Isuzu SUV Forum banner

Rodeo Wheel Bearing Replacement Tutorial by a noob

16K views 11 replies 6 participants last post by  CREEPER 
#1 ·
Total time: 1-3.5 hours per side.
Cost: $140 for new bearings and race + $60 for misc tools, parts, and grease that I did not have previously.
Difficulty: Moderate

Se here is what started it all:

Our beloved Pilot was rear ended in a multi-car pileup. Thank goodness no one was hurt.

Instead of buying a brand new car I convinced my wife to buy a 1996 Rodeo and drive it for a year so we could pay down some other debt. (Her first car was a 1992 Rodeo and she loved it so it wasn't too hard).

Our new $2000 special and Lenny (not new)



Long story short to get it to pass inspection I had to change the front bearings. They were bad! When the car was lifted off the ground I could grab the tire at 6 and 12 and move it quite a bit.
Of course the mechanic place I went to said they could change them for about $400+. I didn't have that kind of money so I thought i'd give it a go. It was very intimidating but actually quite easy, just labor intensive.

I got a lot of guidance from my bro, Tatohead

I started by loosening the wheel hub cap bolts with a #H8 alan hex key thingy and loosening the wheel nuts all while the tire was on the ground.




My incredible home-made jack lever (patented)



Cap removed



Cheapy snap-ring pliers work wonders



Remove these three screws. Fortunately two came out with no problem



Had to drill one out

 
See less See more
9
#2 ·
Center cap makes a great place to store bolts etc...



Used the same snap ring pliers to get the lock ring out



I do not own the special tool to remove the spindle nut, instead I used a screw driver and it spun right out. It was actually super loose and I wonder if someone did the bearings at some point and failed to re install the spindle correctly



I left the brake caliper on the bracket and removed them all together. It takes a huge 22mm socket nut turny thingy and a breaker bar to get off



Hang the caliper with something so you don't stress the brake line



Inspect the spindle



On to the tuff stuff. I used a oil seal pry tool I got at Harbor Freight to get out the seal on the back of the rotor. I do not think I could have done this without the tool.



Old seal and inner bearing. If you're wondering about the arm bandage, i got bit

 
#3 ·
I used an old sturdy screw driver and a 1960's military medical mallet to knock out the bearing races. This is tricky, I really had to whack it hard.



There is a notch on the inside of the hub that gives you a little space to hit the race. After you hit it down a few millimeters you can hit it from all sides. Be patient, it goes little by little as you hit it from all sides.



Once you hit the race flush, you need to set the hub/rotor combo on something to hit it the rest of the way out. I borrowed my dogs food dish. Thanks Lenny!




New bearings, races, and oil seal for one side. Note there is an inner and an outer.



Clean the hub good on the inside.

 
#4 ·
For the next few steps I had to use a special tool called a bearing race smasher into things punch device. You can buy these are Harbor Freight for $35 -20% if you have the coupon. I rented this particular from Autozone for free since HF was out of stock.



find the correct size face and attache to the handle. It's made of aluminum so it will not damage the race. You really have to pound it in hard until its fully seated. Make sure to insert the race with proper orientation, the tapered edge slopes to the outside. If you put it in backwards the bearing will not go in.




Use a bearing greasy tool thinger and get the bearings packed



Drop it in the hub and get some extra grease in there....mmm....peanut butter

 
  • Like
Reactions: Tatohead
#5 ·
New oil seal, make sure that it goes n the right way. I had to look at the old seal to make sure I got it right



I used the same race smasher dooder, but turned the face around to seat the seal. It worked perfectly




Knock out the outer race and grease the new outer bearing and drop it in. Then grease up the spindle real good. Go ahead and throw more grease in the hub while you're at it.



Once it's all greasy re install the spindle nut. According to my Haynes manual it is supposed to be torqued to 22fp. You can also use the fish scale method and pull on a stud. I think for new bearings its 4fp. Since I do not own a torque wrench, special tool, or a fish scale I just did it by feel. I will re check the nut a little later after the bearings have set

 
#6 ·
Re install the lock plate. I only had two good screws, but I think it will be fine



I am going to throw on some manual hubs even though the rodeo is SOTF. I found new, knock off, no name, Chinese manual hubs on evilbay for $55 and put them on my "99 Amigo. I am getting a 1.75 mpg increase on it since I added them. Unfortunately I can't find them that cheap anymore.



To re install the snap ring I use a couple bolts and tightened the 4wd flange, I pushed the CV out as much as possible and put the ring and shim on.



Make sure to clean the rotor surface with some super spray cleaner goo.



Old bearings, thems were nasty.



Once you're all buttoned up repeat the task on the other side. The first side took me 3.5 hours since I had to make trips to the parts store to get tools and such.
The other side took me 1.5 hours and would have gone faster if I wasn't taking pics.

In conclusion I am really glad I did this and didn't pay out of pocket to have it done. The front end of the Rodeo seems tighter now and there is no more "clunking".

As with all internet tutorials this is purely meant as a reference and I make no guarantee or warranty, your mileage may vary, and remember to tip your waitress.
 
#7 ·
What a great post, heavy with all the necessary pictures. You may be a noob here, but your tutorial is not from someone who has not been there before. Welcome here and hope you hang around. Great bunch of guys you get to know, even if you never meet them.....Harry
 
#9 ·
Good post. Thanks for posting. Good looking Rodeo too. And with Tatohead as your buddy, you're in good hands. Dennis
 
#10 ·
Thanks for the kind comments. i posted this since i really couldn't find much about it online. Next I will attempt to replace the pinion seal on the 'Migo.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top