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The short version
- An Explorer wheel bearing order needs the drivetrain and the year straight. This page covers 1991 to 2019.
- A corroded front knuckle can trap the old hub in place. That turns a routine job into a stuck part problem.
- A batch of replacement hubs was recalled for fitting the wrong axle. Checking a shelf part against that recall is worth the extra minute.
- Three different rear ends show up on this page: a solid axle, an independent rear suspension, and a two door holdout that kept the solid axle longer.
An Explorer wheel bearing spans 1991 to 2019. Three different rear axle designs show up somewhere in that range.
The front side has its own history. A hub can seize into a corroded knuckle hard enough that removing it becomes the real job, not the bearing itself.
A separate problem sits on top of that. A batch of replacement hubs was recalled at one point for fitting the wrong axle, which is worth checking against any part already on the shelf.
None of this shows up by drivetrain alone. The year and the body style both narrow things down before a single number gets confirmed.
An Explorer wheel bearing order that skips the body style guesses at the rear. That guess is wrong often enough to matter.
The hub that will not come out of a corroded knuckle
An Explorer front hub can seize into the knuckle over years of road salt and moisture. Freeing it can take far longer than unbolting the hub itself.
A shop pricing this job from the bearing alone underestimates it on an older, rusted truck. The stuck hub is the actual job more often than not.
A four wheel drive front adds the axle shaft into that same corroded joint. That is one more part that can fight back on the way out.
Patience beats force here. A slow approach saves the knuckle and the axle shaft alike.
Heat, penetrating oil and patience free most of these without damage to the knuckle. The failure page covers what a seized fit looks like from underneath.
Rushing that step tends to crack the knuckle or round off the hub bolts. Neither is a cheaper fix than the extra time up front.
A cracked knuckle turns an Explorer wheel bearing job into a knuckle replacement too. That is a far bigger bill than the bearing itself.
A shop that has seen this before builds in the extra time. One that has not tends to underbid the job.
A snap ring often holds the assembly in the knuckle on these trucks. The snap ring page covers that step separately from the corrosion problem above.
A batch of replacement hubs was recalled for the wrong axle
A batch of replacement hubs for this truck was recalled at one point for being built for the wrong axle application. A hub that looks correct on the box is not proof it matches the axle in front of a technician.
Checking the part against the current recall database before installation costs a few minutes. Skipping that check is how a wrong part ends up back on a lift.
A wrong axle fit does not always announce itself right away either. It can pass a quick test drive before failing later.
That delay is exactly why the check happens before the truck leaves, not after a complaint comes back.
A second look under the truck confirms the axle type matches the part. That check costs almost nothing next to a comeback, and it takes less time than writing up the paperwork on one.
The warranty page covers what to do if a recalled part already went on the truck. Keeping the receipt and the old box helps that process along.
Three different rear ends share this page
A 1991 through 2001 Explorer carries a solid rear axle, with the bearing built into the housing. A 2002 through 2005 four door moved to an independent rear suspension instead.
Some 2001 through 2005 base and two door trims kept the solid axle even after the four door switched. Body style matters as much as the year for the rear on these trucks.
Each of the three takes its own seal and bearing. None of the three numbers substitutes for either of the other two.
The independent rear suspension is the newest of the three. The solid axle is the oldest, and it lingers longer on some trims than the calendar suggests.
A base or two door truck from 2003 can still carry the older solid axle. Reading only the year would miss that.
The difference between an axle bearing and a bolt on wheel bearing is covered on the axle bearing page.
Mixing up the three is an easy way to order the wrong seal. Confirming the rear design on the truck itself beats assuming from the model year alone.
Looking under the truck settles it quickly. An independent rear suspension shows two separate hub assemblies, while a solid axle shows one housing spanning the full width.
That quick look takes less time than a wrong part sitting on a shelf. It is worth doing before any number gets written down.
A cross reference check against the old part backs up that visual confirmation.
The Sport Trac and the two door Sport are not on this page
The Sport Trac pickup and the two door Sport shared some parts with the Explorer across these years. Rows here are kept only where the catalogs name the plain Explorer alongside them.
A Sport Trac or Sport owner should confirm any number here against their own vehicle rather than assume a shared listing.
A shared front number between the two models is not proof the rear matches as well. Each end needs its own confirmation.
That keeps every row on this page tied to a plain Explorer, not a cousin model that happens to share a driveline.
The 2018 and 2019 Explorer splits by end
A 2018 or 2019 Explorer rear has a confirmed number. The front for the same two years does not appear in any catalog checked for this page.
That split only shows up at the very end of the range. Every year before 2018 resolves at both ends.
Front hub numbers for a redesign often lag rear numbers into the aftermarket catalogs. The rear on this truck simply reached the catalogs first.
A front job on one of these two years goes by the old part or the VIN, even with the rear number already in hand.
A number for that front will likely surface once the aftermarket catches up to the redesign. Until then, the old part is the only reliable reference.
