Noob question
 

Why there isn't a replacing wheel bearings project in the 101 Book?

My left front wheel has developed a rhythmic knocking when the steering wheel is on "hard turn". The Bentley's suspension troubleshooting suggest wheel bearing's replacement. How hard is this job?

I already ordered new wheel bearings. Other than tools, what else am I going to need? :confused:

Thanks

Replacing Bearings is not the only thing, per Steve Alarcon, Johnson's Alignment.

You will most likely have to replace the inner bearing hub, they tend to wear out. But you have press them in.

I have the same issue on my driver side wheel. Try to tighten it first to see if that will help. Do a search it is very easy to do.

After adjustment driver her around and then stop and put your hands on the tire from the inside and pull several times. If you don't hear a click you are good to go.

Thanks Draco, I will try adjusting it first, I hope that will take care of it. I surely don't want to replace the wheel hub. :(

No Problem Brother!

Do the adjustment when you car is cold, some have even placed their bearings in the freezer to shrink the metal. I haven't done this but did adjust when cold.

Bearing adjustment is recommended when you do oil changes.

If I may suggest get the Bentley Manual too, priceless

I already have the Bentley, it shows how to do wheel bearing adjustments, I will do that asaic. :)

thanks again.

Cool,

Strange but makes sense the left will get loose, the wheel turns mostly the same direction the adjustment clamp goes loose. Just my observation.

PAG did not think this one through.

I learned how to check the wheel for looseness by watching the speed channel and saw techs pulling and pushing on the wheels for loose bearings. fyi.

It is the Inner Race I believe not the hub.

If you ordered the bearings, or even if you just clean and repack the originals, you should order two wheel bearing seals, one for each side. To remove the inner bearing, you will pry out the grease seal from the hub and probably ruin it.

To clarify, if you replace the bearing, you should replace the race also. They're generally a matched set. The race is a pressed fit in the aluminum hub. You can beat them out with a drift & BFH, but I consider it more stylish for us effete, Porsche owners to gently press them out. It's not a Ford truck for Pete's sake.

The freezer part is for the new race prior to being pressed in. Putting it in the freezer for an hour will shrink it momentarily and make it easier to press in...or beat in with a socket and the ubiquitous BFH.

If you want to just try adjusting them prior to replacement, I don't think you need to freeze anything for that. 'Course if you're in the mid-west, just work in the drive-way and eliminate the fridge altogether.

Anyway, dive-in. It's pretty basic auto mechanics and there's alot folks here to help.

Steve,

Thank you for helping me.

So, I need to buy 2 of these seals also? Pel part # 477-405-641-M204

What's the Pel part # for the race's, I can't find them?

There's a part for removal of the rear wheel bearings, how about the front ones, what can I use to press them out properly, don't want to go Cromagnon on them.:rolleyes:

What is BFH?:confused:

(I'm subscribed to this thread: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsche-911-technical-forum/385890-acronyms-abbreviations-technical-terms-jargon.html

Milt mentions BFH but he never tells what it is?


from steve

I'm in the northeast, still pretty cold, not as bad as last week though.:(

Thanks again.

BFH is a big f---ing hammer!!!

The bearings come with races. So for each front wheel you will need one inner bearing, one outer bearing, and one seal.
Some suggest replacing the spacer ring (maybe what Steve is referring to as 'races'?) and it's O-ring also, but they are more difficult to remove from the spindle. Mine looked ok, so I left them in place when I did my wheel bearings.

Thanks for the definition Poor-. :)


gtc, if you don't mind me asking, what tool did you used for getting the bearings out of the hub and for pressing them back in?

thanks

So, I've searched the forums for wheel bearing replacements and I read most of the threads that resulted from my search. I understand the process and I'm aware of heating the hub and using a press to remove the bearings and reinstall them. Since I'm still not sure if I have to replace them or adjust them, I will try the latter first, even though I already ordered the parts. I'll replace them if I have to. Anyway, I jacked my car today, place the stands and took off the wheel. I have to be honest here, as soon as I saw the grease cap I froze, even if it's only 34f outside.

