Front Wheel Bearings

[rkern]

I am starting to get the whirring sound from my front wheel bearings. I am looking to replace both sides. I have searched and I have seen people do them on the car and off the car. Not sure if the video I watched doing them on the car was an A4 or S4 and not really sure if that matters. Opinions on which way is easier. Not worried about the pinch bolts, I just replaced my upper control arms so that should be no problem getting out. What tools will I need. All the searching about wheel bearings and tools keep coming up with ECS rear wheel bearing tool kit. Can that be used on the front to remove them? Is there a preference for which bearing toll remover to use? I have not done front wheel bearing before, I have done rear bearings on a Corrado though.

[vavJETTAw36]

There's a cheaper harbor freight version that I use. I think it's 40 bucks or so.

You can use for front or back. But I will tell you this, much less headache to just pull the upright and press it in. The amount of force you need to press in with the tool is ungodly. Imagine the axle nut 90ft lb plus 180 and having to do that about 30 times with a breaker bar. It's so much easier to just pull the upright.

But you need to be very very careful. Make sure you press it in the correct direction and you need to make sure you always support the inside from the back or it will press through and you'll need a new bearing... I've made this mistake 3 times, twice in a row SMH.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rkern]

The video I saw showed how he supported the rear with the old bearing. I don't have a press and the last time I needed a press, places around me didn't want to do it or told me they didn't have a press and I would need for them to do the whole work. This was pressing rear bearings on the Corrado. I eventually bought a bearing seater to do my own.

[vavJETTAw36]

Messed up on the price by a lot. The HF unit is 119 and minus 20% with coupon. http://m.harborfreight.com/fwd-front...not%20provided

Also get the bearing separator, http://m.harborfreight.com/large-bea...ator-3979.html this is perfect for pulling the hub. Flip it around, clamp it, and drive your lug nuts in. It acts as a backplate and will pull the hub. Also good for pulling the inner race off the Hub if it gets stuck on.

I use both tools with my 20 ton press.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CJ_]

I've got it down to a science, I did both fronts in about 2.5 hours the other week. I'll make a short write up in a few

[CJ_]

So first, heres my old thread that has a ton of wheel bearing info and pictures in it that will help if you go the puller tool route. http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...e#post10678087

This is the kit I use. https://www.amazon.com/ATD-Tools-862...bearing+puller

The bolt that comes with it broke because it takes a lot of force, but I went to my local nut and bolt specialty shop and made this: Its two grade 8 nuts and a piece of all-thread that matched the thread of the nut that comes with the kit. Can't remember the exact size, but if you bring the nut in, they should be able to help you out. Ive done probably 2-3 sets of wheel bearings with it. Just lock the two nuts together as tight as you can and you should be good.

Old bolt:



New one



My process goes something like this: Im not going to go into full details because there are plenty of diys for the intermediate tasks.

-> First, pull off your center caps and loosen your axle nuts

-> Jack up car and pull off wheels

-> Take off brake calipers and rotors, hang with wire

-> Unbolt inner CV joints from transmission, remove axle bolt and remove axle. (turn wheel to full lock, jack up control arm and it should come right out)

-> Install three (or all 5) wheel bolts on opposite sides of the hub and tighten them until they touch the upright. Once they're touching, tighten them more in sequence and this will pull off the hub.

-> Install bearing puller like this: pull out wheel bearing (thanks to timtheguru for the pic)



-> install new bearing like this: (Arrows point towards transmission) Make sure the plate you use touches the outer race all the way around, ALSO MAKE SURE THE BEARING GOES IN STRAIGHT, if it starts to go in crooked, you can TAP on the outer race with a hammer or mallet using one of the bearing puller plates you you're not directly hitting the bearing.



-> Press the hub on this way:



Install in the reverse order. Make sure you have new axle bolts and inner axle gaskets.
Also the bearings are pretty tough so if you have a long pipe to put on the end of a ratchet or breaker bar, it makes it a lot easier.

Edit. To get the bearing race off of the hub, I found the best way was to heat the race up with a propane or mapp torch, get it real hot, then grab the hub with a welding glove or something similar, turn it upside down and slam it on the ground or a piece of metal. It usually just pops right off.

[rkern]

Thanks CJ. I found your initial post and was reading through it the other night. Seems pretty straight forward, I just had people telling me you can't remove the bearing with the knuckle on the car which had me thinking. Thanks for mentioning the axle gasket, I wouldn't have thought of that till I was putting it back together.

[vavJETTAw36]

Good write up CJ. This is a good route if you don't want to have to possibly realign. Looks like the harbor freight unit is a replica of the atd.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[redline380]

Is the axle bolt long enough to suck the hub in after everything?

I have never done bearings this way, always used a press.

[CJ_]

Thanks CJ. I found your initial post and was reading through it the other night. Seems pretty straight forward, I just had people telling me you can't remove the bearing with the knuckle on the car which had me thinking. Thanks for mentioning the axle gasket, I wouldn't have thought of that till I was putting it back together.

Yep its definitely doable with it on the car. I edited the post with my way for getting the race off the hub. If that doesn't work, there is that picture on the old thread that shows how you can do it with a hammer.

Good write up CJ. This is a good route if you don't want to have to possibly realign. Looks like the harbor freight unit is a replica of the atd.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That why I like this method, no need to realign after, and its hard to find a good shop to properly align these cars. The harbor freight one is probably the same, but the most important part is that grade 8 bolt I made. The one that came with the kit was just a nut pressed on to a bolt and I sheared it right off. You can see I tried to fix it by welding it back on, but it just takes too much force.

Is the axle bolt long enough to suck the hub in after everything?

I have never done bearings this way, always used a press.

Not sure, never tried it that way, but could be a good idea. The hub takes a lot less force than the bearing to press in.

[Timtheguru]

Thanks for the pic credit.

No, axle bolt is not long enough, and you need to press the hub into the inner races with the wheel bearing removal tool. Just be sure to support the race with the proper sized adapter.