ECS Rear Wheel Bearing Service Kit

[erikc17]

It's about that time to replace my rear wheel bearings. Has anyone used the ECS Schwaben rear wheel bearing service kit or know anyone who as used it? Looks like a good buy if it is as easy to use as they say, I was wondering if anyone could confirm that as it more than pays for itself vs. having it done at a shop. I couldn't find a thread on this so if no one has used it previously I might use this thread as a feedback for this kit.

[beerock]

might be better to just buy a regular press those kits are specified for only rear wheel bearings, a press can do both front and rear and many other things?

[Timtheguru]

I've used the harbor freight one at least 6 times now, front and rear.

http://forums.quattroworld.com/s4/msgs/126569.phtml

[MikesteB5]

Id probably go with harbor freight too. Just did one of my rear bearings but thankfully i have access to a hydraulic press

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

The big difference between our tool and a harbor freight tool is that our tool allows you to extract the hub. Which if you don't extract the hub you cannot push the bearing out. You would need to remove your whole rear upright to have it pressed out.

Our tool allows you to extract the hub with the rear up right still installed on the vehicle.

This will save you A LOT of time since you don't need to touch any of the bolts that hold the rear up right in. Especially the pesky rear eccentric bolt and sway bar nuts that like be a PITA to remove.

Jason

[audacity]

im all about my own tools but id rather take the upright out and bring it somewhere then i have a tool just for rear wheel bearings...

[Timtheguru]

The big difference between our tool and a harbor freight tool is that our tool allows you to extract the hub. Which if you don't extract the hub you cannot push the bearing out. You would need to remove your whole rear upright to have it pressed out.

Our tool allows you to extract the hub with the rear up right still installed on the vehicle.

This will save you A LOT of time since you don't need to touch any of the bolts that hold the rear up right in. Especially the pesky rear eccentric bolt and sway bar nuts that like be a PITA to remove.

Jason

Gibberish, you can remove the hub with a pry bar or a hammer...

Best thing to remove the hub is a slide hammer (http://www.harborfreight.com/16-piec...l#.Uym7ivldVIE), but that's not the worst part it's the damn inner race that you need to remove. But luckily I created a graphic for this a few years ago.




Jason, do you have a link to the tool on your site? I couldn't find it yesterday.

Also, you do need to remove the axle... so how do you do that without touching any of the bolts?

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

Gibberish, you can remove the hub with a pry bar or a hammer...

Best thing to remove the hub is a slide hammer (http://www.harborfreight.com/16-piec...l#.Uym7ivldVIE), but that's not the worst part it's the damn inner race that you need to remove. But luckily I created a graphic for this a few years ago.

Jason, do you have a link to the tool on your site? I couldn't find it yesterday.

Also, you do need to remove the axle... so how do you do that without touching any of the bolts?

Link for the tool is below.

Click HERE

I never said the axle doesn't have to come out. I was specifically referring to the upright, in order to completely remove it from the vehicle you must remove the upper control arm bolt, sway bar bolt, and lower eccentric bolt. The sway bar bolt can be a huge pain because the ball joint likes to spin which unless you use a clamp you'll never get it off and even then it can be troublesome. The eccentric bolts like to rust together with the lower bushings making the a HUGE PITA to remove if you have to pull the whole upright out.

The horse shoe brace allows you to pull the hub from the spindle with out having to remove the upright entirely which saves time and allows you to do it in a safe manner.

I hope this makes more sense?

Jason

[Timtheguru]

You did say you never had to touch any of the upright bolts.., but that's beside the point. "This will save you A LOT of time since you don't need to touch any of the bolts that hold the rear up right in. "

Also, since you didn't seem to know.. the sway bar link has a 16mm slot on the bolt for a wrench to hold it from spinning.

[erikc17]

I've used the harbor freight one at least 6 times now, front and rear.

http://forums.quattroworld.com/s4/msgs/126569.phtml

Thanks for the insight Timtheguru, for 30$ less it looks like the better option. The only problem I forsee is the removal of the hub. I will be at my college house until the end of the summer and will not have access to a vice. How easy (relatively speaking) is it to remove the hub?

