A worn hub assembly in your Dodge Durango can become a safety hazard or cause poor handling in the front of your truck. The hub assembly contains the the wheel bearings and is not serviceable, making replacement the only option if yours is damaged or worn. Removing the hub does require you to remove the brake calipers and rotors before you can get the hub out of the truck. New hubs are available from your dealer or at an auto parts store.
With a lug wrench, loosen the lug nuts on the wheel. Do not take the lug nuts all the way off the wheel studs yet. Place the jack under the front of the truck and raise it off the ground. Place a jack stand under the frame to support the truck, then remove the lug nuts and pull off the wheel and tire.
Locate the two slide pins on the back of the brake caliper and remove them with a socket and ratchet. Using a flat screwdriver, pry the caliper spring loose from the front of the caliper and pull the caliper off the rotor. Support it with a piece of wire so that it is not hanging on the brake line.
Slide the rotor off the wheel studs and set it aside for now. Do not set anything on the rotor while it is off the truck or it could become damaged.
Locate and remove the cotter pin in the center of the hub. Straighten the legs of the pin and pull it out of the hub. Remove the drive nut in the center of the hub. A breaker bar may be required, as the nut is extremely tight.
Slide the hub assembly off the spindle and discard it. Install the new hub by sliding it onto the spindle and install the drive nut onto the shaft. Tighten the nut with a socket and ratchet, then torque it to 185 foot-pounds with a torque wrench.
Install a new cotter pin into the hole on the spindle and through the nut. If the holes do not line up, tighten the nut just enough to line up the holes. Bend over the legs on the cotter pin with a pair of pliers.
Slide the rotor back on to the wheel studs and reinstall the caliper onto the rotor. Insert the two slide pins into the back of the caliper and tighten them with a ratchet and socket. Torque the slide pins to 22 foot-pounds with a torque wrench.
Install the caliper spring under the front of the caliper and seat it by snapping the ends under the caliper mounting bracket with a flat screw driver. Reinstall the tire and wheel on the wheel studs and hand tighten the lug nuts.
Raise the front of the truck with your jack, remove the jack stand and lower the truck to the ground. Tighten the lug nuts with a lug wrench. With a torque wrench, torque them to the manufacturer's specifications.
