Buick Reatta front hub replacement instructions
The following was written for a 1989 model. Check to see if these instructions apply to your model before proceeding.
General guidelines for determining which bearing is bad:
Usually when one side is bad the other is not far behind it so it sometimes pays to replace both at the same time. It can be hard to diagnose which side of the car has a bad bearing. Below is a general rule of thumb for finding the bearing that is bad.
As you turn RIGHT, the load increases on the LEFT (driver side) bearing.
If left bearing is bad the noise will increase as you turn right.
Same is true if you turn LEFT, the load increases on the RIGHT (passenger side) bearing.
If the right bearing is bad the noise will increase as you turn left.
Instructions for changing the Wheel Hub :
This sequence is different from the shop manual in some steps.
Allowing the axle threads and nut to soak in penetrating oil should be done before attempting to remove the nut.
- 1. Apply park brake and chock wheels, place shifter in park.
- 2. Loosen axle nut and lug nuts (1/4) one-quarter turn.
- 3. Raise car until wheel is off ground and remove, then run two lugs finger tight on rotor.
- 4. Remove entire brake caliper and mount as one unit by removing 2 back bolts at knuckle.
There is no need to disturb the caliper mount bolts.if removed they must be replaced new.
- 5. Hang complete caliper away with stiff wire bent over strut spring. No weight on hose!
- 6. Remove the 2 lugs and brake rotor.
- 7. Place shifter in neutral. Do not depress brake pedal!
- 8. Rotate larger hole in lug flange and remove the 3 (three) t-55 torx bolts that mount hub.
- 9. Note placement of brake shield and remove.
- 10. Place shifter in park and remove axle nut and washer.
The shop manual recommends using a new nut if when threading back on there is no prevailing torque resistance I used the old nut.
- 11. Seperate the drive axle from the hub.
The axle has splines on it that fit into splines in the hub. It is recommended that you use a puller to break the spline axle loose from the hub.
Mount hub puller and remove old hub as shown below.
Install new hub as follows:
- 1. Carefully clean old grease from the bore of the knuckle being careful not to cut or deform the lip seal for drive shaft.
NOTE: It is possible to change the lip seal behind the bearing without removing the half shaft. This is done by pushing the old seal out the back and then cutting it in half to remove from the shaft. The new seal is pressed in from the front prior to installing the hub. The half shaft does not need to be removed if you install the seal using this method.
- 2. Push drive shaft toward transmission and clean sealing surfaces.(my seal was in excellent shape,so I did not replace it. (To do so means pulling the half shaft) lube lip seal with bearing grease and pull shaft back into seal.)
- 3. Fill knuckle/hub cavity with bearing grease.
Lightly lube hub o-ring and spline with grease and push onto axle spline.
- 4. Place shifter in neutral, align shield, apply med. Strength thread locking compound (I used Locktite 242 ) to t-55 hub bolts and draw up bolts evenly until hub is pulled into bore. Tighten to 70 ft./lbs (‘89 model).
- 5. Place shifter in park, install rotor with two nuts just snug, tighten axle nut to washer, just snug.
- 6. Install caliper w/med. Thread lock compound. (83 ft/lbs as per service manual).
- 7. Place shifter in neutral and rotate hub to check for any binding.
- 8. Place shifter in park, install wheel with snug lug nuts.
- 9. Lower car so tire is touching ground and tighten lugs.
Tighten axle nut to 180 ft/lbs as per ‘89 model spec’s.
Note: Although the noise seemed to come from the drivers side, it cleared up after changing the passenger’s side hub. Hope this helps. And thanks to those who have helped me here.
Thanks to members of the Reatta forums for this information.
