I have a 2002 Honda Civic with a damaged stud on right front tire. How do a change stud without taking entire assembly apart ?

You can't. Instead, you will likely be forced to follow a procedure similar to the one below. I don't think there will be room to just press out the old stud and press in the new one. The old wheel bearing will be destroyed, when you separate the hub from the wheel bearing.

Front Wheel Bearing and Lower Ball Joint Replacement


Background: The wheel bearing replacement procedure is applicable to most Civics and some Accords. Conceptually, the hub's neck presses inside the wheel bearing. Without specialized tools, this job is impossible for do-it-yourselfers. An alternative is to remove the knuckle, buy a new wheel bearing and ball joint, and take the parts to a machine shop for replacement. The procedure becomes more attractive to the DIYer, when he finds out that it will cost $675 to have the work done for him.

1. Remove hub cap, apply brakes, and loosen spindle nut (32 mm socket) ¼-turn with a breaker bar or impact wrench. Loosen lug nuts, raise vehicle (both sides must be raised), and support securely on jack stands placed under the rocker panels. Remove front wheel.
2. Remove brake hose mounting bolts.

3. Remove caliper, hanging it off to one side with wire. Homemade Tool: Make an eight-inch "S"-shaped brake caliper hanger from 20 inches of 1/4-inch copper tubing. Remove brake pads, caliper bracket mounting bolts, and bracket.

4. Remove 6 mm brake disc retaining screws (2). This may require using a hand impact set (Craftsman 47634), using a #3 Phillips head tip.

5. Screw two 8 x 1.25 mm bolts into the disc to push it away from the hub, turning each bolt two turns at a time to prevent cocking the disc excessively.

6. Remove brake disc rotor from knuckle. Clean rust from surface that mounts against the hub, since this can affect lateral run-out (LRO). I use a 1/4-inch 90˚ angle air die grinder with a wire brush or Roloc surface conditioning disc. Apply a thin coating of wheel bearing grease to these surfaces.

7. Remove wheel sensor wire bracket, then remove the wheel sensor from the knuckle.

8. Remove spindle nut. Then, remove lower ball joint, outer tie-rod end, and upper ball joint, using a ball joint separator (KD Tool 3916). If you don't have a ball joint separator, beat on, with a large ballpein hammer (16 to 32 ounce), what the stud goes through. This will help break it free--don't hit the stud itself.

9. Hub Removal. Place steering knuckle in a large vise. Using a large ballpein hammer, and the washer and bolt tool from the FWD Front Wheel Bearing Adapter Set (Harbor Freight 66829), separate the front hub from the wheel bearing. The washer needs to be the same diameter as the hub's neck (1.5 inches). Homemade Tool: You can easily make your own specialized tool with a large bolt, 1.5 inch O.D. washer, and nut. Beat on the bolt from the rear of the knuckle. A shop press is really the ideal tool to use.

10. Hub Inner Race Removal. When the hub comes off, the front half of the inner wheel bearing race will be attached to the hub. At a compound 45 degree angle, use a 3-inch air cut-off tool to cut a thin groove in the inner race, being careful not to damage the hub; then, use a cold chisel and ballpein hammer to fracture and remove the race. There is not enough clearance between the hub and the race to use a bearing separator. At this time, press out the old stud and press in the new one.

11. Remove splash guard. This may require using the hand impact tool, with a #2 Phillips head tip.

12. Remove wheel bearing circlip (Hi-Tech Tool 75 or KD Tool 3152). Cheap circlip pliers will not work. Clean with abrasive cloth and lightly coat with grease.

13. Remove the bronze colored knuckle ring from the back of the knuckle. The knuckle ring is a dirt and moisture shield for protecting the bearing. Pry it out, using a large screwdriver.

14. Wheel Bearing Removal. Press wheel bearing from knuckle, by using the next to the largest receiver cup from the FWD Front Wheel Bearing Adapter Set (Harbor Freight 66829) or by using a shop press. This requires a powerful impact wrench, if you use the receiver cup--I use an Ingersol-Rand 231-C, set on maximum power. Be sure to grease all adapter friction points with synthetic grease with moly; otherwise, the threads of the bolt tool will be stripped. I use Valvoline SynPower grease. Clean corrosion from wheel bearing seat and lightly coat with synthetic wheel bearing grease or anti-seize compound. This is the ideal time to install a new lower ball joint.

Lower Ball Joint Removal and Replacement:

a. Remove boot, by prying off the set ring.
b. Remove circlip.
c. Clamp knuckle in a large machinist's vise. Tighten vise around one of the disc brake caliper bracket mounts.
d. Beat the knuckle going around the ball joint with a hammer several times. This helps to break loose the ball joint from its mount.
e. Beat the lower ball joint out of the knuckle, using a 3-lb. hand drilling hammer (Craftsman 38311) and a 2-inch cube of brass or steel. Place the block against the lip of the ball joint. Strike the block as you move it around the periphery of the ball joint. An alternative is to use an air hammer with a 1-inch hammer tip (Grey Pneumatic CH117). Beating away on the stud does almost nothing, except cause the stud to mushroom.
f. Coat sides of new ball joint with synthetic grease and then place in the freezer for and hour or two, to ease installation. I prefer top quality Moog ball joints, which come with a lifetime warranty.
g. Press the ball joint into place, using a deep socket and large C-clamp. I prefer to use an air hammer with a 1-inch hammer tip.
h. Reinstall the circlip.

15. Wheel Bearing Replacement. Place wheel bearing in the freezer overnight, to slightly shrink the bearing. Press in the wheel bearing, using the appropriate adapters or shop press. If there's only one black seal, ensure it faces the hub.

16. Install circlip and splash guard. If you don't install the splash guard now, it will have to be cut for installation later.

17. Hub Installation. Coat the hub's neck with synthetic grease. Place hub in the freezer, to ease installation. Press hub into wheel bearing, using the appropriate adapters or shop press. Ensure it's fully seated; otherwise, the hub will rub against the caliper bracket. This will require removing the knuckle, once again, and pressing the hub in all the way. Check operation of the hub, rotor, and caliper bracket, prior to installing the knuckle on the car. Ultimately, the final torque on the spindle nut will determine the position of the hub inside the wheel bearing.

18. Install knuckle ring on the back of the knuckle, using a brass drift and ball pein hammer.

19. Button everything up and tighten a new spindle nut to specification, as someone depresses the brake pedal. Civic spindle nuts are often tightened 134 lb.-ft. upper ball joints 29 to 35 lb.-ft. lower ball joints 36 to 43 lb.-ft. outer tie-rod ends 29 to 35 lb.-ft. caliper bracket mounting bolts 80 lb.-ft. and caliper pins 20 lb.-ft. Use a ball pein hammer and chisel to stake the spindle nut shoulder against the spindle.


Bearing life, to a large extent, is a function of preloading the bearing properly and ensuring the seal keeps water and contaminants out. Preload represents a tight bearing setting, whereas endplay represents a loose setting. Therefore, use good technique, a new spindle nut, and an accurate torque wrench when tightening spindle nuts.

This is an ideal time to replace lower ball joints and outside tie-rod ends. WARNING: Lower ball joint failure is very dangerous, where the wheel and axle can be ripped off FWD cars. Honda front wheel bearings tend to last 125,000 to 150,000 miles.