I'm a DIY'er, but there are some things I've never done, like changing the bearings on my car.

Background on car:
1996 Accord LX
Rear drum brakes
humming sound from rear, goes away when I bank a curve to the left, hence it must be the left bearings (correct? load transfers to the right bearings, taking load and pressure away from left)

I've reviewed the diagrams, read forums and have a good idea on how to change the bearings.

The bearings come as a complete assembly with the hub, but the guy at the auto store tells me that I need a shop press to put it back on. I was under the impression that it was a pop-off, pop-back-on kind of job.

Is that true? I thought you only need to press the bearings on if it's not attached to the hub?

Does anyone know the answer? I want to fix it myself, but I don't have access to a press... Thanks!

 

The rear hub comes with the bearing already installed, so no press is needed. If you were doing the front brakes, then the bearing has to be pressed on the rotor.

If you go to the common DIY index on to of this form, there is an online manuals link where you can get a 94 shop manual. Look at page 18-29.

You will have to remove the wheel, then the drum, and finally remove the hub cap. Remove the spindle nut. Pull out hub/bearing. Installation is reverse.

Search sTpKpkxJjLQ on YouTube. Its a video on replacing rear drum brakes. At 10 min, he talks about removing the rear hub/bearing. He two videos on replacing the front bearing if you are interested.

 

Thank you for the info, PAHonda. I was always suspicious of those shops telling me I needed a press!

 

you can do the front bearings on a 96 without a press as well. Ive done it, theres also a ericthecarguy video on front bearings

Careful sound travels in weird ways on cars, I dont know of any way to verify its the bearings with a 100% certainty.

 

Actually, I was able to verify with 100% certainty that it was the bearing, and I was even able to identify what side...

I found in the Googles: the "humming" comes from a bad bearing with a load on it... so, if you take the load off it should stop/lessen. The way you do this is to drive down a curvy road (which I have PLENTY of) at around 45mph... if you bank left around a bend and the sound stops, the problem is with the left bearing (because the load was transferred more to right side/bearing). And vice/versa.