bearings on these beasts

Eldorado · 10-17-2007, 09:22 PM

I know the rear bearings well... most of you will remember that pic I posted - due to this being a G - rated board, I wont post the pic of my bearing's horrible death again..

now the fronts on the other hand... what's the deal with those? I haven't had the time to rip the wheel off yet and take a look, but what am I looking at here? clarks, as far as I know, doesn't mention the front bearings at all... just the rears..

is it a hub assembly? or are they individual pieces like the rears?

remember we're talking about an early car here, which is different than the laters.

Eldorado · 12:14 AM

found the directions..
anyone have a parts list I'd need to do a front wheel bearing job?

924Sman · 10-18-2007, 02:16 AM

EZ work....same style as rears...

Dal

Techno Duck · Techno Duck's Garage

Get the proper bearings for the early offset hubs and new inner seals.

Tidybuoy · 10-18-2007, 09:39 AM

Very easy to do, after you remove the hub (by loosening the little allen bolt) you just pop out the old bearings and put in the new (greased) ones.

The bearing race is the most difficult to get out as it is pressed in. I used a plastic sprinkler pipe, caught the edge of the race and tapped it out - took about 5 minutes.

Vern

Slam · 10-18-2007, 01:41 PM

Throw your new races in the freezer a couple of hours before install. That'll help. If you really want to get technical you can heat the hubs in the oven, too...

Eldorado · 10-18-2007, 07:44 PM

great ideas guys..

anyone have a parts list? only list available on clarks is for the rears.. and I dont have PET available to me right now..

TNT25169 · 10-22-2007, 07:51 AM

I am trying to remove rear steel hubs and I can't seem to get them out of the trailing arm. I've been prying and pounding and they just won't budge. Anyone have any advice?

Eldorado · 10-22-2007, 08:37 AM

mine just pulled out. Are you sure you're not missing a bolt somewhere?

Slam · 10-22-2007, 08:38 AM

I'm assuming you've disconnected the CV axle? I place a block of wood on the stub axle and pound it inboard - that should break everything free and you can pull the hub off. It shouldn't take a lot of force.

TNT25169 · 10-22-2007, 12:11 PM

The trailing arms are off the car and everything is disconnected but it won't pull out. I remove the rotor and I pulled really hard on the hub and it won't move. Am I supposed to remove something ni the back where the cv joints connect? Such as a bearing cup? Everything that bolts on is disconnected as far as I can tell. I will post pictures tonight.

Slam · 10-22-2007, 08:37 PM

At the risk of sounding like someone's grandma, you did remove the huge nut holding the hub to the stub axle, didn't you? I'm stumped. Maybe the pics will help.

BTW, Kyle, did you get your parts together? I found the only part of the job that required a little finesse was learning how to adjust the bearings. And the inner hex bolts on the clamping nuts can strip out easily. If you liked making mud pies as a kid then bearing grease is the thing for you.

Eldorado · 10-22-2007, 08:51 PM

i've got the parts i need, yea.. not as many pieces as the rears..

what exactly about the bearings need to be 'adjusted'?

Slam · 10-22-2007, 09:14 PM

Haynes describes the process as spinning the hub by hand and tightening the clamping nut to seat the bearings properly. They're adjusted when you can just move the thrust washer with the blade of a screwdriver, unsupported. I've seen mechanics do this just by hand-tightening the clamping nut and I know of one source that says 'finger tight plus 1/4 turn' to adjust. Too tight and the bearings wear fast. Too loose and the car ends up with excess bump steer and a wandering front end. Used to drive me nuts. When it's done right (and regularly) you'll notice a definite improvement in the way the car handles. I'm sure there are guys here with much more knowledge about this than I have, though. There's some interesting stuff on the net about bearing preload too.

Eldorado · 10-22-2007, 09:26 PM

I've done the rears so it's nothing new, but the fronts are a little different..

so I figure i'll order that stuff.. need to order some oil filters and an air filter as well anyway.. looks like everything is going to come out to about 200 bucks.. bearings on 3 corners (did the 4th last year).. hard to ignore that sweet US dollar

and it'll be nice to get that "wubwubwubwubwubwub" sound out of the right side of the car while driving :P

TNT25169 · 10-23-2007, 06:11 AM

Here are a few pictures. I would think the hub would just pull out but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Slam · 10-23-2007, 03:12 PM

Hmmm. I don't know a lot about the later cars but I can't see a reason that wouldn't come off. Maybe try tapping it in instead of out - it may be cockeyed and binding. Can you snap a pic of the back? You got me... (not saying much, really...)

onZedge · 10-23-2007, 03:39 PM

Arnnworx says to use a big slide hammer. FSM says to hammer it out from the backside with a drift.

I'm doing those rear aluminum trailing arm bearings this weekend. I plan on not removing the arms from the car. I have the Arnnworx bearing puller, but have to rent a bearing separator and now, a big slide hammer as well. Thanks for the heads up.

Slam · 10-25-2007, 07:12 AM

So on the later cars the hub is pressed into the control arm? You poor sod.

bazar01 · bazar01's Garage

The hub and internal (female) spline is one piece. It rides on the wheel bearing's 2-piece inner race.
Once the hub breaks free from half of split inner race, it will take with it the other half of the inner race.
A slide hammer from the front or a hammer and drift on the backside will get it off.
There is a lot of resistance because the ball bearings are still riding on the inner race groove.
For the hub to come off, the ball bearings have to jump off the inner race groove.