More of a rant.
I'm getting a grinding on the front driver side of my '00 ES V6. No doubt it's a wheel bearing. I found the wheel hubs at autozone for around 80 each. How involved is it to change, and will I need any special tools besides the standard mechanic sockets?

 

You'll need a hex head socket(can't remember which size) for the caliper pins and a reverse Torx head(cam't remember that size either) socket for the three bolts holding the bearing assembly to the spindle.

You don't have to drop the lower control arm to get the bearing out, either. Have an assistant hold the outer CV joint in place, and simply pull the bearing out of the spindle. You may have to pop it out with a soft faced hammer to get it off the splines, but it will come out. Be sure and lube the splines on the CV axle before you install the new bearing assy.

 

good info. if anyone has a manual that states which size sockets and bits are needed, it's an awfully long walk to the closest store that carries mechanic tools!

 

Picked up the new bearing yesturday, putting it on this saturday morning. It is listed as a direct replacement, but I notice that there is no plug for the ABS (i don't care if it works or not, i just don't want the abs light coming on) sensor. I was under the impression (and the image on the box shows it) that the sensor is built into the hub? Any mechanics know what the deal is, or do i have to take the ABS light out of my dash when i'm done

--edit

Just got off the phone with the parts store. Seems that they don't sell the hub assembly for my car WITH an abs sensor, so it really dosen't matter i guess.

 

How did the job go?
I'm about to do this on my stratus.
The hayne's manual says I need to remove the whole steering knuckle from the suspension and put it in a vice to do the job.
A bunch of online videos show them taking the bearing out (on other vehicles) with out taking the steering knuckle off. One video had them remove the driveline for easier access to the hub bolts. The only confirmation of this idea is what looked to be from another service manual someone typed in online saying that if you attempted to remove the hub bolts without removing the steering knuckle you'd risk damaging the tone wheel on the drive shaft - and thus would need a new one.
If anyone ever remembers the size of that Torx socket that'd also be good info - but secondary to the main question above. If I have to take the whole knuckle out this job is likely going to the dealership instead

 

When I did my Stratus, I just took of big nut in middle of hub, pushed it back a little, removed brake caliper, brake rotor, removed a few bolts on the back side, used a chisel and hammer to wedge the hub out. It was really difficult for me, but I managed. I found it easier to take out my transmission. That middle big nut is freaking tight.

 

Thanks for the info. I tried to get a socket on the torx bolts last night (by the way, they are E-12 size), but feel I'm really close to the speedo transaxle teeth. Then realized I had another problem, the torque for the steering knuckle to bearing/wheel hub is not listed in my manual or in 2 other procedures online. Trying to remove it with 70 ft-lbs was not enough (but probably doesn't help that its rusted on).
Have to grab a deep socket 32 mm to get the big nut off, the 32 I had was too short IMO to handle the 180 ft-lb.
Go figure, I'll spend more money on tools to do this job than I did on the bearing!

 

The job went really well actually. The ABS sensor isn't part of the hub, it's part of the axel, you'll see it when you've got the hub off. My friend has "big bertha", which is a snapon 3/4" socket head on a 4ft breaker handle. Made quick work of the center nut. A steel pipe on the handle of your socket wrench should give the same results. Everything else was pretty routine with the swap, and haven't had any issues since. I don't remember the sizes of the nuts that came out, as this was nearly 2 years ago!

 

Did the job a few weeks back - as a final follow up....

The torx socket is actually an E-14, and for some reason, the nuts on all wheal bearing nuts (the ones that are supposed to be 180 lb-ft), came off extremely easily, especially the front, and I was only using a 24" torque wrench. Putting them back on required more effort.
Ended up that my grinding noise when I turned left was indeed the front right as the play indicated. Turned out though that the whinning noise wasn't that bearing, it would go dead silent when I took a hard right though. Checking all other bearings for play the only one that seemed to have any slop at all in it was the rear right. Decided to order the remaining 3 bearings and ship any back I had left over from my "guess work". Got it on the 2nd try - ended up being the rear left - Just a future troubleshooting tip, if you steer HARD and it goes away, its probably the rear, and the rule of opposite of turning still applies.
Since I had 3/4 bearings replaced I went ahead and did the last front one, so she's new all around. As a final note, if it hadn't be said before, you can do the job without removing the knuckle, just have to be careful with the half shaft, knock it back out of the way enough to get your wrench on those bolts. Not that bad of a job IMO, never done one before, the fronts took about 3-5 hours (5 was the last one that was rusted on BAD), and the rears take about 45 minutes each.
Thanks everyone!

 

HUH? 180 foot lbs of torque is ONLY for the big nut in the middle of the hub on each front wheel, and you better not have used a torque wrench for loosening the nuts!! Maybe someone fixed your transmission before and didn't properly torque the 1¼" hub nuts which is why the wheel bearing failed?????