than a rubber mallet to push it the rest of the way out of the hub.*

*It won't actually go all the way out of the hub, just far enough back that it's clearly been released. Don't force the CV joint or you'll be replacing the half shaft as well.

It's not specific to this vehicle, but it is the same general procedure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXW90xwZt5Q. I used this to change the wheel hub on my sister's car (same basic idea, just a different bolt pattern and torque specs plus no wheel speed sensor since it doesn't have ABS) and the job was surprisingly easy. Follow the techniques here, and use the specs from Chrysler Cares and you should be good to go.
 
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#10 ·
...and put your spare tire on. The spare is open in the center and will allow you to use the weight of the vehicle to your advantage when remove the hub nut...
Rather than dealing with the spare, you can remove the center cap from the alloy wheel. You'll need to remove the wheel first so you can push the cap out from the inside. After you put the wheel back on the van you'll be able to access the nut through the cap hole.

George
 
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#12 ·
My driver's side wheel bearing went bad. I got an estimate to do both sides. Firestone told me that the driver's axle was out of balance ... ?? THey had it on a lift, and when the vehicle was at 70 mph, the passenger drive axle was steady as expected, the driver's side was going nuts, like it was out of balance or bent.

Got the dealer to do the axle (lifetime powertrain warranty, but not the bearing) and paid $100 extra labor to also do the driver's wheel bearing (total ripoff, as the bearing was practically out when doing the axle, but oh well.) Van is now smooth and in nice running shape. Passenger wheel bearing is fine. I am sure that the axle killed the wheel bearing. Dealer said the boot was toast and the grease leaked out, CV joint fail shortly thereafter. Boot is also covered, which is handy.
 
#13 ·
Yeah, an extra $100 to do that is ridiculous. You have to remove the rotor to get to the axle nut (and you can't remove the axle if it's still attached), so the labor for disassembling the entire caliper and rotor assembly (which is 70% of the labor for the wheel hub) is covered under the powertrain warranty. They charged you $100 to remove and replace 4 bolts and a wire.
 
#16 ·
#18 · (Edited)
updated

Another question. My dealership is telling me there is no need to replace the axle nut. They even went so far as to tell me they don't replace them when installing new hub assemblies when the doing the repairs themselves. Does this sound right to anyone?

Update: The parts department doesn't even keep the item in stock which leads me to believe they are on the up and up.Thoughts?
 
#19 · (Edited)
I only replace the nuts if a replacement axle or hub bearing comes with a new one.

You can re-bend the top of the nut in with a vise if you want to restore the locking feature on the nut.

The service manual instructs that MANY fasteners be replaced if removed. Like you said if the parts stores and especially the dealer didn't have them in stock it told us (when I still worked in the shop) that nobody was replacing them. I have reused alot of fasteners in my day and never had a problem.

PS: We always found it odd that the dealers never had A/C receiver dryers in stock. That was one item that I shop insisted on replacing if we were doing repairs on an A/C system that came in open.
Same goes for head bolts, we would replace those too.
 
#20 ·
yeah I went to an independent AC shop and they guy said there was no need for a new dryer, and mine was open for a few weeks. He just evac and charged, and it worked very well without any issues, for a few years after that, until another hole developed. Then I just repaired the hole, and I had much of the hoses off, and went in for an evac and charge. I sold the 15 YO van with ice cold AC!
I hav enever changed an axle nut. Not saying you don't need to, just that I never did and I haven't had a wheel fall off.
 
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