2010 Two Front Hub Bearing Swaps

OVERALL. Nice project today swapping out both front hub bearings in 5hrs. I'm fortunate today to have access to a shop lift & pneumatic tools. Passenger side front hub bearing was bad by making grinding noises at 246k miles. Rationale to swap out both-- with cheap parts & that i was already under the vehicle, I normally swap both symmetrical side parts out in tandem. I didn't affect any of the steering, so a wheel alignment was not necessary.

1. LIFT & REMOVE TIRE. I lifted the car, removed both the front wheels and their axle nuts (with penetrating oil). I had to use a pin punch to bend out the dent in the axle nut. With a dead blow hammer I hit/pushed the axle inward to evidence free play away from the bearing-hub & knuckle.
2. FREE-UP KNUCKLE. I removed two hub bolts connecting the driver front strut & upper knuckle. I removed the 3 bolts connecting the lower ball joint, leaving the ball joint still connected to the knuckle. I removed the castle nut attached to the tie rod end. Also disentangled the ABS nub & brake lines attached to the knuckle.
3. REMOVE OLD HUB BEARING. Now with the knuckle free, access is now available to the inside where the hub bearing is located. Remove 4 bolts. Press out or hammer & punch out the bearing.
4. CLEAN KNUCKLE & DUST SHIELD. In the deep sink, I thoroughly wire brush cleaned these.
5. REPLACE NEW HUB BEARING. I lubed the new hub bearing lip with white lithium lubricant to avert future rust & promote ease of future removal. Reinsert 4 bolts; star pattern them back in.
6. RESEAT KNUCKLE. In reverse, I replaced the two hub bolts, 3 lower ball joint bolts & ABS & brake lines connecting front strut & upper knuckle- torque specs- strut bolts 177ft lbs; axle nut 159ft lbs; hub bearing bolts 30ft lbs.
7. REPLACE TIRE. Since I was already under the car, I rotated the tires back to front. Torque lugs 77ft lbs.
8. REPEAT OTHER SIDE. Now for doing the same procedure for the driver-side front hub bearing.
9. ROAD TEST. a few days post procedure, all things fine: no alignment problems, no weird wheel noises, etc.

TOOLS.
30 mm socket
12-22mm assorted deep sockets wrenches
breaker bar
mallet; dead blow hammer
pin punch
punch
torque wrench
spray brake cleaning
white lithium grease
spray rust penetrant

 

Thanks for thinking of that; you are correct that uncoupling the tie rod end is associated w steering, and may require an alignment. So I wrote about it not potentially affecting alignment was not correct. But Im good in this case.

No i don't have professional equipment to test alignment & no i dont use camber bolts on my standard struts. It is my inference by lack of added dashboard traction control lights, no tilt of my steering wheel, no added road noises and my 5 senses that tell me that my Prius continues to ride straight as an arrow on highway cruise control @70mph.

 

I will respond by quoting you "your results may vary"
I believe your experiences w hub bearings may have been much simpler for success than what I required/prefer and that's good to go. Additionally, I've done what you have prescribed before once, but it limits access for me swinging hammers from the inside of car outward & while underneath the Prius. But I chose to be more thorough for access, in cleaning, & preventive maintenance: by removing the knuckle out, it allows me for greater preventive maintenance access to view the entirety of the wheel well, seek out other potential failing parts hazards & give everything rubber a good silicone spray down on top of cleaning the whole knuckle out itself. Also, Im a big proponent of anytime & any excuse to get in under the car to see what's going on and to clean things out. This knuckle is that good excuse to get into it and clean things out. In fact, one time i noticed that my friend's 2010 Prius didn't have a wheel bearing dust deflector on either right/left front knuckle? Additionally, these bearings were well rusted (as i live in St Louis) in & I used ~50 swings each from my hammer & punch rod while atop a vise, to get both those hubs out. Metal in other dryer climate regions of the USA fair much better against rust.

For ref an old 2005 Prius job...
Wheel Overhaul: Hub Bearings, Brakes, Shock Struts & Sway Bars | PriusChat

 

Agreed w your sentiment about the alignment consideration & i love your string alignment idea. Thanks.
Unfortunately I didnt notice any added dashboard traction control lights, no tilt of my steering wheel, no added road noises, & that Prius continues to ride straight as an arrow on highway cruise control @70mph.

I've done a few of those string ones in the past & now don't even go to the pros for this small task.
Cheap Front End Alignment | PriusChat