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

You did say you never had to touch any of the upright bolts.., but that's beside the point. "This will save you A LOT of time since you don't need to touch any of the bolts that hold the rear up right in. "

Brain fart, thinking too many things at once.

Also, since you didn't seem to know.. the sway bar link has a 16mm slot on the bolt for a wrench to hold it from spinning.

HA! I wish I knew that at the time

[sqitis]

I just used a similar tool to the ECS and it was much simpler than taking the whole up right off I agree! Nice tool to have for sure! You can use the air jack hammer tool as well to break the hub loose (done that as well before) LOL. This tool does save time and agony.

[Timtheguru]

Thanks for the insight Timtheguru, for 30$ less it looks like the better option. The only problem I forsee is the removal of the hub. I will be at my college house until the end of the summer and will not have access to a vice. How easy (relatively speaking) is it to remove the hub?

I've used a hammer mallet to remove it, just spin and hit... it takes maybe 20-30 wacks. Or rent/borrow a slide hammer, you just need a vise to remove the inner race. Or you can buy a new hub for ~$30.

[Timtheguru]

Brain fart, thinking too many things at once.



HA! I wish I knew that at the time

Yeah, the boot over time will cover it, so you have to push it back to reveal the hidden gem! :)

[beerock]

yes its mroe time comsuming to remove the upright HOWEVER I did it this way and pressed them out. I got PEACE OF MIND doing this because when I reinstalled all the parts I put antiseize on all the parts.

Sometimes doing things the easier way will end up causing you more problems down the line. As in seized bolts... we all know about the front upright horror stories...

How can you argue with that?

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

Yeah, the boot over time will cover it, so you have to push it back to reveal the hidden gem! :)

At first I was like no way.. I have to see this for myself..

Upon looking.. OEM doesn't have it but I then noticed...



Key for allen wrench.

Further digging revealed the Holy Grail



Apparently OEM plastic ones have the key for an allen wrench and aftermarket metal ones either have the slotted base or allen key slot, sometimes both.

Jason

[audacity]

so once you remove the hub, and bearing...with this tool how exactly with the upright still in the car do you press it all back in?

[ECS Tuning-Audi]

so once you remove the hub, and bearing...with this tool how exactly with the upright still in the car do you press it all back in?

Read the DIY PDF ;)

Click HERE

Jason

[Timtheguru]

yes its mroe time comsuming to remove the upright HOWEVER I did it this way and pressed them out. I got PEACE OF MIND doing this because when I reinstalled all the parts I put antiseize on all the parts.

Sometimes doing things the easier way will end up causing you more problems down the line. As in seized bolts... we all know about the front upright horror stories...

How can you argue with that?

The anti-sieze should be applied when you do the front control arms not a wheel bearing, you'll need to do an alignment as well if you remove the upright.

[audacity]

assuming your car was aligned you could always just mark the eccentric washer and upright to make sure the alignment didn't change..also i think he means anti-sieze to all the bolt associated with removal of the rear upright...which are usually rusted in place because of lack of anti-sieze...

[Timtheguru]

I knew which bolts, I was just at the wrong end of the car. :)

Mine were not rusted at all and were very easy to remove, but then again I'm on the West Coast and we don't salt our roads.

[beerock]

The anti-sieze should be applied when you do the front control arms not a wheel bearing, you'll need to do an alignment as well if you remove the upright.

Im talking about when you do rear wheel bearings, its best to take the upright out so you have peace of mind that the bolts do not seize when you reassemble it. re read what I wrote.

in other words I would rather take the upright out, press the bearing out then pull the bearing with a tool kit and leave the bolts all in place..

regardless of which end it is id ratehr take it apart to put antiseize on it now ratehr then later. and if it does have seixed bolts better to tackle it head on then to not even know you have seized bolts.

[rdcyclist]

Seized bolts? I do not have the pleasure of understanding this term. In California, unless you have the misfortune of purchasing a car from some other state with a real winter, this is a non-issue for the most part.

