Carrier Bearing Replacement Cost Estimate

When diagnosing a noise or vibration has led to the carrier bearing, the technician will test for free-play in the drive shaft by pressing on the driveshaft by hand or with a pry bar. The vibration dampening material will be checked during this process to identify cracks that are not visible while in the neutral position. If excess movement is noted, the carrier bearing will be replaced. If the noise is a grinding or howling noise, and there is no excess play in the driveshaft, the technician will listen to the carrier bearing while manually turning the driveshaft. If damage to the bearing is detected by vibration while turning the drive shaft, grinding or popping while turning the driveshaft, or a rough, gritty noise heard through a stethoscope, the driveshaft support bearing will be replaced.

For most driveshaft support bearings, also known as carrier bearings, replacement requires releasing the driveshaft from the rear differential pinion shaft yoke, followed by pulling the spines of the driveshaft from the slip-yoke that connects the two halves of the driveshaft. Then, driveshaft support bearing will be removed from the frame of the vehicle, and the splines for the second portion of the driveshaft will be pulled from the transmission output shaft by sliding the slip-yoke off of the splines on the transmission output shaft. This portion of the driveshaft will be taken to a hydraulic press, have a bearing puller adapter installed, and the driveshaft will be pressed out of the old carrier bearing. The mating surface on the driveshaft will be cleaned and measured to ensure the proper carrier bearing is ordered. Once arrived, the new carrier bearing will be pressed on, fully seated, and inspected for damage resulting from installation. Afterwards, the driveshafts will be reattached to their counterpart, and reconnected to the transmission output shaft and differential pinion shaft yoke. Of course, the new carrier bearing will be fastened to the undercarriage of the vehicle prior to installing the rear half of the driveshaft.

We recommend using new fasteners when removing the driveshaft carrier bearing, especially if heat was used to remove the fasteners. Also, if the differential pinion seal is leaking, this is a good time to address that leak, as well as replacing the seal for the transmission or transfer case output shaft.

When purchasing the new carrier bearing, it is important to measure the driveshaft before and after cleaning rust and corrosive deposits from the mating surface for the bearing. This will allow you to purchase the correct size of bearing, as there are often multiple sizes for each model year, depending on which options and grade of drive-train the vehicle has installed from the factory. Lastly, the universal joints should be inspected, lubed, and/or replaced during this service. Some vehicles will not have serviceable carrier bearings or universal joints. In these cases, the driveshaft must be replaced as an assembly when repair is necessary, or a specialty shop may be able to assist in the repair.

Removing the drive shaft and carrier bearing assembly is often not too difficult for the DIYer to handle, but removing the bearing from the drive shaft, and pressing the new bearing on requires a hydraulic press, which most typically do not have. When tackling this job at home, make sure there is a way to bring the driveshaft to a machine shop or auto garage to have the drive shaft and carrier bearings pressed apart, and back together. Also, a torque wrench will be necessary to retighten the fasteners connecting the drive shaft to the differential.