How to Check and Replace the Wheel Bearings on a Polaris RZR

Why Replace Your Polaris RZR Wheel Bearings?

Wheel bearings are like the glue that holds your whole wheel hub together. And once they go bad, you and your RZR are gonna be in for a bad ride.

You might be wondering what the big deal is about old wheel bearings anyway. Do you really need to prioritize fixing something as basic as a wheel bearing?

The short answer is yes.

Wheel bearings provide a ton of stability to your suspension. So when they start howling and clunking and your wheels start wobbling, you need to fix them fast. If you don’t, you’ll end up wrecking your ball joints, tie rod ends, and bushings.

That’s why they should always be on your preride checklist. And if they’re bad, you should replace them ASAP—it’s not good for your RZR.

Let’s go through all the steps so you know how to replace Polaris RZR wheel bearings on your front wheels.

Tools and Supplies Needed for Wheel Bearing Replacement

Before you get started, make sure you have access to the following tools:

• Impact wrench
• Socket set for lug nuts, tie rod ends, ball joints caliper, and axle
• 30 mm socket for the axle castle nut
• Pliers
• Pry bar
• Snap ring pliers
• Flathead screwdriver
• Hydraulic press and adapters or our Polaris Wheel Bearing Removal Tool
• Gloves
• Eye protection
• RZR wheel bearing replacement

Our Ultimate Tool Kit has sockets, wrenches, pliers, snap ring pliers, and a whole lot more that will make the job easier.

Now that you’ve got your gear together, let’s move on to how to check and replace bearings.

Step 1: Check Your Wheel Bearings for Wear

There are a few clues that let you know when your wheel bearings are going bad.

1. Loud wheel noise—When your wheels start rumbling or howling when you’re riding at high speed in a straight line, it might be going bad.
2. Clunking while turning—If you hear a clunk coming from your front wheels when you turn, your bearings might be bad.
3. Wheels not running true—If your wheels wobble when you drive straight, that’s another sign your wheel bearings are bad.

If you notice any of these symptoms, you need to check your bearings. Here’s how to do it:

1. Lift your Polaris RZR.
2. Grab the top and bottom of your tire, and rock it back and forth.
3. Check for play in the hub around the axle. If there is play, it’s new bearing time!

Repeat those steps on all four wheels while you have your machine lifted. Odds are, if one bearing is bad, the rest are nearing the end of their lives too.

Step 2: Prepare for Wheel Bearing Removal

The first thing you need to do is remove your lug nuts and remove your wheel.

Then remove your brake caliper from the rotor by removing the two bolts holding it to the spindle. We like to set the caliper out of the way on the upper A-arms where we won’t get tangled on the brake line itself.

After that, you need to remove the cotter pin from the tie rod end using pliers so that you can remove the nut and tie rod end itself.

Step 3: Remove the Wheel Hub and Castle Nut

Get your pliers out again because now you need to remove the castle not on your axle. To do that, you need to first pull out the cotter pin, then use your 30 mm socket to remove the castle nut. Then you can remove the wheel hub and set it aside.

Now you need to remove the lower ball joint from the spindle by removing the bolt that holds the stud in.

You may need to use a pry bar to help break the ball joint stud from the spindle. Take care not to scratch your paint or deform any parts.

Finally, remove the upper ball joint the same way and pull off the spindle.

Step 4: Remove the Old Bearing

With your spindle in a workbench, use a pair of snap ring pliers to remove the snap ring from the bearing. A flathead screwdriver can come in handy here if it’s being stubborn.

Now you need to put your spindle on a hydraulic press. You need to push the bearing from the inside of the spindle to the outside, so arrange the spindle with the outside facing down. The outside is the side the snap ring was removed from. Use press adapters to hold the spindle without getting in the way of the bearing, and push the bearing down.

It’s extremely important to make sure that you press straight. While damaging your busted bearing isn’t a big deal, you could also damage your spindle if your press is crooked. You don’t want to lighten your wallet because of a silly mistake.

If you don’t have a press, you can use our Polaris Wheel Bearing Removal Tool. It’s custom built just for your RZR with the appropriate adapters included. It doesn’t require a hammer or a press and uses wrenches to push your bearing out instead.

Step 5: Install the New Wheel Bearing

Now it’s time to press in your new bearing.

First, make sure you have the right bearing. Check out our RZR wheel bearing replacement that we keep in stock and ship to your door fast.

Place your new bearing on the outside of the spindle (again, that’s the side the snap ring was removed from) and use a properly sized adapter to push the bearing in straight. If it’s crooked, you will damage your bearing and possibly your spindle too.

Then push the bearing in from the outside inward until it’s fully seated.

Step 6: Reinstall Components

You’re almost done!

Now you need to reinstall the snap ring. Make sure it’s fully seated in the spindle. You can use a flathead screwdriver to help push it into place here, but be careful not to damage the bearing itself.

You’re done with the hard stuff now.

Reattach the ball joints, hub, castle nut, tie rod end, and caliper.

And when you’ve got it all back together, double-check all your nuts, bolts, and cotter pins to make sure everything is accounted for and tightened properly—the last thing you want is for your suspension to fall apart because a nut came loose.

Extending the Life of Your New Bearings

If you don’t want to change another bearing soon, you need to get a Polaris Wheel Bearing Greaser. It makes it easier to keep your bearings well lubricated so they won’t wear as quickly.

If you ride your RZR through mud or water, then a greaser is an absolute must. You’ll want to grease your bearings after every ride to keep them from falling apart. Otherwise, it’s a good idea to grease your wheel bearings every month or so depending on how much you ride. And remember to check your bearings for play every time you grease them up.

SuperATV has got you covered with the best RZR wheel bearings, wheel bearing removal tools, and bearing greasers, so you’ll always be ready to ride.