[Kip-on-truckin]

I just wanted to post this for posterity. I have two 2014 Pms, and to date I've replaced 3 wheel bearings.

Van 1
Replaced Pside front wheel bearing at 220k. I believe this was caused by the bent rim on that corner. It was vibrating pretty bad, but I drove it like that for maybe 30,000 miles.

Van 2
This van had hit a deer before I bought it, so it had a good bit of front end repair. The above mentioned bent rim came from this van. Replaced PS front bearing at 180k, replaced DS front at 220k.

So, this makes me think the bearings last about 220k. Van 1 is currently at 261k and it's never-replaced DS bearing is just fine. So who knows. Maybe it's the bent rim, maybe it's just luck.

The good news is that bearings are fairly cheap repairs. Even though the dealer and parts sites will show you a pic of a bolt in bearing/hub assembly, what actually comes is just a big roller bearing. Big, like the size of your fist! Dealer charges $190, I got one from Rock Auto for around $140. Labor means taking the lower control arm off, pressing in/out the bearing, and reassembling. Neither of mine needed alignment after this. My mechanic is cheap, so I was $400 all in for each bearing.

And now you know.

 

[RDinNHandAZ]

Proper tightness on the compression of the bearing is the single most important factor in roller bearing life IMO. On older BMW motorcycles the bearings would last 500,000 miles if properly preloaded (which is not much believe me) but if tight they tended to last 30,000 miles. Initial assembly is done precisely and most subsequent adjustment is often too tight. There is a torque spec for them, it feels too loose. If the hub was removed during the repair I’d guess that the loading and not the vibration killed the bearing. Your unchanged ones should be good for another 200,000 miles.

 

[30 Ounce]

I had to replace my drivers side front wheel bearing Monday. Replacement bearing my mechanic received was incorrect. Correct one won't be in until Tuesday so I wait... He receives the new bearing and installs it and ABS/Traction control stuff doesn't work. Apparently the reluctor wheel for the ABS system is incorporated into the bearing. That's interesting, mine was defective or didn't work for some reason. The van won't even shift gears without that system working. Anyways the new bearing will be here in the morning. Nothing like a 3 hour job dragged into a 3 day job.

 

[Kip-on-truckin]

It's a pain, and I'm pretty sure the bearings are made in Turkey. But they are plenty beefy for the application, and one of my vans has a wheel bearing with 350k on it. Good with the bad, I guess.

 

[Lance Torre]

I need to change my driver side bearing Mopar part number 68094813aa on a 2015 2500 gasser.....$180.52. Any advice on the do it yourself can of worms I may encounter?
Thanks

 

[RDinNHandAZ]

Like most front bearings on FWD the bearing is a unit, no adjustment (unlike my observation in post #2 ) and must be pressed out and pressed in. I just did one on my grandson’s Mazda 3 and it was probably 1/2 the size of the PM bearing. It was a bear to do. You must have a set of tools to pull it and press it in. We bought a Harbor Freight set and it worked well enough. There are big circlips (snap rings) and in his car (11 years in NH salt) everything was rusted up a lot. Get a circlip tool while you are there. I am not sure this will do the PM bearing but it is $100 with their normal 20% off. Good tool good luck. RockAuto has SKF bearings for $125 which is a quality company.

See: https://www.harborfreight.com/front-wheel-bearing-adapters-63728.html
https://www.harborfreight.com/snap-ring-pliers-with-interchangeable-heads-63845.html

 

[baitbegger44##]

some of auto supply stores hereabouts loan tools....are these type available for loan
thinking O'Reilly's....

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[RDinNHandAZ]

We borrowed a slide hammer to pull the stub axle from VIP IIRC.

 

[Schwan man]

Had mine done at a dealership out on the road $907. Best to get both done at same time. My other side went out within 6 months.

 

[Lance Torre]

Thanks for the advice! I’ve purchased your recommendations and will post my experience when I receive all the parts and tools.

 

[Lance Torre]

I had all the parts and tools to do the job....missed an epic powder day skiing to attempt the bearing replacement. Stopped at autozone to rent a hub puller and torque wrench. Got a speeding ticket first thing in the morning.

Ok, the easiest step was taking off the wheel, I was feeling confident after that until I tried to loosen the 46mm axle nut. Put the wheel back on minus the hub cap and lowered the van to loosen the nut. The nut has soft metal in order to keep it from loosening off the axle. There are two tabs bent into the two grooves on the axle. I broke 3 screwdrivers and two picks trying to bend them up to loosen the nut!

