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General => The garage => Topic started by: Doug Mk2 on 27 May 2004, 14:00

Title: wheel bearings?
Post by: Doug Mk2 on 27 May 2004, 14:00

When driving along between 30 and 40 mph, I hear a constant whine coming from the nearside front wheel. Does this mean that the wheel bearings are knackered?

Are they easy to fix? Should you change the nearside and offside together?

Cheers

Doug

Title: Re:wheel bearings?
Post by: mk1 on 27 May 2004, 20:34

Not to hard a job, remove wheel, brake caliper and disc, drive shaft outer hub nut, btm ball joint pinch bolt, track rod end. Lever down the wishbone to release the hub from the btm ball joint and pull the hub outwards off the outer cv joint. Undo the two strut to hub bolts (mark these to keep the camber settings)and remove the hub. Press out the drive flange then press out the bearing. Press the new bearing in and rebuild. If you do not understand the procedure, I would recommend entrusting the job to someone who is competent because this is a critical component on the car.
Steve.

Title: Re:wheel bearings?
Post by: richandhazel on 28 May 2004, 09:47

Ideally you'll need access to a hydraulic press to push out the old bearing and push in the new one.

Title: Re:wheel bearings?
Post by: VeeDubGTI16v on 28 May 2004, 11:23

cough block of wood and a mallet cough

Title: Re:wheel bearings?
Post by: golfvr6 on 29 May 2004, 15:45

can it be done without a press?
really?
answers from people that have ACTUALLY done it please  ;)

Title: Re:wheel bearings?
Post by: mk1 on 29 May 2004, 17:53

I have done it using a vice, bit of a scutter but can be done.
Steve.

Title: Re:wheel bearings?
Post by: Blue MK2 on 29 May 2004, 20:35

my dad is going to fit new rear bearings.

Ill let you guys know how he does it. He claims its a piece of piss :-\

Title: Re:wheel bearings?
Post by: richandhazel on 05 June 2004, 20:03

Rear wheel bearing are taper bearings and you are correct, they are easy..........Front ones are a different matter all together.
Straight bearings with an interference fit.

The first time I carried out the job, I broke the jaw off my vice ::)
Took it to work and used the hydraulic press and it took 10 tonne to start it moving :o
Once it started moving, it wasn't so bad.

Title: Re:wheel bearings?
Post by: VeeDubGTI16v on 06 June 2004, 19:02

the hammer technique must only work for the rears then :D

Title: Re:wheel bearings?
Post by: Veedubgt18v on 06 June 2004, 21:08

huh? you can take them out with your fingers, remember when we did the drums on my driver?

Title: Re:wheel bearings?
Post by: golfvr6 on 06 June 2004, 21:12

I got the inner races out with my fingers on my Golf  :D

Title: Re:wheel bearings?
Post by: Veedubgt18v on 06 June 2004, 21:17

yep. once i took the split pin out and undid the castellated nut it all just came apart, putting the drum back together was a bit of a b!tch, i pinched my finger in the handbrake bit.  >:(

Title: Re:wheel bearings?
Post by: golfvr6 on 06 June 2004, 21:20

Except when you change the wheel bearings you do need to change the inner races, they are a tight fit, hammer and old shells work a treat.
They don't really come out with your fingers  ;) :D

Title: Re:wheel bearings?
Post by: Veedubgt18v on 06 June 2004, 21:40

hmmm.....

mine were all skanky and didnt exactly fall out but they came off with a flat blade screwdriver wiggle job

Title: Re:wheel bearings?
Post by: Veedubgt18v on 06 June 2004, 21:40

good job i changed them really  :o

Title: Re:wheel bearings?
Post by: golfvr6 on 06 June 2004, 23:31

Yeah they must have been f**ked  :D