Is it worth the money to buy a shop press to do the wheel bearings? Vs. pay a shop.

[4A Play]

So I have a growling sound coming from the right rear wheel that stops when I turn right. 99% sure its a wheel bearing.

I called around and got a few quotes. Around $250 for the rear bearings total.

For that much am I better of just going and buying a shop press and race push set from the local harbor freight for the same price?

Thanks guys!

[manufan]

If you take the hub off yourself and take it and the new bearing to be pressed, you should only be looking at $30 or so to do it.

[4A Play]

For real? Any auto shop can press in the bearings or will I need to find a machine shop. My local shop is that friendly to DIYers :(

[LDetter]

Any napa should be able to it, i think i read pep boys would do it too. I had a press to do mine but i didnt have the right tools to sepearte the bearing from the spindle so i eneded up having to go to a local machine shop that the had a clamp to seperate the bearing. If you can get the spindel...i guess thats what you would call it, (round thing were the lug nuts go into) out without having the bearing come with it then you should be able to do the job without any specail tools. That wasn't the case for me though. Id just take it to a napa or a local machine shop and let them do it.

[4A Play]

hmmmm are there any DIYs floating around?

[LDetter]

There is a good one on audiworld tech articles for a s4. Its the same for our cars though, thats what I used. It is very detailed with step by step pics.

[Latin Audi]

^ agree completely. I did my fronts not too long ago and I just took my hub off and a shop charged me $20 to press the old out and new in.

[kjgarreau]

The shop wants $250 to do both rear bearings? If so, that's a great price. If I had to choose between paying $100 for the parts and probably another $50-$60 to press out two bearings, I'd pay them to do it (especially in January).

If it's $250/side... do it yourself.

[4A Play]

^Well $250 at a regular shop for both sides. Not the dealer. And anytime the car goes to the regular mechanic they find 10 other things that she needs if you know what I mean.

Am I looking at $20 per hub? or for the whole job?

[tdn]

per hub. you'll have to shop around, people say $20 but that doesn't mean it's what you'll pay. The cheapest I could find when I did one of mine was $30. I'm sure if I planned better I could have found someone to do it for $20. I had a vw mechanic try charging me $90, trying to play it off as if it was brain surgery.

Call around, see who'll do it for you and for how much. Napa would be a good start.

[burner799]

uhmm... can't you take the bearings out yourself? and put them back in....done a handful of cv boots and have cleaned out the bearings by hand.

[pac1085]

If that $250 includes an alignment (which is needed, unless they use a hub shark to remove the bearing) then it's a great deal! If you plan on taking it apart yourself, plan on getting an alignment ($100) as well.

[burner799]

^^maybe i'm confused. Isn't the wheel bearing the bearing inside the hub that you take off when doing the outer cv boot? you wouldn't need an alignment after that if it is the case.

[kjgarreau]

Even $250 for both sides without an alignment is a good deal. $100 in parts and even $30/side to do the pressing... is $160. In January, I'd be paying the extra $90 not to have to do it myself. And you've got whatever warranty the shop offers. Just my two cents.

[danphines]

^^maybe i'm confused. Isn't the wheel bearing the bearing inside the hub that you take off when doing the outer cv boot? you wouldn't need an alignment after that if it is the case.

if you leave the upright on when doing the wheel bearing by using a hub shark you do not need an alignment but if you take the whole upright off which is much easier then you can just takr it to like pep boys and have them press it in for you.

Here is a link to the DIY
http://www.audiworld.com/tech/wheel33.shtml

If you have questions about it shoot me a pm i helped my brother with his(mine is fwd its different) but his is a quattro and it was not really that hard. you just have to be good with your hands.

[Mott6904]

It just changed my right rear bearing tonight. It took about 20 minutes to get the knuckle off then about 1.5 to press the bearing out and new one in, just because i make to make a tool to press it in without messing up the bearing. It only cost me 60 bucks for the bearing. Now im riding smooth and quiet

[NK2007]

I did this over the summer, and I'd say go for the hf press, unless there is a local automotive hobby shop. Also, while at harbor frieght, pick up a bearing race separator for $15

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=3979

That $15 will save you hours of trying to get the inner bearing race off the hub!