DIY FJ Cruiser Rear Wheel Bearing Replacement

Step by step instructions to replace a rear wheel bearing on a Toyota FJ Cruiser (works for a 4Runner too). More details and tips on this project are available on our website at: www.lastgreatro...
don't be intimidated by auto repair. Auto maintenance can be easy if you know what to do. This video will give you the information to decide if replacing a rear wheel bearing on an FJ Cruiser is something you want to tackle as a DIY.

[@pattywaktdiy4175]

Fantastic video! Finally found one that I can use to do my 2005 Tacoma rear hubs and seals! This looks to be an identical setup. So hard to find videos on the press work and I have so much more confidence going into my Saturday Warrior project tomorrow! Thanks!

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

Great to hear!

[@scientist100]

The sarcasm is real.

[@bajar.m.6953]

All Toyota are very similar. I did my on a 1987 4Runner in the middle of nowhere in Baja with no fancy tools. It took me about one hour and luckily I always carry extra parts. 👍🏾

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

you are so right about Toyota reusing parts across many platforms. But I'm sure the Baja added it's own complications. Thanks for sharing!

[@ceanderson1000]

I just wanted to say thank you very much for posting your video. I was a little fearful when I started taking mine apart and while removing the LR rotor the shoes fell off. I feel much more confident now. It is much like an old ford style, I just wish I had bought a Harbor Freight press a while back. You had a nice jig made up for removing the bearing assembly, so rater than make-shift it, I will head over to the machine shop and have them press them on, and turn the rotors while I'm there. Nice job on your video!

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

Thank you! Glad it helped you out.

[@inthenickoftime__]

I realize this video is 5 years old at this point, but is there another bearing set on the diff side of the axle? I have an axle leak, but it sounds like the noise is all coming from the diff itself when I'm driving. I topped off the diff with oil and no change in sound; just want to be sure what I'm getting into before I start pulling stuff apart.

[@ShadowxxPanda]

This also works for my 07 Tacoma Prerunner.

[@CadillacJak]

Very good video bro nicely done this is how you make a tutorial 👏

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

Thank you for the kind words

[@nofear6235]

great video, thanks for posting. So for 4th gen 4Runner, to do similar job, all you need is rear bearing assembly, retaining ring, and the the stopper ring that goes in the groove on top of all? No need for dust seal, abs wheel, and outer retainer as use to be on 3 gen 4Runner? It would make job so much easier to do this job. Am I correct?

[@Technewlogy]

Can you please tell me how much did this job cost you? Did you do just one axle or both? How much for each axle and how much time did it take to do all this? I was having a nightmare finding a shop that does this and one i found said it takes like 3 hours or something lol

[@frankjerseytomato8941]

Easilie 3 hours ,,,, that job sux ,,,, the parking brake assembly is a nightmare and then u got the press work 3 hours ,,,, doit

[@mountainviewvintage386]

This is exactly why my fj been lugging or pulling when i brake! Ugh is it gonna be expensive? Good thing i have a great mechanic neighbor down the street

[@frankjerseytomato8941]

bad calipers ,,, they stick all the time mostly fronts

[@SuperAsianDude1]

i wonder if this is the same as gx460

[@yolo4wd]

Cool video. How you know when your wheel bearing goes bad? I have a 2010 M/T FJ with 59500 Miles. Runs strong but want to learn in more depth when things go bad on an FJ. Thanks.

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

for us oil was leaking and the seal was fine. Some times you'll hear the wheel bearing grinding. if you grab the wheel 6 and 9 o'clock and can move it back and forth, the wheel bearing may be bad.

[@ceanderson1000]

You know its bad when you're going down the road and the rear end is going rrrrrrr rrrrrrrr rrrrrrr and changes pitch and sound as you change speed. It's the differential if under load. Left unreplaced when it starts making noise, it will eventually explode and wheel and axle could depart the differential assembly.

[@ramseytrain]

wonder how many pounds of pressure it took to break loose the shaft

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

tons!! 😲

[@mcozpda3392]

Is the same to 4Runner 05 ?? i have some problem with my roller bearing rear tire .. Tanks for you help ..

[@oscarontiveros5117]

That mysterious songs slaps

[@mikygordon8123]

Explant video. Thank you. The bearing was pressed out at 11 tons pressure. Did require specially built metal holders. Tricky....

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

yea that is a little less DIY than the rest

[@onenikkione]

at 5:04 it looks like he's using wire cutters on that spring??

[@miguelplascencia7024]

Muy buen trabajo Muchas gracias

[@garyarms9647]

Excellent video, thanks! Job "WELL" done.

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

thank you!

[@ytzep2012]

The narrator reminds me of the one from the original "Endless Summer" movie.

[@pattywaktdiy4175]

Question...the bearing lock ring originally had the bevel toward the diff. When he put it back on in this video, he put it toward the brake drum. Is there a reason for this?

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

don't recall. sorry

[@MrZeroChannel]

Thanks!

[@heckler7771]

How much did this cost parts and labor? I have been getting a lot of different quotes from local repair places. and the parts im finding online are about 100 cheaper than what they are quoting me.

