Front Wheel Bearings

[105e 1]

Which way do the front bearings push out, believe my Haynes says push from the inside, tried this on my press but no movement. do they only go one way, thanks.

[Goliath 94]

Take the circlip out and then push them towards where the circlip was. So push from the outside, inwards. But you have to remove the circlip first!

[Tom Fenton 1,524]

They are retained by a big circlip, remove the circlip then you need to press them "inwards" e.g. towards the middle of the car when fitted.

 

In practise the hubs are an awkward shape and don't sit in a press well.

 

From having done quite a few, the best way is as follows;

 

Use a big hammer and drift, and punch the drive flange out of the middle of the bearing. This will 99% of the time take the wheel side inner race with it.

Now remove the big circlip, these can be corroded in place and a bit of a pig. You will need some substantial circlip pliers.

Next take a hammer and drift and knock the inner race and all the balls out of the bearing, leaving the outer race in the hub.

Clean out all the grease then with a MIG welder turned up as high as it will go run a bead of weld all the way around the inside of the outer race. This shrinks as it cools pulling the outer race in with it. With a decent cold chisel you can then knock the outer race out of the hub.

 

Putting the new bearing back in is an easy job with the press as you can sit the hub on its flat front face.

[105e 1]

Already got the circlip out which was a job on its own, hard to sit the hub nicely in the press that way round so I will try the mig, cheers.