How do I get the grease cap out without damaging it?

Using bare hands I tried to unscrew it, nothing happened. Then I tried pulling it, but it won't budge.:confused:

Can someone help me on how to make it come off? I would like to adjust this immediately.

thanks,

They make a tool for removing the cap but using a blunt end punch you can tap it with a hammer going to opposite sides and it will work it out. Some use a large set of channel lock pliers and wiggle them out, just don't do anything hard enough to dent the crap out of them. The races will be a lot harder to remove and install. Once you get the hub off the outside bearing will fall out then you need to remove the inside seal to have the inside bearing fall out. Now when you look inside the hub the races for both are (pressed in) the hub but there are opposing notches in the hub so you can tap them out with a punch. Pretty basic and once you do one you'll do the others in no time. If your still confused at this point try to get some help so you can see how its done on the first one. Installing the new races (and don't put new bearings in with the old races still in there) is a little more tricky and the seal can be real challenging because they distort very easy. I always buy at least on extra seal just in case. Be very careful because the hub is cast aluminum and can distort easily, new they cost a little over $300. each if you can still get them. I've done many bearing and race replacements on other cars/trucks but my Porsche was a bit of a challenge because of the aluminum hub.

I use 2 hammers, wear eye protection:

Place claw of 1 hammer on the cap edge, hammer face pointing up. Strike hammer #1 with hammer # 2. The curve of the claw on hammer # 1 is a natural for helping change the direction of the force. turn the wheel, doing this in a couple of places.
The cap should pop off easily.

Note--two hardened steel surfaces coming together is generally a bad thing, don't use a lot of force and wear eye protection.

O'Neal

PS Did eye mention to wear eye protection??:eek:

when you are ready to install the bearings you must pack them with the proper grease. acquire some wheel bearing grease from the parts store it doesn't matter what brand no matter what anyone says. put a small amount amount of grease ( a tablespoon or so) in your left palm then holding the bearing in your right hand between your index finger and thumb push the grease through the SIDE of the bearing parallel to the rollers until it goes across the entire surface and through the other side moving around the entire bearing. then spread the grease around the bearing roller surface for good measure.when you tighten the bearing get it snug then while turning the hub LOAD the bearing down somewhat tight. then back off the collar slightly. if you make it to tight (the collar) the bearing will fail. you should be able to move the washer under the collar with a screwdriver blade with a little force. it takes some time and experience to feel the proper torque.

yes the cheapo lard base grease is just fine!!



if you are going to this much effort - and if it lasts many many years -- why not use something good??

i believe anything that a napa or autozone offers as wheel bearing high temp grease will be fine. not lard for chicken frying. a little critical perhaps.

nice Golden...

but why not spend another buck for Synpower or something similar?

Thanks guy's,

Well, I failed again. I tried using one of those rubber head hammers and hitting that one with another hammer, it did not move. The rubber hammer it's too big to fit in the right angle. I guess I need something else. I will check the local hardware store to see if they have anything that might help get this cap out of there.

Also, I noticed that when I was tightening my lug nuts the movement of the wheel while applying heavy force produces a small "ticking" sound, does this mean that adjustment is out of the question, and that the bearings are kaput?

RWebb- Where can I buy that Synpower, do pep boy's carry these?

The Bentley say's lithium based grease and they have that at the local pep boy's.

thanks

i use a small chisel and hit it from behind working around the cap

kodi,

I'm going to try that tomorrow.

What about my bearings? Do you think they're toast.

thanks.

any parts shop should have the Valvoline Synpower

Shoot, I'm glad we got the BFH explained. Handy tool.

The best way to tell if a bearing is "toast" is to eyeball it.....well unless it seized.

You've done the hard part, blocking the car & getting the wheel off in 32 degree weather. Wrestle that cap off. Loosen the allen bolt on the nut. Back out the nut. The big flat washer & outer bearing will fall out in your hand. Clean them up in a coffee can of paint thinner. The tumblers should appear shiny and smooth and be a little loose in the cage. No discoloring, like turning blue. Blue is bad & indicates too much heat/no grease. Do a search online to see pics of all the myriad ways bearings can fail.

