Rear Wheel Bearings - How Do You Change Them?

[Masekwm 2]

Hello,

 

Just failed the yearly test for a noisy bearing, how do you change them? The Haynes ignores this job.

 

Search and ebay show that it's 1 piece, does it just bolt in?

 

 

Thanks

Keith

[Tom Fenton 1,526]

Remove wheel

Undo 2 off 19mm bolts holding on caliper, remove caliper complete

Undo screws if there and remove disc

Carefully prise/chisel hub grease cap off

Undo large nut in centre of wheel bearing

With a large copper mallet or a soft alloy drift, hammer the stub axle back into the trailing arm. This will release the bearing which will allow it to pull off. Ensure you do not damage stub axle.

Hammer stub axle back into trailing arm from other side.

Fit new bearing, torque nut up to spec, ensure stub axle is fully seated back into trailing arm.

Refit brakes & wheel.

[Anthony 1,000]

Only thing that I'd add to Tom's comments above is that if you do have a hub puller, then it's worth trying using that to remove the hub/bearing assembly before knocking the stub axle out - sometimes the hub/bearing comes off complete in which case it's a quick and simple job, whereas othertimes the bearing comes apart and leaves the inner race on the stub axle, in which case it's often easiest to knock the stub axle through to release it.

 

As Tom mentions above, be very careful not to damage the end of the stub axle when knocking it out, as it's easy to mushroom the end of it or damage the threads if you're a bit heavy handed. If I'm doing the job on the car I tend to put an old hub nut on the end, screwed on enough so that it's just sat proud of the end of the stub axle, and that way the nut gets damaged rather than the stab axle. Obviously you'll need to remove the hub nut once the stub axle starts to come out, but usually it'll knock out quite freely once it's moving.

[Redtop 14 2 Cars]

A copper hammer is very useful in this case. I have one and it's very good for some jobs, where you do not want to damage anything like threads. Well worth having in your tool kit imo. You get them with copper on one side and wood on the other.

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

Are you fitting the one that is pictured? If so unless it's got 306 or Xsara rear arms it won;t fit, GSF supplied at a guess if so?

[Masekwm 2]

Thanks Tom & Anthony, job was easier than I expected. The bearing was in two bits so I had to knock the stub out to get it off.

 

Miles - Image was from GSF advert on ebay and they are showing the wrong part

[johnhenry 20]

currently attempting this and have found haynes as useful as above - guessed most of the procedure and tom f described - however im struggling to 'fit the bearing' its so tight (as its supposed to be) but im worried by drifting in the bearing onto the stub axle im going to destroy the bearing. How do it do this bit? sorry its my first bearing attempt at anything to do with bearings and i have no idea what im doing!

[Tom Fenton 1,526]

Use a tubular drift to push against the inner bearing race, and knock it on. You need to get it reasonably square to start with, and you will have to hit it reasonably hard. I've not damaged one yet doing it this way. If you've nothing else a large socket say 32mm can be used to hammer on. Before you start check there are no dings or burrs on the stub axle, if there are remove them with a file as otherwise you'll just be hammering more to force the bearing over them.