Wheel Bearing Replacement

[Kaliv]

I'm thinking that I need to replace my front wheel bearings. I'm hoping this to be a DIY project for me. Problem is...I didn't see any write-up in Wayne's book.

How difficult is the task?
Would I need any special tools?
Are there other parts that need to be replaced while swapping out the wheel bearings?
Do I need to buy grease? And what kind if I do?
Are there inside and outside front wheel bearings or just outside wheel bearings that get replaced?

As you might notice...I have no clue in this area...so any advice would be appreciated before I make a decision to get in over my head.

[dan88911]

I have not done the job. However, the Bentley Manual has some good infor on the process.

[James Brown]

it's straight forward, like any other spindal axle except you have to remove the brake callaper at the hard line so you must bleed the brakes when done. Should be 4 bearings (inner/outer) and 2 seals, the race can be removed with a punch or taken to a shop to be pressed out and in. any good grease is fine. Why do you think you need new ones? you should look at the old ones before you make this decision. Good news, this is a cheap project! I would rate it $ out of $$$$$

[SteveinTO]

I'd be inclined to replace the race along with the bearing. The race is the shiny round part, the bearing rattles when you shake it.

As stated above, you have to remove the hub/brake rotor to get access to the rear bearing, and that requires removal of the brake caliper (good op to examine the pads & rotor).

If you're a first timer, pack the wheel bearing correctly, don't just smear grease on it. Put a blorp of grease on your palm, jam the bearing edge into the grease forcing it through all the tumblers. Then a little grease on the race and install. Don't pack the hub with a jar of grease.

Install a new seal on the rear of the hub.

Tighten the adjustment nut so you can just slide the big flat-washer back & forth with a screwdriver. Double check your adjustment before lowering the car. Grab the wheel at 12 & 6 o'clock and rock. If you have more than just a hint of click-clack, you're too loose.

"Click-clack," that's a technical term. "More than a hint" means almost nothing.

[Classic]

Just completed this myself.

Not hard, and can be done at home.

Tools required are a drift, hammer, 6mm hex wrench the house hold oven and a freezer.

When you purchase the bearings they will come with the race. I, as would others advise on replacing both.

If you freeze your races for a couple of hours/days and heat the hub up in the oven, you will be able to push the race into the hub. Just get it square and push it in with a good pair of welding gloves, or whilst the wife's not looking the oven mitts.

You'll need to purchase the bearing seals, and they will slide in as above.

Once you get it apart you see there is a seal?(don't know what it's called) attached to the spindle, and this has an O ring underneath it.

I like to get the new bearing and blast it with brake cleaner, so i know nothing's in there from the manufacturing process, and then pack them with grease.

Grease wise i like high speed and any top brand will do.

And have a read of the technique for adjusting the thrust washer.

Hope that helps.

Tony

[Kaliv]

I think I need new ones because I'm getting a noise that I think it coming from my front passenger wheel...mostly at low speeds (<10) but sometimes I think I can hear something at higher speeds (50+). I did the shake the wheel test and my passenger wheel definately moves more than the driver's side.

If I were to inspect them...would all I have to do is take off the wheel and have a look? What would I be looking for anyway? Rust?

[James Brown]

leave the wheels on,take off the dust cap (jack up the front end, jackstands, remove tire, dustcap, replace tire/wheel) spin the wheel, listen and feel for grinding noise, chatter, ect.. pull thetop and push the bottom of the wheel in and out and see if there is any play. do this at 12 and 6, 3 and 9 o'clock. if there is play, tighten up the bearing nut (6mm allen) snug it down till there is no play. try a test drive to see if that fixes the probmem. if not, yeah you might need new ones but they don't go bad often. Mostly from sitting years with moisture in there. BTW, do you have a Bentley manual?

[KTL]

Low speed groan is sometimes a dragging brake caliper. As long as you're messing with the wheel bearings, pull the brake pads and see how much effort is required to retract the caliper pistons. If they're extremely hard to push back into the caliper, you've likely got a situation where the piston(s) are keeping the pad pressed against the brake rotor.

If it's wheel bearings, you definitely want to replace the race in the hub along with the roller bearing. Bearings and races are matched pieces, so it's best to replace them as a married pair.

[JeremyD]

BBQ grill is great for heating up the hubs (and not pissing off the wifey)

[James Brown]

l like the oven/freezer trick! it works for installing aircraft starter rings, sounds great.

[Kaliv]

Hmm, hopefully it's just the bearing nut needs tightening. So I'm checking that first.

I got a hold of a Bentley and it says carefully pry the dust cover off. Problem is...the stupid thing won't move and I'm starting to tear it up. Granted it probably hasn't been touched in 20 years and might just be stubborn.

But, what are you guys using to get it off? Any tricks you guys have up your sleeve?