The inner bearing is a little more difficult because the brake caliper must be removed. There's a whole dance you do to retain as much brake fluid as possible, but undo a brake line fitting, undo the two caliper bolts, remove caliper, remove hub & brake rotor (bolted together), hang caliper with a coat hanger in a position where you can reconnect the brake line to conserve fluid.

Pry out the seal and the inner bearing will be revealed, just like the front. Do a similar exam. Clean the gorp out of the hub and examine the races.

Now, you either re-pack and reassemble or replace races and pack new bearings. Don't forget to bleed the brakes when you're done.

Sorry for being so basic, but I sense it's your first time. Post some pics if you can. I think there's 4-5 guys here looking over your shoulder to help.

Thanks RWebb.

Steve-

Well the parts are still on their way here, and to be honest I'm still hoping that a wheel bearing adjustment might take care of the knocking sound.

The reason is that right now I don't have a garage, I'm parking my car in a public parking on my neighborhood. So what I've been doing everyday it's driving to a rest area, right under the Verazzano bridge on the belt parkway and trying to take care of this there. :eek:

Starting Feb 1st I'm taking a garage space two blocks from my place. If the bearings are shot then I'll have to deal with that once I have the garage. :(

thanks for the advice, I'm pretty sure I'm going to need it.

I admire your curiosity, driving to a parking lot to work on your car under the bridge. It's been a long time, but I recall field stripping a Hewland Mk-8 gearbox in a howling dirt storm, at night, at Willow Springs 35 year ago. Mercifully, it started to rain mud later in the evening. Remember it as kind of fun, in a bizarre way.

But I wouldn't do it again.

Recommend you not dig into the wheel bearings much further than an adjustment until you have a permanent garage, although I guess you could clean & repack the outer bearing without much disassembly. The condition of the grease in the outer bearing will give you a clue as to the condition of the inner bearing.

This is kind of an embarrassing post. :( All in all I haven't change my wheel bearings. First, I was never able to take out the grease cap :eek:, I know, I'm such a noob. The thinh is that I tried the rubber mallet, and I also tried the chisel. The chisel was starting to dent the grease cap and it never moved, so I stopped trying that.

I then went to this place "Formula Motorsports" in Queens, about 40 min from where I live. One of their mech's climbed into the car and we drove off, he was driving. He zigzagged the car at about 50mph, he also drove it in tight circles at about 15-20mph. He didn't hear the noise and he told me that it was not the wheel bearings. The problem is that you can only hear it when the car is cold, like overnight cold and when you are driving it at very low speeds, like 5mph. I noticed this after the visit.

Basically he said that I should leave him my car overnight for a more thorough checkup. When I told him about the chisel and the grease cap he looked at me like I was a savage beast and he said I should not do that and that there is a special tool for removing grease caps.

What the heck should I do?

Should I take the car back to him for checkup?

Should I buy the special tool?, if so where?

I haven't used my car much since, but the noise is getting on my nerves.

I'm sorry for a lame post, but I can't hit the grease cap any harder without damaging it.

Thank's for any help.

if you decide to proceed . attach a muffler clamp to the cap.( use the right size of course) then pry it off using a long screw driver.

I agree with the mechanic that looked at your car. A wheel bearing will very rarely cause a knocking noise in a front suspension. A failing wheel bearing will growl first and give a lot of advanced warning of it's impending failer. I can rattle off a dozen things that think it can be and a wheel bearing would be way down on the list. Your money would be well spent having the mechanic diagnose the actual problem. He must be able to duplicate the noise on a consistent bases to help you out.

Thank you both,

Kodi, muffler clamp..., I should have thought of that. Anyway, I bought a muffler clamp today, If I can't get it out using a screwdriver at least I will feel better whacking the shat out of the $4 muffler clamp instead of the grease cap.

dgmark, since I already have the new wheel bearings I'm going to change them anyway, the ones on the car are 20 yrs old. If that does not take care of it, I will take it to the mech in queens.

Thank you guy's.