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The short version
- A Pathfinder wheel bearing question starts with the vehicle. There is the 1998 to 2004 truck, the 2005 to 2012 truck, and the 2013 to 2018 crossover.
- The 1998 to 2004 truck ran a true solid rear axle. The bearing sits inside the housing.
- The 2005 to 2012 truck looks similar underneath. The catalogs still call its rear a hub assembly, not a solid axle part.
- The 2013 to 2015 front hub carries a 32 tooth spline note. A mismatched replacement will not clear it.
Nissan kept the Pathfinder name from 1998 to 2018. Three distinct vehicles wore it, and the wheel bearing changed with each one.
The earliest trucks ran a true solid rear axle. Independent rear suspension arrived in 2005. A front wheel drive based crossover platform arrived in 2013.
Getting the generation right matters more for a Pathfinder wheel bearing than for most models. A hub built for the wrong one will not fit at all.
Every year from 1998 to 2018 resolves to a documented number below. The only real decision is which generation and which drivetrain a given truck or crossover carries.
None of the three generations shares a part with either of the others, front or rear. A number that fits a 2004 truck has no application on a 2013 crossover.
The 1998 to 2004 truck ran a true solid axle
The early truck years used a serviceable tapered roller bearing at the rear. A seal and a bearing assembly hold it in the housing, rather than a cartridge bolting on.
The catalogs list the inner seal, the inner bearing set, and the outer cone and cup as separate line items. That is why these years carry more rows below than the later trucks do.
The front hub on these years is the same serviceable bearing style. It splits by two wheel drive and four wheel drive rather than by a single part.
The difference between a true axle bearing and a bolt on hub is covered on the axle bearing page.
The front inner seal and the front inner bearing and race set carry different upper year bounds in one parallel catalog listing, 2003 for the seal and 2004 for the set. That is not a typo. It reflects how that catalog cites the two pieces, so both bounds stay as shown in the table.
The 2005 to 2012 truck is a hub assembly, not a solid axle
The 2005 to 2012 truck still carries a solid front axle housing look to it. The catalogs describe the rear position as a hub assembly under part 541003, the same phrasing used for bolt on units elsewhere on this page.
The earlier 1998 to 2004 truck is described plainly as a bearing seated in the housing. Confusing the two generations means ordering the wrong style of part.
Front and rear differ enough on this model to read about separately, on the front versus rear page.
A hub assembly ships as one preassembled unit, bearing and flange together. There is no separate bearing to press or preload once it bolts on. That is why the catalogs use the same wording for the 2005 to 2012 rear that they use for the crossover parts, even with a solid axle housing underneath.
The spline count on the crossover front
The 2013 to 2015 front listing for 513296 carries a 32 tooth spline note in the catalogs.
A hub with the wrong spline count will not seat. Forcing one damages both the hub and the axle.
The Maxima carries the same note. That points at a wider Nissan pattern rather than a Pathfinder specific one.
One parallel catalog listing covers the entire 2013 to 2017 front under a single number, WE60603. The main listing splits the same span into two rows at the 32 tooth spline line instead. Both describe the same generation, so match the number stamped on the part being replaced.
Both cartridge generations, 2005 to 2012 and 2013 to 2018, carry the wheel speed sensor built into the hub rather than as a separate part. A sensor can fail on its own, without any bearing noise or play, and the fix is still the whole hub unit either way. Rule out a simple wiring fault at the connector first, since it is a cheaper explanation than a full hub.
Fitting the two designs is not the same job
The 1998 to 2004 truck’s tapered roller bearing needs correct preload set at assembly. Older trucks generally worked this way before cartridge hubs took over.
The 2005 to 2012 and 2013 to 2018 hubs are sealed cartridge units. They bolt in at a set torque and skip the preload step entirely.
Encoder orientation on an ABS equipped hub matters too, covered on the orientation page. A stuck retaining ring in an older knuckle is covered on the snap ring page.
A retaining ring that has sat in the same groove for two decades corrodes into place. Freeing it without cracking the knuckle is the slow part of the older truck job.
