On the 2nd gen Tacoma you are not pressing a bearing - the front bearing is a sealed hub unit that bolts through the back of the steering knuckle with four 17 mm bolts. That makes it a driveway job on paper, but in practice 90 percent of the time and swearing goes into separating a hub that has rusted into the knuckle bore and off the outer CV splines. A slide hammer with a five-lug hub puller adapter is not optional on a truck that has seen salt.
4WD and PreRunner trucks have a driveaxle running through the hub, so the 35 mm axle nut comes off first; base 4x2 models use a similar bolt-on hub but without a driveshaft through it, so there is no axle nut to fight. The mistake people make is skipping the cleanup: if you leave a rust ridge in the knuckle bore, the new hub sits slightly cocked, and it will be growling again in 10,000 miles. Second most common mistake is tearing the ABS speed sensor harness because it was never unclipped from the knuckle.
| Item | Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Floor jack 2 ton minimum Raise the front of the truck at the frame or lower control arm. | Required | shop |
| Jack stands 3 ton pair Support the frame while the wheel is off. | Safety | shop |
| Lug nut socket 21 mm, 1/2 in drive Remove the front wheel. | Required | shop |
| Breaker bar 1/2 in drive, 24-25 in Crack the axle nut and caliper bracket bolts loose. | Required | shop |
| Needle-nose pliers / side cutters Remove the cotter pin from the axle nut (trucks so equipped). | Required | shop |
| Small chisel and hammer 1/4 in flat chisel, 2 lb hammer Unstake the axle nut collar if yours is a staked nut. | Required | shop |
| Axle nut socket 35 mm 6-point, 1/2 in drive Removes the front drive axle hub nut on 4WD and PreRunner models. | Required | shop |
| Socket set 12, 14, 17, 19 mm 6-point, 1/2 and 3/8 in drive Caliper slide bolts (14 mm), caliper bracket bolts (19 mm), hub bolts (17 mm), dust shield (10-12 mm). | Required | shop |
| 10 mm socket and short extension 10 mm, 1/4 or 3/8 in drive Removes the ABS wheel speed sensor bolt and harness brackets. | Required | shop |
| Bungee cord or wire Hang the brake caliper so the hose is not stressed. | Required | shop |
| Slide hammer with 5-lug hub puller 5x114.3 bolt pattern adapter Pulls the corroded hub flange out of the knuckle and off the axle splines. | Required | shop |
| Three-jaw or bearing puller Alternative to a slide hammer if the hub is badly seized. | Recommended | shop |
| Dead blow hammer 2-3 lb Tap the axle shaft back through the splines and seat the new hub. | Recommended | shop |
| Brass drift or soft punch Drive on the axle end without damaging the threads. | Recommended | shop |
| Pry bar 12-18 in Persuade the hub flange and dust shield free. | Recommended | shop |
| Torque wrench 1/2 in drive, 25-250 ft-lb Axle nut, hub bolts, caliper bracket bolts and lug nuts are all torque critical. | Required | shop |
| Torque wrench (small) 3/8 in drive, 10-80 ft-lb Caliper slide bolts and ABS sensor bolt. | Recommended | shop |
| Wire brush Clean rust and scale off the knuckle bore so the new hub seats flat. | Consumables | shop |
| Penetrating oil Soak the hub flange, axle splines and hub bolts the day before. | Consumables | shop |
| Brake cleaner Clean the rotor and hub face of grease and rust. | Consumables | shop |
| Anti-seize compound Nickel or copper based Light film on the knuckle bore and hub register, not on the bolt threads or splines. | Consumables | shop |
| Threadlocker Medium strength blue Toyota specifies adhesive on the hub-to-knuckle bolts. | Consumables | shop |
| Front hub / bearing assembly Toyota 43550-04030 (4WD/PreRunner) or trim-correct unit The sealed bearing is not serviceable; replace as a unit. | Parts | shop |
| Axle nut and cotter pin New staked nut or cotter pin The retaining nut and pin are one-time-use items. | Parts | shop |
| Gloves and safety glasses Rust, brake dust and hammer work. | Safety | shop |
| Wheel chocks Chock the rear wheels before lifting. | Safety | shop |
Tool sizes are the same for the 2.7 2TR-FE and 4.0 1GR-FE trucks - the front hub, knuckle and brake hardware are driveline-dependent, not engine-dependent. What changes is the drivetrain: 4WD and PreRunner have a 35 mm front axle hub nut and the hub rides on the CV splines, while base 4x2 models have no axle through the hub, so you skip the axle nut entirely. Larger-brake 4.0 models still use 19 mm caliper bracket bolts and 21 mm lug nuts.
| Hub/bearing assembly to steering knuckle bolts (4) | 59 ft-lb (80 Nm) |
| Front axle hub nut (4WD/PreRunner) | 173 ft-lb (235 Nm) |
| Caliper mounting bracket bolts to knuckle | 90 ft-lb (123 Nm) |
| Caliper slide (guide) bolts | 25 ft-lb (34 Nm) |
| ABS speed sensor bolt | 8 ft-lb (11 Nm) |
| Wheel lug nuts | 83 ft-lb (113 Nm) |
| Brake dust shield bolts | verify in the service manual |
The 21 mm lug, 17 mm hub bolt, 19 mm caliper bracket, 14 mm slide bolt and 35 mm axle nut sizes are standard for this generation, but confirm your axle nut size and the hub bolt torque against the FSM for your exact year and drivetrain before final assembly.
It is 35 mm on 4WD and PreRunner models. Use a 6-point socket and a long breaker bar, and break it loose with the tire on the ground before jacking the truck up.
No. The 2005-2015 Tacoma uses a bolt-on sealed hub assembly held by four 17 mm bolts behind the knuckle, so no press or bearing race work is required. You do usually need a slide hammer puller to break the old hub loose.
Not practically. The bearing is sealed inside the hub flange as a non-serviceable unit, so it is replaced complete. Toyota's part number for 4WD/PreRunner front hubs is 43550-04030 - stick with OE or a top-tier aftermarket unit, as cheap hubs on this truck commonly fail inside two years.
It can if the speed sensor is damaged, left unplugged, or if debris got between the sensor tip and the new hub's encoder ring. Clean the sensor mounting bore, torque the sensor bolt lightly to about 8 ft-lb, and the light normally clears itself after a short drive - no scan tool relearn is needed on this truck.