[Timtheguru]

Im talking about when you do rear wheel bearings, its best to take the upright out so you have peace of mind that the bolts do not seize when you reassemble it. re read what I wrote.

in other words I would rather take the upright out, press the bearing out then pull the bearing with a tool kit and leave the bolts all in place..

regardless of which end it is id ratehr take it apart to put antiseize on it now ratehr then later. and if it does have seixed bolts better to tackle it head on then to not even know you have seized bolts.

Whenever you remove any bolt you should inspect and replace as needed or apply anti seize.. 1/2 dozen, 6 to another. There is no peace of mind to be had removing anything extra, and the bold part here doesn't make sense to me.

[beerock]

if you use the tool to pull the bearing no bolts are REMOVED. HENCE leave all the botls in place.

there is plenty of piece of mind when your dealing with a car that is over 12 years old to know the bolts all come out and if they dont its better to catch them sooner (possibly not as seized) then later (seized even more)

[Timtheguru]

if you use the tool to pull the bearing no bolts are REMOVED. HENCE leave all the botls in place.

there is plenty of piece of mind when your dealing with a car that is over 12 years old to know the bolts all come out and if they dont its better to catch them sooner (possibly not as seized) then later (seized even more)

You're wrong, you need to remove the axle, and in order to do that you need to remove bolts.

There are only two bolts on the control arms you "need" to remove, the top bolt and the sway bar link. You can also remove the lower bolts if you're so inclined to do so, but no need to do it.. and you either take the time to remove a shitty rusty bolt when doing a wheel bearing, or doing some control arm service.

EDIT: No jumping to conclusions in what is bolded....

[beerock]

You're wrong, you need to remove the axle, and in order to do that you need to remove bolts.

There are only two bolts on the control arms you "need" to remove, the top bolt and the sway bar link. You can also remove the lower bolts if you're so inclined to do so, but no need to do it.. and you either take the time to remove a shitty rusty bolt when doing a wheel bearing, or doing some control arm service.

LOL obviously you have to remove the axle I was speaking of the control arm bolts if you are removing the upright with the bearing puller you dont have to do that. Obviously you like to jump to conclusions with things people say without understanding what they mean. good luck with that mr. Its obvious there is a mis-communication here and its my fault. its not like I never did rear bearings before.

[Timtheguru]

Whoa man, calm down, obviously a disconnect somewhere that you're not understanding me and I'm not understanding you.

Here's how to do the rear. see the bolts you need to remove to get the axle out? You can lube those up and still use the puller, in fact you can use the puller and remove all the bolts anyway, you don't need a press.

http://forums.quattroworld.com/s4/msgs/126569.phtml

[beerock]

the point im making is its better to pull the spindle off to CATCH any bolts about to be seized or are seized and just press the bearing out and apply anti seize even to the bolts that have no issues. I know all about specialty tools and while they do hold their place for the less ingenuity type people a hydraulic press can do many more maintenance items instead of just one that is needed once every 100-150k(wheel bearings) and thats worth the extra money and will end up being worth its weight in gold

http://www.harborfreight.com/20-ton-...ess-32879.html

[Timtheguru]

Agreed. :) I had a press for a while, great for things like flywheel pilot bearing and other stuff.

[erikc17]

the point im making is its better to pull the spindle off to CATCH any bolts about to be seized or are seized and just press the bearing out and apply anti seize even to the bolts that have no issues. I know all about specialty tools and while they do hold their place for the less ingenuity type people a hydraulic press can do many more maintenance items instead of just one that is needed once every 100-150k(wheel bearings) and thats worth the extra money and will end up being worth its weight in gold

http://www.harborfreight.com/20-ton-...ess-32879.html

While I do agree with you on this one, at this point in my life getting a hydraulic press makes no sense lol, and I am not about to pay 300 per bearing to get them done at a shop, so a specialty tool makes sense for me, even if I do only use it every 100-150k miles (plus my dad has a b5 passat so he will appreciate this as well). Thanks for all the insight guys, and when I do my bearings I will inspect the upright bolts, although at the moment I'm not too worried because I am getting coilovers and doing my entire front control arms early this summer anyway. I like how busy she keeps me :)