Now I was ready to roll! Then I stood with my 160lb body on the breaker bar to loosen the nut....bent the breaker bar and didn’t even move the nut! Well, here comes the 26” pipe wrench! I attached it to the breaker bar where the socket meets the 1/2” drive an stood up on it and was able to take off the nut.


I took the brake calipers off....did I mention it was dumping snow the whole time while I was in my buddy’s driveway and that he was up ripping and calling to tell me how it was the best powder day of the year?

I’m down to the hub, finally! I attach the 7 ton hub puller , with the 3 reversible claws, and started tightening. The whole time I’m thinking, this doesn’t look good because the axle shaft is going to get pressed back into the tranny at a funky angle.

I called autozone and the dude said, go for it, it’s ok! Nope, called my buddy that’s a master Ferrari mechanic and he said it’s not a good idea to do that.
So, I thought I’d take the knuckle off like I had seen in 100’s of “how to” YouTube vids but NOT one on how to do a bearing on a ProMaster.....did I mention it was dumping and I was outside? Lol

It was around 2:30 and I started unscrewing the suspension bolts....looked around at all the snow, cold, miserable, dejected, tools scattered around, and said out loud, F___ this S___!” I had wasted 6 hours, missed the best powder day of the year, started the day with a speeding ticket, and made Zero progress!

I had hoped to be the first to post pics and video of a successful attempt at changing a front bearing on a ProMaster 2500 van but got rejected like the old guy in a college bar that gets No play and realizes he’s the perv looking old man in a bar with kids 20 years younger!

So, on my way to return the tools to autozone, I grab the puller that I wanted to use in the first place, the slide hammer puller! The one that they said they didn’t have in the first place.....

Well, today is a new day! I’m looking at my van.....And.....I’m going to go ski some sick powder in the backcountry! Bring my van to the dealer tomorrow and let them deal with the issue in a nice warm shop with all the proper tools and charge me for throwing in the towels!!! Oh well!!!

 

[keeponvaning]

Good decision! There are just something’s not worth doing and this appears to be one of them

 

[liliandlalo]

Did the driver side....sucked....just take to dealer save your self the headache......my father has a shop and all the tools, presses , lifts , impacts and exp...still sucked..

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[ZeroMike]

any advice on where to get parts for my 2016 PM gasser?

 

[mtiberio]

any advice on where to get parts for my 2016 PM gasser?

https://www.rockauto.com/

 

[El Guapo]

I just had to replace my right rear bearing assembly at 67K miles. Unfortunately I’m doing it 1000 miles from home. Also ruined my parking brake shoes, speed sensor and brake rotor. We’ll know tomorrow if the brake caliper bracket is damaged and if the spindle warped from the heat.

This makes me think I should change the others since 100% of my vans mileage is far from home. Anyone have a source?

 

[RDinNHandAZ]

I hate to hear that wheel bearings fail. They should be good for a million miles! I have never lost a wheel bearing if I adjusted it properly and I have had many vehicles with 1/4 million miles on them. Timken has a technical page for help. The take away- don’t preload them! See: https://www.timken.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/5556_Bearing-Setting-Brochure-1.pdf

 

[El Guapo]

Not sure why mine failed. I’m on day 5 of being stranded in AZ trying to get parts and get it repaired. Will know this afternoon if it’s good to go. If not, a few more days to get more parts and get it fixed.

 

[archangel]

Front Wheel Bearing and rear brakes

We have (sparingly) been driving our van for months waiting for summer with the passenger bearing howling louder and louder.
The more than $500 they want to charge just for the labor we just do not have so I have little choice on having someone else doing it.
There is a youtube video (

) on someone with a hydraulic tool making it look so dang easy, but it's only the bearing replacement and nothing else so there is zero info on the prep.
They are somewhere in Europe so I doubt their tool set is available to rent.
Are there any instructions on line letting us know what all is involved?
Anyone actually succeed?

Also, when I did the rear brakes those lame sheet metal shoe retainer clips let the shoes come loose and killed the wheel sensors and rings on the bearing hubs so I have no parking brakes and no ABS/traction control until I replace the perfectly good rear bearings and hubs!
Why not just use a spring on the pin like they did on the old school drum brakes?

 

[lsd673]

We have (sparingly) been driving our van for months waiting for summer with the passenger bearing howling louder and louder.
The more than $500 they want to charge just for the labor we just do not have so I have little choice on having someone else doing it.

... I will post 100 towards the job... perhaps someone else will add a bit... ~ Steve