All Front Wheel Bearing / Hub Assembly Replacement jobs
Front Wheel Bearing / Hub Assembly Replacement
2014–2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Also sold as the GMC Sierra 1500, which has its own page.
Front wheel bearing and hub replacement on this Silverado 1500 (2014-2019, covers the 4.3L V6, 5.3L V8, and 6.2L V8 trucks) is a bolt-on unitized hub job -- no ball joints or knuckle removal needed. The whole thing turns on how badly the hub has corroded into the knuckle bore; if it's seized, budget more than the low end of the 60-150 minute estimate on the page. Intermediate difficulty, jack stands required, no ramps. Specs and full steps are below.
How Rough Is This Going to Be? Know what you're getting into.
The good news: no ball joint separation, no steering knuckle removal. You pull the wheel, caliper, and bracket, then the rotor, then the wheel speed sensor harness, and on 4WD trucks the axle nut, pushing the half-shaft back enough to clear the hub. The 3 hub-to-knuckle bolts are reached from the rear of the knuckle with an extension and swivel socket. The 60-150 minute window on the page assumes the hub slides out of the knuckle bore without a fight. Given how rust-sensitive this platform is, that's optimistic more often than not -- galvanic corrosion between the steel hub and the knuckle bore is the thing that turns a quick job into an afternoon of tapping and swearing.
Save Another Trip to the Parts Store Clips, seals, fluids, and the little stuff people forget.
Anti-seize for the knuckle bore, a wire wheel or emery cloth to actually clean that bore to bare metal, and a brass drift or hub puller if the old hub won't let go easily -- all things that don't show up until you're already under the truck. Keep the anti-seize off the magnetic reluctor ring or you'll get a fresh set of ABS codes for your trouble. Grab a T30 Torx bit before the rotor retaining screws remind you that you don't have one. If the new hub doesn't come with an integrated speed sensor, you're routing and reconnecting that harness yourself.
Here's Where It Gets Greasy The procedure, pain points, and common ways this job fights back.
Beating on the knuckle housing or ball joints to free a seized hub is the fast way to turn a bearing job into a knuckle replacement -- work against the hub flange only. Same with a stuck CV axle: hammering on bare threads instead of pressing the shaft or tapping through a flush-threaded nut ruins the threads. People also slop anti-seize onto the magnetic reluctor ring while prepping the knuckle bore, which shows up later as ABS or StabiliTrak lamps and wheel speed codes. The rotor retaining screw is a factory assembly fastener, not something to fight over with a stripped T30 bit -- drill the head and move on. On 4WD trucks, letting the disconnected half-shaft hang unsupported stresses the CV joint and boot for no reason.
Procedure
-
1
Step
The 3 hub-to-knuckle mounting bolts can be accessed and unfastened from the rear of the knuckle using an extension and swivel socket.
-
2
Step
The front suspension utilizes a coil-over shock strut assembly (SLA configuration).
-
3
Step
If ball joints are disturbed, support the lower control arm with a jack stand.
-
4
Step
Raise the vehicle and support it on jack stands (or a lift) rated for its weight before working underneath it. Do not work under a vehicle supported only by a jack.
-
5
Step
If this job disturbs a loaded coil spring or torsion bar, keep its stored energy controlled at all times -- with a spring compressor or the spring's own captured mounting. Never release it suddenly or leave it unsupported. For this vehicle, verified research describes: If ball joints are disturbed, support the lower control arm with a jack stand.
-
6
Step
Separate a ball joint using a proper separator -- a puller, a correctly used pickle fork, or a press -- not a hammer. Control the joint's range of motion as it releases so nearby components are not damaged or dropped.
-
7
Step
The wheel lug nuts have an M14 x 1.5 thread specification and must be torqued to 140 lb-ft (190 N·m) using a star/criss-cross tightening pattern.
-
8
Step
The front suspension uses a coil-over shock/strut assembly mounted between the frame and the lower control arm. Because front wheel bearing and hub replacement does not require separating the upper or lower ball joints or removing the steering knuckle, the stored spring energy remains fully contained within the strut assembly and lower control arm structure. The suspension joints do not need to be unloaded for spring containment; however, on 4WD models, the CV half-shaft/drive axle must be supported to prevent excessive joint angle or boot damage once disengaged from the hub.
-
9
Step
The front wheel hub mounting bolts are accessible from the inboard side of the steering knuckle without removing the steering knuckle from the vehicle. No ball joints (upper or lower) or tie rod ends are required to be separated during front wheel bearing and hub replacement; only the brake components (caliper, bracket, rotor), wheel speed sensor harness, and (on 4WD models) the axle shaft nut must be removed, allowing the half-shaft to be pushed back for bolt access.
Gotchas
- Hub body seized in aluminum/cast steering knuckle bore -- Heavy galvanic corrosion between the steel hub assembly and knuckle bore often locks the bearing tight. Back the 3 hub bolts out several turns and tap them evenly with a brass drift or use an air hammer / hub puller against the hub flange. Do not strike the knuckle housing or ball joints directly.
- 4WD CV axle splines seized inside hub bearing center bore -- Use a hub puller/pusher tool to press the CV axle shaft inward. Do not strike the bare axle shaft threads with a steel hammer; leave the old axle nut partially threaded flush with the shaft end if light tapping is required.
- Corrosion in knuckle mating bore preventing full seating of the new hub -- Thoroughly clean the internal diameter of the knuckle bore with a wire wheel or emery cloth until bare metal is exposed. Apply a light film of anti-seize compound to the bore mating surface, ensuring no anti-seize contaminates the magnetic wheel speed sensor reluctor ring.
- Brake rotor retaining Torx screw stripped or seized -- Use a T30 Torx bit seated squarely in the screw head; apply penetrating oil or mild heat if stubborn. If stripped, drill the head off as the screw is only a factory assembly retention fastener.
It's a Good Idea To... Greasy tips and useful while-you're-in-there advice.
The hub seizing in the knuckle bore is the single biggest variable in this job. Back the 3 hub bolts out a few turns first and use them as a stop, then work the hub loose with a brass drift or hub puller against the flange -- never hammer directly on the knuckle housing or the ball joints. If you're on a 4WD truck and the axle splines are stuck in the hub bore too, press the shaft with a puller instead of beating on bare axle threads.
You Already Have a Screw Loose. Your Car Shouldn't. Final checks before you call it done.
Before you call it done, spin the wheel by hand and rock it at the 12 and 6 o'clock positions to confirm the play is actually gone. Torque the hub-to-knuckle bolts, the caliper bracket, the axle nut, and the lug nuts to the values on the spec table, then check that any ABS or StabiliTrak lamps clear once the wheel speed sensor is reconnected. That's it -- put the wheel back on and go make sure it drives quiet.