Skoda Fabia Wheel Bearing Problems

Hello!
I really messed up again today.

I let myself be persuaded to replace the front wheel bearing on a Skoda Fabia, chassis number 8004 / 363, manufactured in March 2004.

I ordered a wheel bearing from a reputable dealer, and they sent two, but they had different hub diameters. The VKBA 3569 bearing from SKF seemed like a good fit.
What was peculiar was that the toothed retaining rings were missing from both bearings.

"Okay," I thought, "I'll take it apart first and see what's going on."
The retaining ring was attached to the old bearing.

So, I called the dealer to find out what was going on and why the retaining ring was missing. The response I received was that it was a technical change that had been in place for a year, and that I could still install it without any problems.

So, I installed it myself. I bought the original tool from VW years ago, including the half-moon shaped pieces and the ring with the handle.
The bearing is inside, but it needs to be pushed in about 1 mm further. However, my tools don't allow for that, because they would then rest on the top of the wheel bearing housing.

I have no idea what to do next.
The "mm" refers to the approximate thickness of the retaining ring, and it seems that using a ring of that thickness would have worked.

Perhaps someone can tell me something about it. And what it's supposed to do, without the retaining ring.

Hi,

Can't you use the old wheel bearing as a tool to help press in the new bearing?
If there is a risk that this part will get stuck inside the housing, remove some material from the edge using the grinding disc.

Best regards, Rainer.

Hi!

No, I used to do that kind of work, I'm familiar with it, but in the case of the Skoda, the wheel bearing and hub are a single unit.

"Take it apart and send it back! The ring is essential; what else would prevent the bearing from migrating outwards?! Your dealer is telling you nonsense. About ~4 months ago, I installed a FAG bearing in a very similar Seat Ibiza, and of course, there was a ring on it; and that is certainly still the case today. "

@ Rainer: We're talking about something like this.

Hi!

Yes, that's the warehouse.
I also don't know why they left out the ring, and I can't explain it.
"However, that's now quite common. The manager of the company where I bought it knew about it and said that the products are now usually sold in that condition."

I have also searched online, and it turns out that the storage containers are available both with the ring and without.

Someone probably saved 50 cents in the wrong place again.

If necessary, you could use a flexible cutting tool to cut a 1-2 mm thick slice from the old stock, split it, and use it as a shim to press in. Alternatively, you could contact VW to see if they have a modified tool available.

The dealer isn't talking about the horse, but he's right. The VKBA3569 bearing has actually been manufactured by SKF without a retaining ring since the beginning of the year. We sell a lot of these bearings, and sometimes customers rightfully inquire about this ring that is no longer included. SKF has also confirmed this in writing.

http://www.skf.com/binary/68-235141/TB_VKBA_3569_EN_0115.pdf

I quickly checked the bulletin on the SKF website, but unfortunately, I only found it in English. However, if needed, I could also provide it in German. They all install it this way, so it should be possible.

Assembly instructions from SKF for this type of wheel bearing:
http://www.skf.com/binary/49-139997/PP-7-VKBA-3569-DE.pdf

What is the exchange program like for Skoda vehicles?
hg
Herbert.

Okay, I'll retract my statement about the dealer.

However, I still cannot approve of this in any way! A sports exhaust that is 2dB too loud will cause a vehicle to be taken off the road, but this is considered acceptable?!

"Someone should really challenge this in court. It's unacceptable that a vehicle with this modification could still be considered roadworthy and safe for operation."

I find it absolutely irresponsible on the part of the respective manufacturers!

Hello,

Steffen G wrote:

Hi! No, I used to do things like that, I'm familiar with it, but in the case of the Skoda, the wheel bearing and hub are one piece.

Okay, this design is new to me. Does the retaining ring actually engage in a groove (a), or does it simply press against the bearing housing (b)?

If option b), it might actually be possible to do without it, but overall it's a questionable design. If option a), how can the old wheel bearing be removed without causing damage?

