My mechanic changed my wheel bearing yesterday. All I have to say is OUCH!!! It took my mechanic 8 hours to change. Everything that could seize was seized. I mean everything... The axle was seized inside the hub, which was seized inside the wheel bearing, which was seized inside the spindle. A regular puller couldn't push the axle out of the hub. Heat wouldn't do it either. We had to heat the sh*t out of the hub, take the studs out, weld a custom puller (which relied on a one inch diameter bolt - built to pull the rotor out of a diesel generator) directly to the hub, then take a huge impact (the thing weighted 30 pounds) and slowly it came out, with the help of a sledgehammer...

The bearing fell apart, but the inner part was seized to the hub. We cut it out with acetylene torches. The outer part and the snap ring were seized to the spindle. We welded the inside of the bearing on both sides, using thermal expansion (or in this case collapse) to unseize it from there. We heated the snap ring with the torches to get it out, frying the ABS sensor.

We then had to grind the end of the axle back to a more normal size (the sledgehammer enlarged the end of the axle). The abs sensor wouldn't come out. So we left it where it was.

I really think Mitsubishi enginneers were paid to design the car so that you have to change everything, axle, spindle, hub, bearing, abs sensor, and maybe the balljoint and outter tie-rod end all at once.

Good news is now everything is fine.

Except for my abs sensor that needs to be replaced. Probably with the spindle (there is no way to take the ABS sensor out, except maybe drilling it). Anyone has one lying somewhere in their garage (Front passenger side Spindle+Abs sensor with uncut wiring)???

Oh and my oil pan is rusted out. It started leaking. I've never seen an oil pan rust at all.

WTF is wrong with these cars? Why is everything so complicated? I changed the wheel bearing on my Cavalier with basic hand tools and a floor jack! I never had to use a puller and it only took me 1h30!! Plus the car was 4 years and 60 000 kilometers older!!

F*** my life....

 

Wow

That sucks.
Must be the harsh conditions up there. Ive done most of what you said up there with minimal effort. An my car is the same year as yours..

 

This makes me want to investigate the squealing noise I've been hearing from my driver's side rear wheel before I drive any more. Could just need brakes, but might be a bearing.

 

It's really not bad. When I replaced my front wheel bearings, I removed the knuckle myself and took it to a local machine shop. They had them swapped out in less than an hour.

 

Damn that sucks... It's gotta be the over salting of the roads up there man.

 

Sounds normal for mega-salted roads and long winters. Even my Subarus, which I consider among the best for mechanical reliability and longevity, suffered the same as your Lancer, including the rusted-out oil pan.

 

Its the salted roads for sure. I used to live in Nova Scotia and it does hell to cars. Now, in Alberta, on my 2006 lancer, there is no rust... the engine bay looks clean.

 

Well all in all, everything that could go bad did. I'm not lucky I guess...