98 that seems to change direction when you go/brake and wheel bearing change

[woodc]

I am working out the final bugs in the 98 Pathfinder 4x4 I recently bought.

When you gas the truck or come to a stop it seems to slightly change direction which is a very uneasy feeling. The front right wheel bearing has a tiny bit of slop in it and I plan on changing it ASAP. I am hoping that bearing is making the toe change which is what is making it feel funky.

1) Are there any other "known issues" with the Pathfinders that I need to look for that causes these symptoms?

2) How do you change the wheel bearings on the Pathfinders? I have a press and have changed bearings on small cars in the past but the 4x4 and extra crap on this one made me pause. There are a few 14mm bolts that go into the rotor then there are a few 13mm bolts (the ones you can see with the wheel on but the center cap thingy off) as well. It also looks like a press on dust cap is on the very end? On the cars I have dealt with there is a big nut on the very outside that is on the end of the axle. You remove that nut, the axle pulls out, then you remove the brake caliper/bracket, the connection to the ball joint then the two big bolts that attach to the shock/strut (on macpherson strut setups) as well as the end link if it attaches to the hub and you are done. I removed all of the bolts no the pathfinder and nothing fell out...and I did not want to get happy with a prybar and hammer until I know what to expect.

Thanks!

[hospitalbuilder]

Try this...

http://rkrenn.com/xterra/howto/bearing/bearing.htm

It is for an Xterra, but I used it for my 99QX4 with good results. Also, this is a procedure to re-pack the bearings, but I suspect that you can easily adapt for replacement, simply pack the and reinstall the new bearings rather than the existing ones (although a good re-pack may be all you need). I used it to pull the hub to replace some lug studs which had stripped, but went ahead and re-packed the bearings while I had it off. Everything "should" come free fairly easily. I tend to go to the hammer persuasion too quickly and did so with this job. Fortunately, I did not get too forceful with it and reviewed the procedure again and found something I missed initially. Once you remove the lock washer screws it pulls straight off, it won't twist, no matter how hard you beat it.

The bearing job is mostly labor, so if you can DIY it could save you some coin. Good luck.

[woodc]

The issue has been found... The braces that go from the chassis to the rear end (the long bars that are parallel to the ground) have bushings that are shot all to hell....so the rear end walks around a good inch or so.

Does anyone know the official name for those bars...I need to find some used if nobody sells replacement bushings? If you have a parts pfinder and want to make a few bucks let me know!

[woodc]

This link has pictures of the parts in question...highlighted in yellow:

http://www.justanswer.com/view...7.png