Toyota Tercel Wheel Hubs & Bearings
The subcompact Toyota Tercel was made as a sedan, hatchback, and station wagon, and sold between 1976 and 1999 in North America and internationally. As a subcompact car, the Tercels wheel size ranged between 13 and 14 inches. Most Tercels are front-wheel drive vehicles, but some were manufactured as four-wheel drive, and owners should know the year, model, wheel size, and trim of their Toyota Tercel when shopping for replacement wheel hubs and bearings.
What are axle bearings for Toyota Tercel?Hub assemblies for the left and right front of a front-wheel drive Toyota Tercel may be called axle bearings as well as front wheel bearings, because they will be mounted to the shaft and act to turn the car. Hub assemblies to be fitted on the rear of front-wheel drive Toyotas will usually be called wheel bearings. Owners should check rim and hub dimensions, as well as hub assembly placement, before ordering parts to fit the front end of the car. On four-wheel drive Tercels, each part will be called an "axle bearing" since all four Toyota wheels are actively used.
Can a Tercels hubs and wheel bearings be repaired?Some vehicles have hub assemblies which are in factory-sealed units, and are meant to be replaced in a single piece. The majority of generations and models of Toyota Tercel hubs and wheel bearings may be disassembled and repaired. Hub sets for Toyota may be purchased without front or rear wheel bearing and race sets. Wheel bearing sets, races, and seals that fit the Toyota may also be purchased to service or replace parts of hubs and wheel bearings.
What is a wheel bearing and race seal kit?A bearing and race seal kit will enable servicing of Toyota Tercel wheel bearings. Kits should fit front or rear ends of the car and have right and left versions, including rear wheel bearings, seals, races, and hubs. Kits may be sold with or without grease, which should be a high-temperature lubricant suitable for packing the assembly. Kits may be purchased from original equipment manufacturers (OEM) or as genuine Toyota parts.
Do Tercels with ABS systems need ABS wheel bearings?Fifth-generation Toyota Tercels made between 1994 and 1999 included anti-lock braking systems (ABS). Hubs and bearings for ABS vehicles need ABS sensors which determine speed, as well as connectors, which enable the assembly to communicate with the ABS controller. Owners should determine whether or not their Toyota has ABS before ordering hubs and bearings.
What is the difference between OEM and aftermarket hubs?Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) hubs and bearings are manufactured to Toyota specifications for car generations and model years. Aftermarket parts will fit Toyota cars, but may differ from Toyota stock specifications. Aftermarket parts may include performance, heavy-duty, or off-road styles of hub and bearing assembly, or they may include replacement parts able to fit several types of car in addition to Toyota.