Nothing about the wait changes how the job itself gets done. The old hub still comes off the same way either way.
Diagnosing an Explorer wheel bearing
A worn bearing on this truck rumbles at speed and often changes pitch in a turn. The order below sorts the corner, the design and the cause before parts get ordered.
- Confirm the drivetrain first. Two wheel drive and four wheel drive Explorers rarely share a front number in this range.
- Check the body style for the rear. A four door and a two door from the same years can carry different rear designs entirely.
- Raise the wheel and rock it at twelve and six to check for play, then again at three and nine.
- Plan extra time for a seized front hub on any truck with visible corrosion at the knuckle, rather than quoting it as a quick swap.
- Check any shelf hub against the recall list before it goes on the truck, not after.
The checking procedure and the tire noise page rule out the easy alternative first.
Explorer wheel bearing part numbers
| Years | Detail | Number |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 to 2019 | Front, past the catalogs | match old part or VIN |
| 2018 to 2019 | Rear | WE60589 check price |
| 2011 to 2017 | Front | 512460 check price |
| 2006 to 2010 | Front | 515078 check price |
| 2002 to 2005 | Front, 2WD | 515050 check price |
| 2002 to 2005 | Front, 4WD, same part as 2WD this generation | 515050 check price |
| 2002 to 2005 | Rear, independent rear suspension, bearing | 516008 check price |
| 2002 to 2005 | Rear, independent rear suspension, hub repair kit | 521000 check price |
| 2001 to 2005 | Rear, base and two door trims, solid axle, seal | 8835S check price |
| 2001 to 2005 | Rear, base and two door trims, solid axle, cylindrical bearing | 6408 check price |
| 2001 to 2005 | Rear, base and two door trims, solid axle, bearing and seal kit | TRP1559TV check price |
| 2000 to 2001 | Front, 4WD | WE60766 check price |
| 1998 to 2000 | Front, 4WD | WE61559 check price |
| 1998 to 1999 | Front, 4WD | WE61221 check price |
| 1996 to 1997 | Front, 4WD | WE60766 check price |
| 1996 | Front, AWD | WE60766 check price |
| 1995 to 2001 | Front, 4WD, superseded from 515003 | 515052 check price |
| 1995 to 2001 | Front, 2WD, inner seal | 9150S check price |
| 1995 to 2001 | Front, 2WD, inner bearing | A-5 check price |
| 1995 to 2001 | Front, 2WD, inner bearing, parallel listing | SET5 check price |
| 1995 to 2001 | Front, 2WD, outer bearing | A-2 check price |
| 1995 to 2001 | Front, 2WD, outer bearing, parallel listing | SET2 check price |
| 1991 to 1994 | Front, 4WD, seal | 4250 check price |
| 1991 to 1994 | Front, 4WD, inner and outer bearing set | SET37 check price |
| 1991 to 1994 | Front, 2WD, inner seal | 6815 check price |
| 1991 to 1994 | Front, 2WD, inner bearing set | SET6 check price |
| 1991 to 1994 | Front, 2WD, outer bearing set | SET2 check price |
| 1991 to 2001 | Rear axle bearing, solid axle, seal | 8835S check price |
| 1991 to 2001 | Rear axle bearing, solid axle, bearing | 6408 check price |
| 1991 to 2001 | Rear axle bearing, solid axle, axle repair bearing | RP-6408 check price |
Every model year this chart resolves: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. A 2018 or 2019 Explorer resolves at the rear to WE60589, but the front for those two years sits past the catalogs and goes by the old part or the VIN.
Three different rear ends sit inside this one table. A solid axle covers 1991 through 2001, an independent rear suspension covers most four door trucks from 2002 on, and a two door or base trim can keep the solid axle through 2005.
Ordering the rear seal or bearing from the year alone, without confirming which of the three is under the truck, is the fastest way to end up with the wrong part.
Price links lead to Amazon searches for that number. As an Amazon Associate this site earns from qualifying purchases.
Common questions
Why does an Explorer front hub sometimes not come out?
Corrosion between the hub and the knuckle can seize the fit. Heat and penetrating oil usually free it without damage, but the extra time belongs in any estimate rather than a surprise added to the bill.
Was an Explorer hub ever recalled?
A batch of replacement hubs was recalled for fitting the wrong axle. Checking a shelf part against the current recall list before installation is the safeguard, and it takes only a few minutes.
Does every Explorer have the same rear design?
No. A solid axle, an independent rear suspension and a two door holdout all appear somewhere in this range, and the year alone does not settle which one is fitted. The body style and a look under the truck settle it instead.
Does this page cover the Sport Trac?
No. Only rows where the catalogs name the plain Explorer are kept here, so a Sport Trac or Sport owner should confirm separately rather than assume a shared number.
What covers a 2018 or 2019 Explorer?
The rear has a confirmed number. The front for those two years does not appear in any catalog checked here, so that side goes by the old part or the VIN until a number is confirmed.