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Model specific boards => Golf mk2 => Topic started by: Jay on 27 December 2007, 19:24

Title: Wheel bearings or something worse?
Post by: Jay on 27 December 2007, 19:24
Hi guys,

Just wanting your expert advise... I've just done the wheel bearing test and the wheel (rear left) does rock, and rocks quite a bit at that. If it were just a bearing would it only rock a little or a lot?

How much roughly do garages charge to fix the bearing? Is it easy enough for a noob to do?
Title: Re: Wheel bearings or something worse?
Post by: ...joe on 27 December 2007, 19:38
piece of piss to do, but the bearing housings need pressing in and out and thats not something you'll be able to do on your own.
couldn't tell you how much, hours labour i'd have thought.
Title: Re: Wheel bearings or something worse?
Post by: ben44 on 27 December 2007, 20:05
try tightening it first with new grease.remember ther not meant to be done up TIGHT just nipped up.
Title: Re: Wheel bearings or something worse?
Post by: JimR on 27 December 2007, 20:31
Fairly easy job, you can use a aluminium drift to tap/knock the old bearing housings out but its obviously better to take it to an engineering shop and ask them to press them out and new bearing in. Hardest bit for me was removing the rear brake pad carrier, incredibly tight bolts that will need renewing after removal.
Title: Re: Wheel bearings or something worse?
Post by: Jay on 27 December 2007, 20:40
Probably gonna take it to the garage, at least then it's done properly and will be sorted before the new year, don't wanna phone up on my first day of my new job and say "sorry car's fecked and have no way of getting to work" :embarassed: .

A mate has a wheel bearing from a rocco, should this fit or are all bearings standard? If not I blooming well hope the garage has them in stock!  :laugh:
Title: Re: Wheel bearings or something worse?
Post by: Jay on 27 December 2007, 21:43
Spoke to my brother in law and he said to get a gear puller and it can be done with that. Is this true?
If so I think I can do it with his help.
Title: Re: Wheel bearings or something worse?
Post by: herbster on 27 December 2007, 22:34
 :smiley:
Hey, bearings are all pretty standard so a rocco one would sufice, however as the hub is only held on by a split pin and locking nut, no puller should be needed, the bearings are taper, will fall out (or should!) once the hub nut is released, the cup for the cone only needs changing(knocking/pushing out) if serious wear is showing ie pitting, scoreing etc, to refit grease the new ones up liberally, with a new seal! And tighten nut tight, release nut spin hub, finger tighten, spin hub and then spanner tighten while spinning hub no more than quarter turn, if hub is making noise - too tight, should sound like the grease is doing its job, fit the lock ring and split pin, pack the hub cover with grease knock on and spin hub again, fit wheel and check for play, adjust with wheel on as nessesary, a very simple job for not a ot of cash or time, then you know how its done! Just be carefull with the caliper bolts (17mm) use an impact socket for a better grip on the bolt with lots of length on the bar to save knuckles, use threadlock to refit and they will be fine, have fun  :wink:
Title: Re: Wheel bearings or something worse?
Post by: Jay on 28 December 2007, 18:36
Just checked again, but this time took the wheel off... It's the DRUM thats wobbling!

Would this just need tightening up? If so thats easy enough and I'm guessing that I can only check if the bearings have gone once I have the drum tightened up?
Title: Re: Wheel bearings or something worse?
Post by: Dolly on 28 December 2007, 18:48
the drum is held on by the hub nut, which inturn determines how tight the bearing is... with the wheel off:

Pop the dust cover off, using a screwdriver, remove the split pin and nip it up as already mentioned, refit pin and dust cover. bit of new grease if you want to. obviously if you try and tighten and it gets no better or starts making noises its probably shot.
Title: Re: Wheel bearings or something worse?
Post by: Jay on 29 December 2007, 15:09
OMFG! the bearings were all LOOSE in the drum housing! I tried getting the new bearing in but, yea... defo need a press machine. So the drum and bearing are down at the garage hoping it gets done today, but latest is Monday. The mechanic also said the NEW bearings I have don't feel right.. WTF they're new! But he said maybe with the grease on they will be better.

Also he said to get the drum on is not just a case of tightening the nut, you have to do it a certain way... is this true? Because I just whacked the drum on and tightened it up like you would anything else, maybe thats what caused the bearings to go?
Title: Re: Wheel bearings or something worse?
Post by: Idle Duffer on 29 December 2007, 23:09
When you fit new bearings to the rear of golfs you need to tighten the nut up reasonably tight to seat the rollers, then back off the nut totally.  Then retighten to the point where there is no play evident in the bearing then tighten further to line up the next available split pin hole.  Dont slacken it off to line up the holes.  Refit everything else and go for a test drive.   I always re-check them after a few days coz they nearly always have bedded in a bit.
Title: Re: Wheel bearings or something worse?
Post by: Jay on 29 December 2007, 23:18
Cheers mate. Going to give this a try tomorrow, I was going to do it tonight but the light was too bad by the time I got the drum back (I've no garage  :embarassed: )

Also got to remove the inner bearings that are still perfect, might clean em up and use them as a paper weight.
Title: Re: Wheel bearings or something worse?
Post by: Jay on 30 December 2007, 19:04
Sorted  :grin:

http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=73141.msg584035#msg584035 (http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=73141.msg584035#msg584035)
Title: Re: Wheel bearings or something worse?
Post by: herbster on 01 January 2008, 11:08
 :sad:
Sometimes the self adjusters spread the shoes out too much needing you to rewind it a bit and ensure the shoes make a circle not oval before the refit as they do move around a bit even with the retainers on, the self adjusters are situated just below the brake cylinder like a serrated wheel on a reverse thread. The bearing are loose due to lack of grease and the fact that they're taper bearings, never hit the drum on you will damage the shoes or the backing plate, that could make more work for the future!!  :rolleyes: