I am told by the mechanic I need to replace the drivers front wheel bearing. They would like to charge $450 to do it. I would be willing to change it myself if it saves me $300 ish dollars.

Search for front wheel bearing | Quadratec

www.quadratec.com

Those are some bearing options.
Would it be best to get the Mopar or are the other two functional as well?
I only have 110k on the Jeep so I would like to replace the bearing with the best and most durable bearing. I can do it at a local DIY garage on a lift to make this a much easier process.

Thank you.

You may want to get the Mopar bearing, but from a discounter. You can call Quadratec, they usually offer a WranglerForum discount. Or you can go through a source like OnlineMoparParts.com or similar.
I would think the two cheaper options are fine, might even use the same bearing itself. But maybe not. I would rather go with the Mopar version for the bearing, unless I can get a Timkin bearing directly from them. RockAuto might have the bearing from Timkin.

 

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That looks like what you mean? Timkin does not appear to sell direct from their website.

 

I prefer the dana unit bearing
Make sure you have a 13mm 12 point socket and a 36mm for the job.

 

Local MOPAR part from Chrysler dealership is $232.
I am looking at the Dana on carbon offroad and it is $180 for a pair. Do I need to do both?
Why are they so cheap and sold as a pair?
The rest of the stuff local to me (Fargo, ND) is parts store branded "premium" or standard parts.

 

Local MOPAR part from Chrysler dealership is $232.
I am looking at the Dana on carbon offroad and it is $180 for a pair. Do I need to do both?
Why are they so cheap and sold as a pair?
The rest of the stuff local to me (Fargo, ND) is parts store branded "premium" or standard parts.

My advice.... Don't cheap out on unit bearings. You will be replacing it again in pretty short order. There is stuff you should try and save money on... and stuff you shouldn't. Unit bearings fall in that latter category.

 

Mopar or Timken are my choice. The Timken definitely proven to last. Dana doesn’t make their own bearings so they are a rebrand. I am not sure who makes them for Dana.
As already stated, NEVER cheap out on bearings.


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I have to agree with Guzzmoto. While I like the ability to search RockAuto, if you have an issue, their customer service is a computer. But, then so is Amazons. But we are talking critical auto parts here. But they are the cheapest for either the Mopar or Timken. For the price, I would go with the Mopar, after all that is the one that came in the Jeep.

Buy the new bolts as well. You may have to get them from a Mopar online source. I have found that mymoparparts is the least expensive out the door. While their listing is a little higher than moparonlineparts and moparpartsgiant, their freight add on is far less making the total less on everything I have priced. (Mopar 5012436AB)

The head bolts are $9.99 each ($29.97+$4.62 S&H from mymoparparts). They are 12 point bolts so will definitely take a 12 point socket. But you have to have that socket to take the old bolts out. If it is a project, you could wait until you get the old ones out to see the condition.

Things to think about on this project. If you need to do one side, is the other side very far behind?

Do the ball joints need replacing - the are just behind the unit bearings, and of course if you having someone do the work, the axle bearings are just inside. The are a pain because the have internal clips.

What shape are the rotors, pads and calipers in?

I raise these questions because I went through this two years ago with my TJ. It started as a simple brake job that grew.

 

I have to agree with Guzzmoto. While I like the ability to search RockAuto, if you have an issue, their customer service is a computer. But, then so is Amazons. But we are talking critical auto parts here. But they are the cheapest for either the Mopar or Timken. For the price, I would go with the Mopar, after all that is the one that came in the Jeep.

Buy the new bolts as well. You may have to get them from a Mopar online source. I have found that mymoparparts is the least expensive out the door. While their listing is a little higher than moparonlineparts and moparpartsgiant, their freight add on is far less making the total less on everything I have priced. (Mopar 5012436AB)

The head bolts are $9.99 each ($29.97+$4.62 S&H from mymoparparts). They are 12 point bolts so will definitely take a 12 point socket. But you have to have that socket to take the old bolts out. If it is a project, you could wait until you get the old ones out to see the condition.

Things to think about on this project. If you need to do one side, is the other side very far behind?

Do the ball joints need replacing - the are just behind the unit bearings, and of course if you having someone do the work, the axle bearings are just inside. The are a pain because the have internal clips.

What shape are the rotors, pads and calipers in?

I raise these questions because I went through this two years ago with my TJ. It started as a simple brake job that grew.

I had a mechanic check the front end. Because the other mechanic I had check it told me the whole ball joint system needed to be replaced. The jeep drives great and has no steering/stability/wobble issues. So I was confused how the ball joins could be that bad. The second mechanic said those look average. Which means to him, half life left. But he did say the issue they might be basing it off is the drivers front tire bearing is loose/worn out. The right he said looks good.
I can do both so that is not an issue. I do worry I get in there, all the sudden I am looking at everything, and decide why not. Let's make a new front end.

 

Buy from Northridge or Carbon....change both. Make sure you have the 36mm, breaker bar and a torque wrench. Don't need a lift, just a jack and jack stand.

 

I have 101k miles on my JKU and have been through 3 sets of unit bearings (front wheel bearings). I run big tires, high offset wheels, and play hard in the rocks, so that partially accounts for the high usage. After trying cheaper options with my second set, and having them last less than a year, I recommend using Genuine Spicer unit bearings (OEM without the Mopar Markup). They are holding up great!
Dana Spicer 30/44 Wheel Hub Assembly
These are the ones I'm using. And if you're still running your original ball joints with 110k miles on them, they're smoked too. Replace them at the same time. Unit bearings are an easy swap, and if you want to add a bit of longevity to them, every 20k miles, pull the ABS sensor, and give the sensor socket a squirt of grease. They are sealed units, but this is a way to add fresh grease to them.