Replacing front wheel bearings without removing the struts

Hello,

There are several manufacturers that offer a tool to allow the replacement of front wheel bearings with the spring strut still installed, such as:




Unfortunately, I don't understand how this is supposed to work . How do I get the old bearing off the wheel hub, let alone the wheel hub-bearing assembly out of the shock absorber? Okay, on the inside, the adapter plate of the spindle rests on the inner or outer ring of the bearing... but where does it support itself on the other side http://www.hazet.de/deutsch/radlager/4930_main.htm? The part on the other side should be much larger than the wheel hub and should rest on the shock absorber. However, the tool sets don't look like they contain such a large part. Where is my mistake, or does this even work without having to buy a new wheel hub? Thank you very much in advance http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2440513179&category=30922.

hello christian,

I had considered and even built something similar to what you're describing for my old Passat. One wheel bearing was fine, but the other was so stuck that it wouldn't budge even a millimeter. I ended up going to VW and having them press it out and replace it, which cost me a pretty penny. You should probably consider getting your alignment checked, or maybe even do it yourself. With a little effort and careful labeling of the strut bearings, you might even be able to avoid needing to press them out!

joergs wrote:

I had considered and even built something like what you're writing about for my old Passat. One wheel bearing failed, and the other was so tight that it wouldn't budge even a millimeter. I then went to VW and had them replace it, paying a hefty price, and they pressed it back in. You should probably consider getting an alignment done, or maybe even do it yourself. With a little diligence in marking the bearings of the shock absorbers, you might even be able to avoid that!

Hi Joerg,

I think that the Hazet tool can "exert" the necessary force. You had to remove the shock absorber during your procedure, and I'd like to avoid doing that because it's my friend's Audi 100.

How did you support your homemade tool on the hub side, and how did you remove the hub from the bearing?

Hi,
The wheel hub can be removed using excessively long wheel bolts, which are then supported on the wheel bearing housing. Any bearing rings remaining on the wheel hub can then be removed using a universal puller. Then, using the specified tool (after removing a retaining ring), the remaining part of the wheel bearing is removed from the wheel bearing housing.
During installation, the wheel bearing is first pressed in (and the wheel bearing housing should be thoroughly cleaned and lubricated beforehand); then, the hub is pressed in, for which there is a suitable ring for the pressing tool, so that the load acts on both the inner and outer bearing rings.
The preload is then adjusted by tightening the torque of the drive shaft.

Regards,

Olli.

Hi Olli,

aaaah, that sounds good . So, probably even the cheaper eBay tools will be sufficient. Then I correctly identified that this tool is not suitable for the entire job.

Now I've solved another puzzle: some time ago, I took my old Passat to a workshop to have the wheel bearings replaced. The mechanic told me a day later that the wheel hub was damaged. I then asked him how that could happen, and he replied that it was grooves caused by a defective bearing... blah blah blah. He probably tried to remove the old bearing without any skill or understanding, and in the process, damaged the hub . I can't explain it any other way, because it seems to block the front wheel rather than allowing the hub and inner ring of the bearing to move relative to each other .

Hi,
I built this tool myself. It consists of a suitable threaded rod (not too small), various pipe sections, and, of course, a turned-out support for holding the bearing in place. All in all, not that complicated.
Regarding replacing a defective wheel hub with a complete wheel bearing: It's not uncommon if you push the bearing to its absolute limit...
If the bearing is not properly seated, the inner ring can rotate on the hub, which can definitely cause scratches. Careless removal can also create scratches, but these probably don't significantly affect the function and can be removed. Scratches caused by a slipping inner ring affect the hub's centering, and in that case, replacement is the only solution. I've also seen wheel bearing housings that were dug up.

Regards,

Olli.

Since we're already talking about bearings...

Regarding the topic of storage, click >>HERE<</url>>HERE<<.

Have fun.

CU Gremlin.

Gremlin wrote:

If you want to know more about camping, click here

.

Hi Gremlin,

With which program can this be reproduced? Realplayer, Media Player, and QuickTime might not like this .

Best regards, Christian.

Um...

It is encoded using DivX, version 3 or 4. Most reasonably configured computers should be able to play it.

You are the first one to complain .

CU Gremlin.

Gremlin wrote:

You are the first one to complain . CU Gremlin

Okay. I couldn't read it either, but I didn't say anything .