Hello - Went to purchase a replacement wheel bearing and asked for the grease seals and the guy at AutoZone told me they are "built" into the bearing assembly?? Has anyone else run into this? Are new grease seals not needed when replacing the old bearing with a newer bearing that's now been developed with the seals already in place?
Thanks in advance, Mike
It's been like that since the mid-to late 70's for the Dasher, Rabbit, Golf, Jetta, Passat, etc. Sounds like you need a manual for your car which shows how the bearing is to be replaced.
If you do not know how the bearing is assembled you are in for an adventure replacing it. Did you buy $300 worth of tools? You need a
3/4" ratchet or breaker bar with the correct socket to remove the drive shaft nut which is torqued to about 300 lb/ft. You need the 12 or is it 6 po>Hello -Jim B.
That about covers it for the DIYer. If you have all the tools and know-how like us old farts then both sides can be done in 1 hour and ready for the alignment rack.
Front wheel bearings are sealed:
The other guys covered this pretty well, the only thing that I'll add is that after swapping engines, transmissions, axles and putting a new headliner/pad/top on my Rabbit convertible (and a million other little things) all by myself, I paid someone else to do the wheel bearings. Roger's got pretty good instructions on how to do it but I don't have much experience with a shop press. so figuring in the cost of a press and my lack of knowledge I decided to let the experts do this one. It sounds like you expected to find "normal" bearings so I recommend that you pass on this one too.
HTH Steve
You can also rent a special pressing tool and replace the front bearings on the car and without removing the axle from the transmission. You can rent the tool from RapidParts in NY. Rental, shipping both ways and new bearings will probably run you about $100-120. The Rapid Parts rental also includes a socket for the front axle nut (although it's 1/2 inch drive... 3/4 inch drive socket or an impact gun is better) and heavy duty circlips. I did this several years ago and have a writeup if you want it. Email me if so.
Is a front wheel bearing job on a '92 Cab really that much different than on my '87 GTI? 300 ft-lb?! The axle nut on my GTI is torqued to 170 ft-lb and is easily manageable with a modest 1/2" drive breaker bar. I'm not familiar with the '92 Cab, but I'd be surprised if the torque spec would be that much higher. The bolts holding the inner CV joints to the drive flanges are internally wrenched 12-point "triple square" bolts. I think this bit is now available at Sears, but you can also get one from Snap-On or Mac (as I did) for around $10. The driveshafts can be removed from the hubs without affecting the alignment by separating at the lower ball joint, after which a Schlay (or equivalent) "on car" wheel bearing tool can be used to press the bearing in and out without removing the hub from the car. I bought mine, but I think this tool can be rented too. It works very well. What the heck are the "internal clip pliers" used for?
No realignment is required if an "on car" wheeling bearing tool is used. Why wouldn't dealer service departments invest in such a tool? It makes the job quicker and spares the customer the additional cost of realignment.
Jim B.
I've always assumed that the breaking torque should be roughly the same as the tightening torque. And yeah, now I remember the circlips after referring to my Bentley; it's been quite a while since I changed my bearings (so to speak).
If you haven't used the on-car wheel bearing tool before, it's pretty slick. First you need to remove the caliper and rotor, of course. You then remove the control arm bolt and remove the ball joint from the knuckle. This allows you to swing the strut and knuckle out to remove the axle shaft. This maintains the alignment. The hub is then removed by threading a couple of long bolts through 180 degree opposing holes the hub so they bear against the steering knuckle. As you alternately turn these bolts in, the hub is slowly pressed out. The old bearing is destroyed during this process. The instructions say to remove the inner race from the hub using a bearing separator. I vaguely recall that I was able to sneak the sharp claws of a small two-arm puller under the race to pull it off. The old bearing is pressed out of the knuckle using a long bolt and nut, along with a properly sized pusher washer and cup that come as part of the tool. The new bearing is pressed into the knuckle, and the hub is pressed into the new bearing, in a similar manner.
I know of a couple companies that sell this type of tool. Schley Products, Inc.
Jim B.
Yeah, I can see how someone with the right equipment could probably make one without to much trouble. The first time I used mine, I remember thinking that you could probably piece together a high strength bolt, nut, washer, and a large socket to do the same thing.
One day I will try Harbor Freight's tool!
later, dave Reminder........ Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them, and you have their shoes. Frieda Norris
The Harbor Freight tool looks very similar to my Schley except it's significantly cheaper. You ask how to remove the hub from the wheel bearing? Pretty simple. The hub is pushed out of the bearing by threading a couple of long bolts through two wheel bolt holes in the hub that are 180 degrees apart. As the two bolts are alternately tightened to the point that they bear on the steering knuckle (or a backing plate supplied with some kits), the hub is slowly pressed out of the bearing. This actually destroys the old bearing, pulling it apart, with the inner race remaining on the hub. The race is then removed from the hub with a bearing puller.
I learn something new each day!!! I thought the better tools will have that strange looking device that slips inbetween the hub and knuckle and allows you to 'press' the hub out of the bearing.
BTW I had heard of the two long bolts pressing the hub out, but I usually use my BFH and another tool to whack it out in about 30 seconds. I remove the race off the hub with a bearing separator
later, dave Reminder........ Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them, and you have their shoes. Frieda Norris
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