2011 jeep grand cherokee rear wheel bearing replacement

I am about to attempt to replace a front hub on my 2011 WK2 4x4, and wanted to make sure I have everything lined up before I dive in.

Information seems hard to find, so I'm hoping you all can offer some advice.

• I bought SKF replacements from Napa. Any experience?
• I read one comment that the axle nut is single use and needs to be replaced, which seems unusual. Is this true?
• Where can I find torque specifications for the axle nut and for the hub-to-knuckle bolts?
• There is no cotter pin on the axle nut, even though it's a castle. Thread locker or anything goofy on there from the factory?

Any other advice is appreciated.

Removal:

1.Raise and support the vehicle .

2.Remove the wheel and tire assembly.

3.Remove the brake rotor.

4.Remove the half shaft nut.

5.Remove the stabilizer link to lower control arm nut and position link aside.

6.Remove the speed sensor bolt, and remove the sensor from the knuckle.

7.Remove the speed sensor wiring retaining clip from the knuckle.

8.Remove the upper ball joint nut.

9.Separate the upper ball joint from the knuckle using Ball Joint Press.

10.Tilt the knuckle out, and from out side the hub, push the half shaft into the hub for access to the hub/bearing bolts.

11.Remove the hub/bearing bolts and remove the hub/bearing from the knuckle assembly.

Installation:

1.Position the hub/bearing, install the hub/bearing bolts and tighten to 105 N·m (78 ft. lbs.).

2.Support the outside of the lower control arm with a suitable holding fixture, and raise to position the upper ball joint (2) into the knuckle (3).

3. With the holding fixture holding the suspension at normal ride height, install the upper ball joint nut (4) and tighten to 95 N·m (70 ft. lbs.).

4.Install the half shaft nut and tighten to 310 N·m (229 ft. lbs.).

5.Install the brake rotor .

6.Route and attach speed sensor wiring to the knuckle.

7.Install the wheel speed sensor into the knuckle, install the mounting bolt and tighten to 10.7 N·m (95 in. lbs.).

8.Position the stabilizer link to lower control arm, install the nut and tighten to 122 N·m (90 ft. lbs.).

9.Install the tire and wheel assembly. .

10.Remove the supports and lower the vehicle

There is no mention of single use items, but the half shaft install procedure says to install a new coated washer on the outer C/V joint shaft.

You may want to look at some of the lift installation threads as many of them move the knuckle and axle nut. Be careful to not let the half-shaft fall out of the diff.

Wow, thanks. Doesn't get much better than that.

whats the torque on the caliper bracket bolts? (the large bolts).
I didnt know so I ran mine in with the impact, probably a gazillion pounds or so...

A little update: took me about 3 hours all in to do the driver's side today, which fixed the problem. I bought 2 hubs, so I'll just swap the other one in the AM for piece of mind.

The hubs took some serious persuasion to get out. I ended up using penetrating oil, heating the knuckle some, a slide hammer, and in the end a small sledge got it free.

I was able to do the job without removing the upper ball joint, but you have to slide the half shaft inboard and hold it while you remove the 3 hub bolts with an open ended wrench. This works like a champ, but the downside is that you can't get a torque wrench back on it. I ended up just doubling a wrench and giving it all I had.

Thanks for the help.

why did you replace it? What are the signs? I hear a little knocking clunking sounds going over bumps in the front passenger side. it only has 35k miles on it, so im not sure why i have any issues.

I was hearing noises from the front corner that were speed dependent between about 30-55 mph, even on smooth pavement. There was no play in the hub bearing, but it was slightly gritty feeling once I got it off. I knew this was not uncommon for model year 2011, so I just replaced both while I was at it. 48k miles or so.

The hubs took some serious persuasion to get out. I ended up using penetrating oil, heating the knuckle some, a slide hammer, and in the end a small sledge got it free.

I had that problem on another vehicle, and made a jack screw to force it out. Cut a half inch bolt to length to match the gap between the wheel stud surface on the hub and a flat surface on the steering knuckle. With a nut on the bolt, place the bolt between the hub and the steering knuckle. Use one wrench on the nut, and one on the bolt, and wind the nut out to increase the length of the nut/bolt assembly, which forces the hub away from the steering knuckle. Its amazing how much force you can produce with minimal torque.

Just ordered new hubs, as they are starting to fail in my 2011 Laredo. Can anyone tell me the size of the axle nut?

My drivers side front bearing is on it's way out. On the way into work this week it would start groaning louder and louder.

Put my hands on the wheels when I got to work and DS wheel was much hotter than the others.

I did do all the calipers last year so I'm pretty sure it's the wheel bearing. Or the CV half shaft bearings.

Going to call up local mechanic next week and have them take a look at it.

I'm concerned about the 1/2 shaft nut and shaft. It looks like rusty death! :surprise:

Looks like a nice coat of galvanization on that nut.

Stainless steel would be even better!

Well the local mechanic says my front wheel bearings are shot. 217k miles so...

Bringing it in tomorrow. Cost is around $825 if nothing else pops up.

Those axle nuts and shafts, I'm concerned about though. No threads on the passenger side.

If your nuts are really bad you may be looking at new driveshafts:crying2:

A good mechanic should be able to advise on this before they take everything apart to reduce downtime. If you are planning to keep this vehicle for a while, new driveshafts may be a good idea. The hubs including bearings cost around $100 each so ~$625 of your bill is labor, the incremental labor costs of swapping the driveshafts should be minimal.

Aftermarket CV axles are like $60, dunno how much your mechanic marks them up. There should be little difference in labor as everything comes apart to replace the bearing. Some mechanics will charge full price regardless, even if its only an extra 5 minutes. So best case is cost of parts, maybe $200.