Bearings and brakes

[Sgt_Lemon]

Needed a new o/s front wheel bearing for mot. Thought I should take the opportunity to grab different hubs so I could fit my 280 brakes at the same time. Is there a way to effectively test the wheel bearings with the hubs off the car, it wasn't something I thought to do while at the scrapyard?

Related, I had a seized rear brake calliper which I failed to unseize, again I have the mk4 callipers and the conversion hoses. My brake fluid looks alright, is it fine to just leave it if I switch those over aswell?

Finally, I ran out of time and didn't manage to grab a larger master cylinder, will the current 90 spec 8v gti one be good enough in the mean time?

[clipperjay]

You need rotational motion to see if you can hear rumbles or metal grinding otherwise long wrench to get the hubs off!
As for the master cylinder you can virtually buy brand new from ECP with decent trade account and ATE are OEM specs I think I paid £40 for a G60 item all you need is to blank off one or two fluid holes and only use the ones for the brake lines.
Have a look there might be a picture half way down showing the blanks!
http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=170521.220

[oakgreener]

There's no sure way to check a wheel bearing off the car,especially still in the hub. Only sure way is to replace .
The 8v master cylinder will give you too much pedal travel.

[Sgt_Lemon]

Fitted 2 new bearings, ordered new 16v mc

[monkey3]

You found some hubs at a breaker's yard?
Where?

I've been struggling for so long to find some, bought some from a forum and couldn't get the bearing out of one of them... smashed it to pieces and now I need another one.

[russ-vdub]

You found some hubs at a breaker's yard?
Where?

I've been struggling for so long to find some, bought some from a forum and couldn't get the bearing out of one of them... smashed it to pieces and now I need another one.

You managed to smash a hub to pieces? My mechanic got the bearing out in 2 minutes by welding the the front and then beating it out, for future reference

[monkey3]

Yup.

We had 2, managed to get the bearing out of one after about 10 minutes.
The other one just wouldn't budge (rusted to buggery) so we sat it in oil for 2 months to try to loosen it up and then spent about 45 minutes just trying to get the circlip out. Tried even to break it out but still nothing.
Hammers, chisels, old screwdrivers, compressed air percussion tools, 10 ton press...
Nothing. Nada.

Ah well.

I think I've found a new one now but I'm not sure if it's the right one:
http://contact.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?FindAnswers&redirect=0&iid=370986137983&requested=stevens_vw_dismantlers
It certainly looks like it and I think there's only one type of hub for a 90/92 golf with a separate caliper carrier...

[molegti]

You found some hubs at a breaker's yard?
Where?

I've been struggling for so long to find some, bought some from a forum and couldn't get the bearing out of one of them... smashed it to pieces and now I need another one.

Keep your options open. MK3 4 stud ones are the same I believe and SEAT Ibiza 4 stud ones definately are because thats what I have on mine.

[Sgt_Lemon]

Yeah when looking through a breakers you don't need a car with 280 disks, just ones that are 4 stud and have the detachable carriers. The ones I got where off a 1.6 mk3 and they fitted perfectly. You need the carriers of the big brakes though obviously.

Getting them off in the scrappy was a different thing, tightest bolts I have ever seen on a car. Had to leg press the spanner for every small rotation on every single bolt. 3 1/2 hours to remove a hub but luckily there was two of us. So we got both in 4 hours. Taking them off my car, 15 mins a side if that.

Removing the bearing for me involved cutting lots of it with a dremel to release pressure and an hour with a chisel till it moved, using the f**ked bearing outer case on the second one came off if 5 mins.

[monkey3]

Excellent!!!

Thanks guys. I'll be off to the breakers in search of a mk3 in that case.

Getting them off in the scrappy was a different thing, tightest bolts I have ever seen on a car. Had to leg press the spanner for every small rotation on every single bolt.

lol. I know that feeling.


Hopefully this will also help someone else looking here for inspiration.