[Zeke]

If you will type in "dust cap" in the search, your page might look like this:


removing front hub dust cap -how? (Multi-page thread 1 2)
srandallf 27 482 Porsche 911 Technical Forum
04-27-2009 07:39 AM
by srandallf Go to last post

Dust Cap Removal...
Mitch Leland 10 357 Porsche 911 Technical Forum
04-08-2008 02:31 PM
by Mitch Leland Go to last post
You have 1 post(s) in this thread, last 09-19-2004 Talking
Removal of Dust Cap on Frt wheels bearings (Multi-page thread 1 2 3)
CO_Porsching 56 7,280 Porsche 911 Technical Forum
04-08-2008 12:09 PM
by rusnak Go to last post

Getting Dust Cap Off Front wheel Bearings
Don Ivey 12 335 Porsche 911 Technical Forum
11-20-2007 08:16 PM
by deshetlr Go to last post

Easy front dust cap removal!
real550A 7 642 Porsche 911 Technical Forum
11-20-2006 01:31 PM
by mthomas58 Go to last post

Dust cap removal
ap911 16 524 Porsche 911 Technical Forum
07-07-2006 01:02 PM
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You have 1 post(s) in this thread, last 11-20-2004 Angry
how to remove bearing dust cap
vwmiker 19 671 Porsche 911 Technical Forum
01-03-2005 05:46 PM
by ChrisBennet Go to last post
Question
Alternator Bearing Dust Cap
Mike Andrew 1 252 Porsche 911 Technical Forum
03-09-2004 12:46 PM
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Dust cap help
Bags 12 370 Porsche 911 Technical Forum
02-15-2004 09:52 AM
by Gunter Go to last post
Question
Distributor dust cap
David E. Clark 6 342 Porsche 911 Technical Forum
07-01-2003 03:01 AM
by David E. Clark Go to last post

1 Attachment(s) How the flip do you get the dust cap off?
Jeff 17 659 Porsche 911 Technical Forum
10-09-2002 04:36 PM
by Wil Ferch Go to last post

Front Hub Dust Cap Removal (Multi-page thread 1 2)
MFB 21 794 Porsche 911 Technical Forum
08-08-2002 08:21 AM
by widebody911 Go to last post
Question
Help with front axle dust cap
Indy88Targa 10 400 Porsche 911 Technical Forum
07-02-2002 07:19 PM
by billwagnon Go to last post
Post
Home made dust cap puller

Well, not quite, it will be more user friendly.

[criv911]

I used the BBQ/Freezer method and it worked too well. I must have over heated the hub, cause the races spun in it. I'm sure many have done this with success, but I did not. Be careful.

[Kaliv]

Thanks Milt. Sometimes the obvious does elude me. Perhaps we should get something like this for the forum search function.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Porsche+dust+cap+removal

[James Brown]

"we need a search fourm for searches" quote of the day

[Nine9six]

Originally Posted by James Brown

"we need a search fourm for searches" ouote of the day

You also have the ability to revise or edit a post after posting with a typo
Notice the edit button at the bottom of your post
P.S. Are you really the Godfather of soul?

[burgermeister]

If the freeze-N-bake method results in a partially installed race (my case) and you realize you're going to start breaking things pretty soon, taking the hub to a halfway decent auto parts store also works. For $5 each, they pressed the races in for me in a few minutes. Obviously, said auto parts store must have a press in the back room ...

[Classic]

I also had the stuck race problem on one, i was a little too slow.... If you heat the whole hub and race for 5 minutes it will just press straight out.

Try and get everything close to your heat source, get the race nice and square and it will just push straight in... Takes all of 5 minutes to get them in, other then heating and freezing.

Pressing in the race without a suitably sized spacer to put the pressure around the entire race, you can end up nicking/scoring the race, which will lead to premature bearing wear.

When i removed mine, you could see where the PO had used a punch, or an ill placed press and had nicked the race for the outer bearing... On the bearing surface itself was a gouge that matched perfectly all the way around. Probably why it sounded like there was sand in the bearing, when i spun the wheel.

[Kaliv]

Seems every time I want to try and be mechnical, I run into the "20 year old" problem. I've tried the clamp idea, I've tried PB Blaster, I've tried heat, and I've beat the crap out of it. It's being a very stubburn 20 year old part. And the worst part is, I don't think I've even moved it a little bit.

My main concern is fixing the noise that I keep hearing. Whether is be tightening the hub or replacing the bearing/racers. But while in there, I was wondering if my brakes look a little too close to the rotors. I've never changed brakes before so I don't have any idea how close they are suppose to be.

[JB36]

It is stubborn, but try attaching your 2" exhaust clamp tightly around the indent of the cap. Use the nail remover end of a hammer and pry off; rotating around the circumference. Should pop off ok.