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Autopapyrus · Daihatsu Tanto (3rd generation, LA600/LA610)
https://autopapyrus.com/guides/daihatsu/tanto/front-wheel-bearing-replacement/
Compiled automatically from service literature and owner experience. Specs are for the typical configuration — check them against your exact car before you start.

Daihatsu Tanto (3rd generation, LA600/LA610): Front Wheel Bearing Replacement

On the 3rd-generation Tanto, the front hub sits in the steering knuckle, and drive from the transmission passes through the CV joint. The bearing is most often pressed into the knuckle and held by a snap ring. Check the actual design (pressed-in bearing or a ready-made bolt-on hub assembly) when you take it apart, because the amount of work depends on it. Replace bearings as a pair on an axle only if both are worn, but always inspect the other side.

Difficulty: Hard Time: 3-5 hours per side (including pressing the bearing) Steps: 15

Parts

3
№PartAlternatives
01 Front wheel bearing (cartridge, double-row, with ABS magnetic ring) NSK, NTN, SKF, Koyo, Febest
02 Bearing snap ring
03 Hub cotter pin or lock nut (new)

Tools

11
  • Jack and jack stands
  • lug wrench
  • sockets for the hub nut and brake caliper
  • torque wrench
  • pry bar
  • ball joint or lever-type puller
  • 12-19 mm sockets and wrenches
  • hydraulic press with drivers (or a hub bearing press-out/press-in kit)
  • snap ring pliers
  • copper grease
  • thread locker

Step by step

15 steps
  1. Find the side that is humming: raise the vehicle, spin the wheel by hand, and rock it at the top and bottom. A hum that gets louder with speed, along with play, points to a worn bearing.
  2. Park on level ground with the parking brake on and wheel chocks in place, and loosen the lug nuts (with the wheel still on the ground). If the hub nut is secured with a cotter pin or staked, remove the cotter pin or unstake the collar before lifting, and loosen the nut while the wheel is still on the ground.
  3. Raise the vehicle, set it on jack stands, and remove the wheel.
  4. Remove the brake caliper together with its bracket (the bracket bolts are on the knuckle) and hang it on a wire, without letting it hang by the hose. Remove the brake rotor.
  5. Disconnect the ABS sensor from the knuckle (if it is mounted on the knuckle) and move the wiring harness out of the way carefully. Do not drop or strike the bearing's magnetic ring.
  6. Remove the hub nut and push the CV joint out of the hub. If the shaft is tight on the splines, drive it out with a soft drift through the nut threaded on to the end of the threads. Do not hit the CV joint itself.
  7. Disconnect the tie rod end and the lower ball joint (or remove the strut together with the hub, depending on access), then remove the steering knuckle. Continue working on a workbench.
  8. Press the hub out of the bearing. The inner race often stays on the hub, so remove it with a puller.
  9. Remove the snap ring from the knuckle with pliers and press the old bearing out, pushing only on the outer race.
  10. Clean the knuckle bore of rust and scoring. If the fit is worn or the outer race has spun in the bore, replace the knuckle.
  11. Press in the new bearing, pushing only on the outer race, straight and without tilting. Install the new snap ring until it is fully seated in the groove.
  12. Press the hub into the bearing, supporting the inner race. Do not push on the outer race, or the bearing will be destroyed.
  13. Reassemble in reverse order: knuckle onto the strut and control arm, CV joint into the hub, rotor, caliper, ABS sensor.
  14. Tightening: hub nut per the Daihatsu specification (the torque is high, roughly 150-250 N·m (111-184 lb-ft); check the exact value for your trim), then secure it with a cotter pin or stake the new nut; caliper bracket bolts approximately 80-100 N·m (59-74 lb-ft); ball joint and tie rod end nuts per specification with new cotter pins; lug nuts about 100 N·m (74 lb-ft) (range 90-110 N·m (66-81 lb-ft)) in a crisscross pattern.
  15. Spin the wheel and check for play and noise, then pump the brake pedal several times until it is firm. Take a test drive and listen for the hum. After the replacement, have the wheel alignment checked.

Common mistakes and warnings

  • The hub assembly and brakes are safety components: an incorrectly pressed bearing or an under-tightened hub nut leads to bearing failure and loss of the wheel
  • If you do not have a press and experience, leave the job to a repair shop, or remove the knuckle yourself and take it in to have the bearing pressed
  • Do not press on the wrong race and do not use impact tools on the bearing
  • A bearing with a bolt-on hub assembly (if your car has that version) is easier to replace: four bolts on the back of the knuckle, no press needed