Best regards, Rainer.

The ring engages in a groove, which is the only safety mechanism to prevent it from slipping out.
A non-destructive disassembly is not possible with this type, and in principle, it is not necessary either, because you don't just take it apart and put it back together for fun.

Hello!

So, at VW itself, the bearings still have the retaining ring. Other workshops haven't installed this type of bearing yet, or one workshop had received such a bearing but sent it back.

I've been to 3 larger, reputable workshops, and they all have the same tools as I do.

Ultimately, I can say that the car is running again, and I also identified the faulty wheel bearing.
"And the ABS is still working. Lucky me. However, I couldn't quite get the bearing fully seated; with a little more fiddling, it's still off by about half a millimeter."
I didn't see a chance to do it perfectly.

Here's something else that might be interesting for people who haven't done this before:

The ABS sensor is located directly behind the wheel bearing. In the seal of the wheel bearing, there is essentially an active sensor, with many small magnetic surfaces. When installing a new wheel bearing, you first use a magnetic field card to check that all the magnets are present.
If the magnetic surface is damaged, you essentially have to repeat the entire process because the ABS system will no longer function correctly.

If the ABS sensor ever fails, you'll also have a problem because they tend to corrode and become stuck. I doubt you'll be able to remove the sensors completely without leaving any residue, and those fragments could also damage the magnetic ring.

So, to summarize, this is a "great" construction, provided it lasts forever.
My parts supplier was boasting about how many of those wheel bearing kits he was going to sell.
And the car is 11 years old and has just reached 100,000 km, so in older Golf models, for example, the front wheel bearings usually wouldn't fail.
The other side of the Skoda is slowly starting to show.

Therefore, I can only warn everyone:
Don't buy bearings without a retaining ring; you're taking a high risk that the ABS will fail. Honestly, I was also annoyed that I let the dealer talk me into it and installed them anyway.

And on top of that, because I wanted to do it especially well and buy what I thought was the best quality.

Hello everyone!

Understanding question regarding G.Point's report:
According to the linked PDF by von SteffenW., SKF clearly states that the wheel bearing without a retaining ring represents a further development.
I simply cannot imagine that a reputable manufacturer/supplier would, even with the best of intentions, simply omit or carelessly "rationalize" a safety feature.

Doesn't the outer joint of the drive shaft secure the wheel bearing in the hub, preventing it from coming loose? Or am I mistaken?
It is not permitted to move the vehicle with loose or removed drive shafts due to the design of the wheel bearings - and that's why!
...at least it appears that way with the T5...

Best regards from Munich!

Quote:

Doesn't the outer joint of the driveshaft secure the wheel bearing in the hub, so that it cannot "come loose," or am I wrong?

If it's "thick" enough, sure!

Hello!

"The wheel certainly won't come off if the wheel bearing migrates outwards within the axle housing due to cornering forces or something else."
The first thing I notice is that the ABS is failing. This used to be a common problem with inexperienced mechanics who installed the wheel bearings using a press or hammer, forcing them over the hub. They would then try to pry the retaining ring into place as far as possible using a screwdriver.

If the wheel bearing is damaged, I either see the brake disc rubbing against the brake caliper bracket, or the outer constant velocity (CV) joint within the hub assembly.

You can definitely tell.

A few years ago, I already had a "proper" bearing pressed in, and I remember working with a pressing force of about 1 ton, which is common for older types of wheel bearings.

The "newly designed" one definitely weighed more; I think it was almost 2 tons.

Okay, I trust the developers that it will work, but with the original VW special tool, it doesn't really work properly anymore.

Hi.

I have already replaced quite a few wheel bearings in Audi models, specifically the Audi 80 B3 and B4, and the A4 B5. These models don't have any retaining rings securing the wheel bearing; they are simply pressed in until they are flush, and that holds securely.

So, why shouldn't it work here?

Best regards, Rüdi.