I need a new hub bearing/assembly on the passenger side front of my 2001 eclipse. One shop said they could not do it because they have had trouble in the past and reccomended I take it to a dealer to have done. I called a dealer and they said they usually cant break it loose and end up having to put in a whole new axle. Is this reasonable or is this dealer just lazy and doesn't want to put the work into it? I thought about trying it myself, but I'm not sure if I have the tools or ability to do this on my own. Any help would be appreciated.

 

i always buy a haynes manual for every car i own, best book for any car. if u read it you can decide weather or not its worth it. also youtube is pretty informative about 30 percent of the time in my experience... lemme know how it goes for you....

 

Best book for any car is the one that Mitsubishi published, not Hayes. They cost more but are worth it, try looking online for someone selling a MITSU factory service manual. Having repeated this once again........

back to the hub issue. I had a bad front passenger wheel bearing on my 93TSI, and I could not push the axle out of the bearing, no matter what proper special tool I used. I had to remove the axle from the trans, disconnect the strut, tie rod, balljoint, brake caliper mounting bracket (the whole ball of wax) to remove the knuckle with the axle attached.

I took it to the local NAPA machine shop and they had to heat it red hot WHILE it was on the hydraulic press. Even doing that, they mushroomed the end of the spline on the axle and destroyed the splines on the hub, but they got them separated. They said that they know that the local Mitsu dealership service dept, on one customers car they could NOT get them apart. So they had to replace the knuckle, hub bearing and axle. Even if they destroy the axle and bearing hub getting them separated, you won't have to buy a knuckle also unless they somehow manage to crack the casting. You are not being led astray.