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The short version
- A Tacoma wheel bearing at the rear is side specific. A pair means two different numbers, not two of the same one.
- 512294 is the left and 512295 is the right on 2005 to 2018 trucks. A parallel listing extends the same split through 2020.
- The front on 1995 to 2004 trucks fractures by drivetrain and cab. Verify 2WD against 4WD before ordering.
- The rear on those same older trucks has no hub number at all. It is a solid axle, and the bearing lives inside the housing.
A Tacoma wheel bearing from 1995 to 2024 covers three very different trucks under one name. On the 2005 and newer ones, the rear is side specific, and that alone catches plenty of buyers out.
Older trucks change the story completely. The front fractures by drivetrain and cab, and the rear is not a hub at all.
Knowing which truck is actually in the driveway decides almost everything else on this page. Year alone is a start, but drivetrain, cab style and body all end up mattering somewhere on a Tacoma wheel bearing order.
The side specific rear
On the 2005 and newer trucks, the commonly cited numbers are 512294 for the left and 512295 for the right. A parallel listing extends the same split through 2020.
Buying a pair means buying two different numbers, not two of one. Ordering two lefts, or two rights, is the single most common mistake at this end.
Most axles use one bearing on both sides. This one does not.
The part counter will not catch that mistake for you. Confirming the side is the buyer’s job, not the counter’s.
Matching an old part against a current listing is the fastest way to confirm a side before paying for it. That comparison is on the cross reference page.
Marking each old part as it comes off avoids any confusion once both hubs are sitting on the bench together. That habit costs nothing and prevents a real mistake.
The front on 2005 and newer trucks
From 2005, the front is a sealed hub assembly. The commonly cited number is 515040, including on the six stud trucks built in 2014 and 2015.
Front bearing failure is widely reported on this generation. There is nothing to service inside the unit once it starts.
A parallel listing carries the same front position through 2020 under its own separate number. Both cover the same physical part.
Match the number stamped on the old hub rather than assuming one catalog outranks the other. Neither is more correct than the other.
Sealed means replace, not repack. A sealed hub gives no warning before it fails, so noise is often the first sign.
How that failure typically shows up, and what else can mimic it, is on the failure page.
A grinding or humming noise that changes with speed is the usual first complaint. It rarely improves on its own once it starts.
Before 2005, the front fractures by drivetrain and cab
The 1995 to 2004 front does not collapse into a single part. Drivetrain, cab style and trim all change which listing applies.
A 2WD standard cab truck, a 2WD Pre Runner, and a 4WD truck can each point at a different number. All three look like the same position from outside the knuckle.
A broad listing covers most trims and drivetrains under one number. A separate pair of listings breaks the same front end into an inner race and an outer race.
That inner and outer split applies to 2WD standard cab trucks built without the Pre Runner package. Pre Runner and Extra Cab trucks use their own kit number instead.
4WD trucks use a kit number of their own as well. A narrower listing covers only 2001 to 2004 specifically.
None of these should be picked at random. Confirm drivetrain and cab style against the old part before ordering any single one of them.
Six separate listings sit inside this one generation alone. That is unusual for this site, and it is exactly why this era gets its own section instead of one clean row.
These older listings are sold as bearings, race sets and kits rather than a complete sealed assembly. That is a different kind of job from the bolt on hub used on the newer trucks.
A parts counter working from year alone can easily hand over the wrong one of these. Drivetrain and cab style have to be part of the question, not an afterthought.
The full contrast between how the front and rear differ on this truck is on the front versus rear page.
A build sheet or window sticker rarely survives with a truck this old. The old part itself is the most reliable record left to check.
A dealer parts department can often decode the vehicle identification number where a part counter cannot. That call is worth making before assuming the drivetrain from badges alone.
Before 2005, the rear is an axle bearing, not a hub
The 1995 to 2004 trucks use a solid rear axle. The bearing sits inside the axle housing rather than bolting on as a hub assembly.
That is a different job from the 2005 and newer trucks. It does not carry a wheel bearing part number the way the rest of this page does.
