Tools you need for front wheel bearing on a 2012-2016 Honda CR-V

Unlike many crossovers, the 4th-gen CR-V does not use a four-bolt hub unit. The bearing is a sealed cartridge pressed into the steering knuckle and held by an internal snap ring, with a separate hub pressed through it. That means either pulling the knuckle and taking it to a press, or renting an on-car hub press kit and fighting it in place. Budget real time for the first side.

The two things people get wrong: installing the bearing with the magnetic ABS encoder ring facing outboard (the ABS and VSA lights come on immediately), and pressing the hub in while supporting the wrong race, which quietly ruins a brand new bearing. Also plan on the old inner race staying stuck on the hub flange; you need a bearing separator or a cutoff wheel to get it off.

Complete tool and parts list

Differences within the 2012-2016 generation

All 2012-2016 CR-V models use the same 2.4 K24 driveline and the same front knuckle, bearing and fastener sizes; AWD and FWD are identical at the front. LX steel-wheel cars and EX-L alloys both use 19 mm lug nuts.

Torque specs

How the job goes

1. Loosen the lug nuts and, with the wheel on the ground and the brake pressed, break the 32 mm axle nut loose. Chock the rear wheels.
2. Raise the front, set jack stands under the factory lift points, remove the wheel.
3. Remove the 10 mm bolt and unclip the ABS wheel speed sensor from the knuckle; do not pull it by the wire. Set it aside so it cannot be damaged.
4. Remove the two 12 mm caliper slide bolts, lift the caliper off, and hang it from the spring with wire. Remove the two 17 mm caliper bracket bolts.
5. Remove the two rotor retaining screws (JIS #3 or Torx) with an impact driver and pull the rotor off; tap it or use the threaded jack holes if rusted on.
6. Remove the axle nut fully. Push the axle shaft back through the hub splines with a soft-faced hammer or a puller; do not hammer on the threads.
7. Remove the cotter pins and 17 mm castle nuts from the tie rod end and lower ball joint, then separate both from the knuckle with a puller or pickle fork.
8. Remove the two damper-to-knuckle through bolts and lift the knuckle off the car. Support the halfshaft so it does not hang on the inner joint.
9. Mount the knuckle in a press and push the hub out of the bearing. Expect the bearing inner race to stay on the hub; pull it off with a bearing separator.
10. Remove the internal snap ring with heavy snap ring pliers, note which side of the bearing the magnetic encoder faces, then press the old bearing out from the wheel side.
11. Clean and lightly dress the knuckle bore, wipe on a thin film of anti-seize, and press the new bearing in squarely pressing only on the outer race, magnetic encoder ring facing inboard toward the ABS sensor.
12. Install the new snap ring fully into its groove, then press the hub into the bearing supporting the bearing INNER race, never the knuckle or outer race.
13. Reinstall the knuckle: damper bolts, ball joint and tie rod castle nuts with new cotter pins, and slide the axle through the hub.
14. Fit the rotor and screws, caliper bracket at 100 ft-lb, caliper at 25 ft-lb, and reinstall the ABS sensor.
15. Install the new spindle nut, torque to spec with the brake held, and stake the collar into the axle groove with a punch.
16. Fit the wheel, lower the car, torque lugs to 80 ft-lb in a star pattern. Drive slowly and confirm the ABS light is out and there is no noise.
17. If the ABS or VSA light stays on, clear codes with a scan tool after confirming sensor and encoder condition.

Watch out

Sizes (32 mm axle nut, 19 mm lugs, 17 mm caliper bracket, 12 mm slide bolts, 10 mm ABS sensor) are consistent across 2012-2016 CR-V 2.4 K24 models; confirm the spindle nut, damper and ball joint torque values in a factory service manual before final tightening.

Other jobs on the 2012-2016 Honda CR-V

Front Wheel Bearing Replacement on other vehicles