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

+heckler7771 Shop labor will vary by city and state and if they have a press and tools to pull / press the bearing or if they need to run it over to a machine shop to do that portion. Find a local shop you trust and stick with them. On the parts it depends on who's bearing are being quoted... OEM, comparable quality after market or cheap knock offs from china. be sure you're comparing apples

[@heckler7771]

Thanks.

[@oalvarez1020]

thanks for the help

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

+Oscar Alvarez glad to give a little back!! Thanks for the note.

[@jeremyrknight]

That's a Currie, how similar is that to a Toyota rear end?

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

Jeremy Knight Our Currie axle housing uses OEM Toyota wheel bearings, seals, brakes and hub. So the process for bearing replacement is the same. Hope that answers your question.

[@agarciaguero]

How did you end up knowing it was the rear wheel bearing? What lights you had in the dashboard?

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

@Alex Garcia, no lights will tell you a wheel bearing is bad. You get clues: you may see oil leaking on the wheel (in the rear). You may hear grinding coming from the wheel. You may have play in the wheel. In this case, oil was leaking out onto the wheel. No grinding sound, no play in the wheel. After replacing the seal and not solving the leak, deduced the bearing was worn or damaged. Turns out the bearing had worn (or damaged) just enough to prevent the axle from maintaining full contact with the seal and allowing oil past the seal. Replaced the bearing and the leak was gone.

[@pattywaktdiy4175]

You might get an ABS light on for a bad seal. The diff oil washes out the bearing grease and it cakes onto your ABS sensor, thus throwing an ABS code for a malfunctioning sensor. I got an ABS light on my 2005 Tacoma. I wish I could upload pics so you could see...I shoved a camera into the ABS sensor hole and was mortified to find black, dirty-looking grease caked in there. No wonder my ABS sensor wasn't working. Looking at the other rear wheel, I saw a nice shiny axle with no gunk so obviously I had to pull that other axle off and replace a seal. While I was at it, I replaced the bearing. At the time of the work, the bearing wasn't making noise and it seemed to be "stable" (no wobble)l. However, how long could it really last having all the grease washed out of it? I don't think diff oil lubes the same way. Sorry for the novel, hope it helps someone out there!

[@chieflouie2821]

@@lastgreatroadtrip Is it possible to put seal too deep to not give bearing full contact?

[@TheDesertRat31]

Does the durasolid press tool fit these rear bolt patterns? I have a 4th gen 4runner and I'm pretty sure they use the same wheel bearings.

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

I'm not familiar with the tool, but you're right about the 4th Gen, FJC, Lexus 470 and Prado all using interchangeable drive parts which should include axles and wheel bearings. Just don't quote me on that.

[@michael184272]

Great video Was wondering How did you re attach and secure that brake line with that cut through metal clip?

[@Anactualrealperson]

What about the abs gear wheel?

[@karlwaskiewicz]

Not sure about the FJ but on the 4Runner, the gear wheel was a separate piece on the 3rd gen only. Starting with the 4th gen, the gear is integrated into the bearing assembly.

[@ladybird808s]

How much does it cost 💲

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

Depends. price varies around. Find a machine shop you trust by asking around.

[@fierymario3]

The people who worked on your fj, do they have a channel on youtube?

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

:( not at this time

[@frcon200340]

Im always thinking I'm a excellent backyard mechanic... not until i see a real professional mechanic , than i see how inefficient i really am...

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

HaHa... don't feel too bad, the pros do this dozens of times a year. The rest of us maybe once a decade. The fact that you get in there and tackle these project without a lift and every tool ever sold is more impressive :-)

[@frcon200340]

@@lastgreatroadtrip haha.. ya, i changed my driver side wheel hub assembly yesterday morning, had to run to auto parts for a 35mm socket i didn't have, and i kept checking KZbin to make sure i wasnt screwing up...but i did it.

[@fontoniettehines5172]

real end Alex

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

??? :-)

[@Anactualrealperson]

Didint show the part where he cuts the bearing retainer out

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

thanks for the comment.

[@ryanallen5334]

Those rear brake shoes are hard to put back together

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

Yes they are. Made the rest seem easy. 🙃

[@TheUltimateCrash1990]

The emergency brakes on these are a nightmare to do. The singing at the end was creepy as hell lmao.

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

Ha. You’re right about the ebrake

[@maxgibson42]

how much did you pay. I would like to no.

[@zohanthecat]

Just had my backing plate destroyed and splines damaged by a dealership. Going up today to fight about it.

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

Sorry to hear... Hope they make it right! Good luck.

[@zohanthecat]

Apparently, they will come good for backing plate and splines were not damaged, just blurred at the tip of shaft by machine shop? Was told I will get to inspect the shaft when backing plate comes in, and won't have to pay labour for that job. Plus a free alignment... Hope I'm not in trouble down the road.

[@RhinoMotorsAbj]

Hahahahahhahahaha and this you call it "DIY"? Are u serious?

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

the press work can be done for you by any local machine shop (done at our local Napa) and the rest is all DIY depending on your comfort level and time.

[@RhinoMotorsAbj]

@@lastgreatroadtrip sorry, but DIY with professional equipment is not DIY, it's DO IT professionally by Yourself 🤣😉

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

@@RhinoMotorsAbj 🤣haha

[@105.9LaPeda]

Thanks!

[@lastgreatroadtrip]

hope it helped!