Searching for a rear wheel bearing number on one of these older trucks will come up empty. There is a reason for that.
The correct search term is an axle bearing, not a hub. The difference between the two jobs is on the axle bearing page.
That does not mean the job is harder. It is simply a different job, with its own tools and its own procedure.
Fluid gets involved on this job in a way the newer sealed hub never requires. That alone changes what tools and what mess to expect going in.
A shop unfamiliar with the older truck may still quote it as a hub swap by habit. Asking directly whether the quote covers a hub or an axle bearing settles it in one question.
A Tacoma wheel bearing quote worth trusting names the position, the side and the job it actually covers. Anything vaguer is worth a second question before it is a second opinion.
Diagnosing a Tacoma wheel bearing
- Rock the wheel at twelve and six with it raised off the ground.
- Weave at road speed to see whether the noise follows load to one side.
- Coast in neutral for a rear noise, to separate the differential from the bearing.
- Rule out the tires, since off road tread patterns roar convincingly on their own.
- Compare hub temperatures after a drive across each side of the same axle.
The full checking procedure is on the checking page. Separating tire noise from a bearing complaint is on the tire noise page.
Tacoma wheel bearing part numbers
The chart below covers every Tacoma wheel bearing position the catalogs document for 1995 through 2024. The 1995 to 2004 rear is listed as an axle bearing rather than a number.
That reflects the solid axle those trucks actually use.
| Years | Position | Number |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 onward | Front and rear, fourth generation, past the catalogs | match old part or VIN |
| 2021 to 2023 | Front and rear, not listed by the catalogs checked | match old part or VIN |
| 2016 to 2020 | Front, parallel listing | WE60804 check price |
| 2014 to 2015 | Front, six stud hub | 515040 check price |
| 2005 to 2020 | Rear, left, parallel listing | WE60760 check price |
| 2005 to 2020 | Rear, right, parallel listing | WE60759 check price |
| 2005 to 2018 | Front | 515040 check price |
| 2005 to 2018 | Rear, left | 512294 check price |
| 2005 to 2018 | Rear, right | 512295 check price |
| 2001 to 2004 | Front, narrower listing | WE60714 check price |
| 1998 to 2004 | Front, 2WD Pre Runner and Extra Cab kit | SET29 check price |
| 1995 to 2004 | Front, 4WD kit | SET29 check price |
| 1995 to 2004 | Front, inner bearing and race, 2WD standard cab except Pre Runner | NBA5 check price |
| 1995 to 2004 | Front, outer bearing and race, 2WD standard cab except Pre Runner | NBA3 check price |
| 1995 to 2004 | Front, bearing, most trims and drivetrains | WE60814 check price |
| 1995 to 2004 | Rear, solid axle, axle bearing in the housing | see axle listings |
Every model year this chart resolves: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. A 2021, 2022, 2023 or newer Tacoma sits past the catalogs and goes by the old part or the VIN.
That is not a gap in the catalogs checked. It reflects a solid rear axle, where the bearing lives inside the housing rather than bolting on.
A reader hunting for a rear number on one of these trucks should look at the axle bearing instead. The comparison between the two jobs covers exactly this case.
Price links lead to Amazon searches for that number. As an Amazon Associate this site earns from qualifying purchases.
Common questions
Are Tacoma rear bearings side specific?
Yes. 512294 is the left and 512295 is the right on the 2005 and newer trucks. A pair means two different numbers.
Which front part do I need on a newer Tacoma?
515040 is the commonly cited number across the 2005 to 2018 trucks, including the six stud versions. A parallel listing extends coverage through 2020.
Why does the older truck have no rear number?
The 1995 to 2004 Tacoma uses a solid rear axle. The bearing sits in the housing rather than bolting on, so it carries no wheel bearing part number.
Does the older front use one number too?
No. The 1995 to 2004 front splits by drivetrain and cab style, so confirm 2WD against 4WD before ordering.
Do I need a press?
On the 2005 and newer trucks, no, since both ends are sealed hubs that bolt on. The 1995 to 2004 front uses serviceable bearings and races instead.