How To Fix Worn Subaru Wheel Bearings

The wheel bearings in a Subaru are an important part of the suspension system, and if they wear out or are damaged, you’ll notice them immediately. Wheel bearings allow the wheel to rotate on the axle without friction between them. When they’re bad, it feels like your steering wheel is shaking under your hands when you drive down the road. That’s no fun! Luckily there’s an easy way to fix worn or damaged Subaru wheel bearings yourself using this handy guide:

Identify The Problem

The first step to fixing the problem is to identify it. This may seem obvious, but knowing what you’re up against is important before you start. You can tell by the car’s noise, like a grinding or chirping sound when turning. You can also tell by the vibration in your steering wheel and your tires as they roll over bumps and dips in the road.

Remove The Wheel Assembly

The next step to fixing your worn Subaru wheel bearings is to remove the wheel assembly from the car. To do this, you’ll need to secure your car with a jack and then remove the lug nuts. Once you’ve gotten them off, simply lift up on the tire until it comes off of its axle – this can be done by hand if necessary.

Next, set both wheels aside and move on to removing your brake caliper and rotor. You may be able to find instructions online or in a repair manual for how exactly these should be taken off but there’s not much else required beyond an impact wrench (or air ratchet). Once they are removed, place them onto one side of your workspace so that they don’t roll away while you’re working on everything else!

Remove The Brake Caliper And Rotor

The next step is removing your brake caliper from its mounting bracket on either side of your axle tube—that’s where all four wheels meet up before going into their respective wheels! To do this, remove four bolts holding it in place using an Allen wrench or socket extension with an appropriate sized socket wrench (no smaller than 1/2″). Once loose enough so that they can turn freely without needing excessive force applied by hand alone, pull back firmly but gently until they come out completely without damaging anything else around them (such as wiring harnesses) which might get caught up inside too far when trying again later on if needed later down the road due to replacing worn bearings instead realignment issues.

Place A Jack Under The Suspension Arm

The next step is to place a jack under the suspension arm. Make sure that you use jack stands to support the vehicle, as well.

Jack should be used in conjunction with a jack, not instead of it. If you are using a hydraulic jack and want to make sure that your car is properly positioned, place one end of the hydraulic arm on top of the tire and turn on the pump if necessary.

Unbolt Lower Ball Joint

You must check the condition of your lower ball joint. If it is damaged in any way, it will have to be replaced before moving on to the next step.

When removing the lower ball joint from the steering knuckle, first remove the cotter pin and nut that secure it in place. Use a press (or hammer) to remove the joint by striking down on its center cap until it pops out of place.

Remove Hub Assembly

The hub assembly is held onto the axle shaft by bolts and nuts. To remove it, start by removing all of the necessary bolts and nuts with a wrench. Once all of these have been removed, use a hammer to tap the hub assembly off of the axle shaft.

Clean And Inspect Hub

Before you begin to work on the hub, clean it with a solvent and then inspect it for anything that might prevent you from re-installing the bearings. You should check to see if there are any cracks in the hub or if any of the splines are damaged. If these parts are damaged, you will need to replace them before installing new bearings.

Install New Hub Bearings And Seals On The Axle Shaft

The next step is to install the new hub bearings on the axle shafts. You’ll need to make sure they’re seated properly before you put them in place, but once they are, you should have no problems.

Conclusion

As you can see, this is a relatively easy project to undertake. All you need to do is remove your wheels and replace the worn-out bearings with new ones. Make sure they are greased well before putting them back on, and that should be it!

Now enjoy driving your car again without worrying about squeaking or rattling noises coming from the wheels.