Hi Folks, Please HELP!!! I am going to change my bearings this weekend. Can anyone give me some brief instructions and what to watch out for. Also, am I going to need any special tools or will regular pullers work. Thank you
another thread "somewhere" said you need the mother of all presses to get the new ones in even if you can get the old ones out. Think for a moment about having no wheels whilst you solve it, eg alternative transport, or how you will get the car to the dealers mid-job if it goes belly up.
pessimistic but a relvant risk from a non-technical project manager......and good luck.
I meant Rear Wheel Bearings
Getting the new one in is easy compared to getting the old one out. If you're good with a cutting torch it's not too bad a job.
Rear wheel bearing? You need a special socket tool to get your wheel bearing out. Other than that... normal tool including a monster prybar to knock out the CV joint shaft. Lots of patience and keep your finger away from the half shaft when removing or installing it.
Hi Tiger, Thank you for the reply. Is the special socket you write about for taking the center nut off? Once the big center nut has been removed and the half shaft disconned at the diff, will the half shaft not slide out towards the diff? Is this where you need the big pry bar to slide the half shaft out? you mention about keeping your finge clear- What can bite you?
The center nut that you see from outside in the center of the axle is to hold the half shaft in... What really hold the wheel bearing in is a monster nut in the rear that can only be accessed with the half shaft out.
The half shaft must be pried out toward the differential... since there is very little margin of movement... pry bar is a necessity. What can bite your finger? If you try to move the halfshaft out of the hole and the prybar slipped off... it will bite your finger off... well, enough to send you hollering if not hospital.
What nut are you talking about? The bearing is held in the upright by a snap ring and corrosion.
Mmm... I am referring to my experience with W126... I can't imagine the wheel bearing held in place by a snap ring... I ought to check the manual on this matter.
The 124 and 126 have waaayy different rear wheel bearings. The 126 is similar (if not the same) as the 116. The 124 has a one piece bearing much like that used on the front of front wheel drive cars. In my experience the 126/116 rear bearing is much easier to replace than the
124.
Chas, the 126 rear wheel bearings and hub flange shaft(short) are secured by a slotted nut of 55mm outside dia as Tiger pointed out. The slotted nut has four (4) slots. Besides the special tool required, could you please elaborate on how you would pull the hub flange shaft out of its carrier? I understand that the inner bearing (smaller one of the two) is press-on to the shaft. Was told that its tight?
Thank you.
...ricardo
IIRC, I tapped the flange with a hammer and it easily came out. If that won't do it, a slide hammer will. I'm sure Benz has some special press to extract the shaft.
It sure sound simple enough, but I dreaded to venture into the unknown;-)) Yes, MB manual shows using a slide hammer,don't own one, for removal and uses a special installer to install the bearing initially and using the specially purchased $ocket to snug it up to final setup! At 210K kms, I "itched" to want to repack those bearings while there ;-)) Thanks for sharing, Chas
...ricardo
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