Pathfinder wheel bearing part numbers
| Years | Detail | Number |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 to 2018 | Rear, front wheel drive | WE60522 check price |
| 2016 to 2017 | Front | 513296 check price |
| 2013 to 2018 | Rear, four wheel drive | 512548 check price |
| 2013 to 2018 | Rear, four wheel drive, parallel listing | WE61773 check price |
| 2013 to 2017 | Front, parallel listing | WE60603 check price |
| 2013 to 2016 | Rear, front wheel drive | 512388 check price |
| 2013 to 2015 | Front, 32 tooth spline | 513296 check price |
| 2005 to 2012 | Front, four wheel drive | 515065 check price |
| 2005 to 2012 | Front, two wheel drive | 515064 check price |
| 2005 to 2012 | Rear, hub assembly | 541003 check price |
| 1998 to 2004 | Front, two wheel drive, inner seal | 710072 check price |
| 1998 to 2004 | Front, two wheel drive, inner bearing set | SET37 check price |
| 1998 to 2004 | Front, two wheel drive, outer cone and cup | LM300849-LM300811 check price |
| 1998 to 2004 | Front, four wheel drive, inner bearing set | SET37 check price |
| 1998 to 2004 | Front, four wheel drive, outer seal | 710072 check price |
| 1998 to 2004 | Front, four wheel drive, outer cone and cup | LM300849-LM300811 check price |
| 1998 to 2004 | Front, inner position, parallel listing | NBA37 check price |
| 1998 to 2004 | Rear axle bearing, in housing, seal | 710176 check price |
| 1998 to 2004 | Rear axle bearing, in housing | 516005 check price |
| 1998 to 2004 | Rear axle bearing, in housing, parallel listing | WE60346 check price |
| 1998 to 2003 | Front, inner position, parallel listing | NS710072 check price |
Lookups run through the cross reference page.
Every model year this chart resolves: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Part 541003 for the 2005 to 2012 rear reads like a solid axle number next to 516005 above it. The catalogs classify it as a hub assembly instead, matching the phrasing used for bolt on units elsewhere on this page.
Match the number stamped on the old part rather than assuming the drivetrain layout decides the style. The true solid axle rear on this model stops at 2004, and an axle bearing kit will not fit the flange a 2005 or newer truck needs.
Three eras, three failure patterns
The 1998 to 2004 and 2005 to 2012 trucks carry weight on a heavy frame. They also tow more often, which loads the front hubs hard.
The 2013 to 2018 crossover is lighter and seats a third row. Its rear bearings do more of the ordinary load bearing work instead.
A single hard hit can damage the races without leaving a mark, which produces noise with no play. That pattern is covered on the pothole page.
The earlier truck years also see more water and mud exposure than the crossover. They were bought and used off pavement more often, and that exposure works against a seal over time.
Cold climate road salt adds a second, unrelated risk across all three generations. Corrosion around a hub flange or an axle housing seal works slowly, and it rarely announces itself before the bearing is affected too.
Diagnosing a Pathfinder wheel bearing
- Establish the generation, since the truck and the crossover do not share a single part.
- Check the drivetrain on a truck year car before ordering a front hub.
- Count the axle splines if a new front hub will not slide on.
- Weave at road speed and note which side loads the noise.
- Ask what it has hit, since impact explains noise with no play.
Those checks are on the checking page and the tire noise page.
A shop quote should state which end and which side before any number gets ordered. On a truck year car it should also state the drivetrain, since the two wheel drive and four wheel drive fronts do not share a part.
Price links lead to Amazon searches for that number. As an Amazon Associate this site earns from qualifying purchases.
Common questions
Which Pathfinder wheel bearing do I need?
Start with the generation. The 2013 to 2018 crossover is cited with 513296 at the front, and the two truck generations split further by drivetrain and by year. Read the old part before ordering if the year sits near a boundary.
Is the 2005 to 2012 rear a solid axle part?
No. The catalogs list it as a hub assembly, even though the truck under it looks similar to the true solid axle generation before it. Only the 1998 to 2004 truck is a genuine solid axle rear.
Why does spline count matter on the crossover front?
The hub splines must match the axle. A mismatch will not assemble, and forcing it damages both parts.
Why is there noise but no play?
Impact damage can dent the bearing races invisibly. That kind of damage does not always leave slack to feel.
Do I need a press?
Not for the crossover or the 2005 to 2012 truck front, since both bolt on as a cartridge. The 1998 to 2004 truck uses a serviceable bearing that a shop presses in and adjusts for preload.