Front Wheel Bearing and Axle Boots - 4x4

[DoctorBill]

Had my '95 V6-XE 4x4 checked out - Mile Marker Manual Hubs put on, too.

 

The rubber boots on the CV Axles are shot.

 

The right Front Wheel Bearings are loose - I could feel the wheel

rock when I grabbed the Top & Bottom of the tire and tried to move it.

 

Repack Wheel Bearings and maybe replace the Bearings - ARGGGG !

 

Should do both jobs at the same time.

 

So - cost estimates....CV Driveshaft portion only...

 

Having the Boots replaced - Estimate

 

Boots replaced - Parts $65 Labor $375 Total $486

 

Buying NEW CV Driveshafts and seals - Estimate

 

CV Driveshafts - $$183 Labor $435 Total $681

 

Repacking and/or replacing the Front Wheel Bearings - Probably another

$600 added on ?

 

Anybody had this done of late ? - what did it cost (Parts & Labor) ?

 

DoctorBill

Edited January 16, 2011 by DoctorBill

[shotzie417]

you might as well just get new cv axles versus new boots thats just my opinion. when was the last time you did your upper and lower ball joints, because if you grab the wheel top and bottom and there is movement it could be the ball joints. when you check for bearings you grab it on the left and right of the wheel and shake, and the top and bottom of the wheel and shake, if it moves in both places then the bearings are bad/need repacked. hope this helped.

[DoctorBill]

Arrrggggg !

 

If the Ball Joints are worn also....!

 

The mechanic who was doing this said it is the wheel bearings.

 

I have to trust that this guy knows his stuff - he owns the shop and would

know the difference - been fixing cars all his life.

 

These 4x4's are money pits.

 

I keep thinking that I paid $1,000 for this '95 Pathfinder and could be

making payments on a newer $35,000 SUV...but this $1,000 here and $2,500

there are too much.

 

Apparently I can leave it until Spring to do the wheel bearings and axles.

 

Don't believe the previous owners were 'off roaders' (old people) so the

wheel bearings shouldn't go TU real soon.

 

I just need to do both at once for obvious reasons.

 

It will snow again here (all melted now) soon and I'll see how my newly

installed Mile Marker Manual Hubs work out versus the Auto Hubs.

http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=29063

 

So far, this '95 Pathfinder has performed well in the snow - reason I bought it.

I think it is a bit underpowered though - 3 L for 5,500 lbs of steel seems

light.

 

DoctorBill

Edited January 16, 2011 by DoctorBill

[OldSlowReliable]

Wheel bearings are easy peasy, you might as well do em, pay under 100 bucks total for EVERYTHING and git r dun in an hour or two

 

 

The CV's are easy, but a little more indepth than the bearings..and I agree with the new shafts vs new boots, unless you are REALLY strapped for cash...heck, you could probably sell the old CV's to a member as spares and make back a couple bucks, and be better off for yourself!

 

 

 

wd21 weighing 5500? Unlikely I think they are more around 4k to 4500

[Dowser]

How bad are the boots split? A lot of grime and stuff in there? If not then I'd Do this yourself. Its easy. Buy some good quality boots from Rockford Constant Velocity get yourself the bearings and seals and do it yourself. Its really not that big a deal. You'll need a 12 point socket to take off the CV. Mark orientation on everything as you take it apart so everything goes back together exactly. Take the Whole CV assembly apart as much as you can to clean out he old grease. Check of damage or wear on the components. If they've gone to hell then You'll have to buy a CV new or used, but the boots themselves are like 11 bucks each or something like that so I'm thinking go with the cheapest option first. Just use the FSM its got everything you need to know about the CV stuff in it and bearings and seals. Once again, If you've done the timing belt job, most things are a piece of cake after that. Don't be intimidated.

 

And a note on the Money pit thought. All cars need maintenance. Even new vehicles. Your Vehicle is 15 years old. Rubber wears out, components start to fail. and as far as paying $1000 bucks for a car and being stressed about an additional 3500 to put in..... How much do you think a monthly payment would be for a new 35000 vehicle Each and every single month if say all you put down was $1000 to purchase? 3 months goes by and I bet your at $1000. And that's not including Standard Maintenance. Over the course of the 4-5 years of purchasing the vehicle the 35000 dollar price tag is a lot more then that as well. If it were up to me, I'd buy a $1000 dollar vehicle and dump $34000 dollars into it to make EXACTLY the way I wanted it and drive it everyday knowing its custom for me and my lifestyle instead of purchasing the standard model and then being disappointed with all the crap I would' love to change about it.

Edited January 16, 2011 by Dowser

[adamzan]

You shouldn't have to replace the bearings, just repack and tighten them properly. They hardly ever fail on these trucks. I pulled my oem bearings from my truck with almost 200k miles and they looked brand new (I repacked them when I did the brakes).

[Precise1]

Yes and no Adam. I bought my second pathy with less than 100k miles on it and the wheel bearings were loose. I greased and tightened them properly and the passenger side was fine while the drivers side were crunchy. At that point I replaced the bearings and seal.

 

Perhaps someone set them poorly, but regardless, once they are loose they can be damaged quickly and easily. It can't hurt to try just the lube and torque though...

 

B