Wheel Hub Removal

[Sgambots91]

What’s going on guys. I’m changing the wheel bearings on my car and I’m having trouble getting the hubs off. Got all 4 triple square bolts off. Hub just seems to be seized onto the knuckle. I have it soaking in penetrating oil right now and gonna hit the knuckle with my torch tomorrow to see if that helps. Any other pointers on how to get this stubborn thing off?

TIA

[JBAeroEngineer]

had this happen with control arms. long story short -- had to get a new assembly after 8 hours of effort.

[old guy]

On my A4 B6 I had to take the steering knuckle out, heat it with a propane torch and pound on it with a 5# sledgehammer to get the hub out. I had a complete hub/bearing assembly ready to install so I didn't have to mess with separating the assembly after it was removed.

[doc_oc]

Different alloys. I hate the aluminum housing. Especially that pinch bolt for the 2 upper control arm ball joints.
You might not be able to take the bearing housing out in that position.
On a b6, I broke 2 slide hammers. I ended up taking the spindle off.
On my b8 I broke the ear off where the pinch bolt goes so I had to get a new spindle. On the upside, I didn't have to press the bearing out anymore:(
Heat is your friend if you dont have a shop press.

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[Audibot]

I kept tapping it on the sides while trying to continue to remove it

[Sgambots91]

Thanks for the replies everyone. My car has 150k miles on it, so it’s definitely seized on there pretty good. I think tomorrow I’m gonna heat it up and try to get it out with a slide hammer. If that doesn’t work I’ll be taking the entire steering knuckle assembly to my buddies shop to press it out.

Keep the tips coming!

[doc_oc]

Good luck. I hope it comes out. If you have to take the spindle off, make sure you dont brake the pinch bolt. But heating up that area might destroy the balljoints. Or at least the rubber dust covers.

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[Sgambots91]

Good luck. I hope it comes out. If you have to take the spindle off, make sure you dont brake the pinch bolt. But heating up that area might destroy the balljoints. Or at least the rubber dust covers.

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Thanks. I probably won’t even bother with the pinch bolt. If that breaks I’ll be screwed. A new spindle will be a fortune. I’m just gonna take the bolts out of the control arms that connect to the strut.

[JBAeroEngineer]

Thanks. I probably won’t even bother with the pinch bolt. If that breaks I’ll be screwed. A new spindle will be a fortune. I’m just gonna take the bolts out of the control arms that connect to the strut.

You can normally find a used one in a yard for $1-200

[kingofnyc]

Use a heavy hammer and hit it in a turning direction as if you trying to unscrew it from upright. I dont know if that makes sence but i took off many hubs that way. Only thing gets damaged is old bearing.

[A4B8 2.0tfsi]

You can also do it the nonviolent way. Use the hub and make use of the bolts, and push it out, by just turning the bolts threw the hub.

[choppstixxx]

Not related to your question, but I'd caution where your jack stand placement is. If it is under the lower rearward control arm, that is not meant to support the weight of the car. Also if you damage the bushing, fluid will come out (since it is hydraulic) and will ruin it. I just made this mistake and had to replace my whole arm (since it's a bigger PITA to replace just the bushings). Also I'd better secure your caliper with that bungee, last thing you wanna have to deal with is fixing stuff that you didn't need to.
GLW removing the hub!

[IHave2Turbos]

i’m thankful i let the shop tackle that. in no uncertain terms they said mine were an absolute nightmare to get off. Backstory: replaced bearings when i did my Q5 BBK install. 2010 A4 with 89k, NJ car. Super rusty.


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[Quattro420]

Don’t heat it you guys are over thinking it the bearing should have come with new bolts (triple drive) thread the old ones in a few thread and smack the bolt head with a hammer, or just smack the top/back of the hub flange away from knuckle.

[Sgambots91]

You can also do it the nonviolent way. Use the hub and make use of the bolts, and push it out, by just turning the bolts threw the hub.

Can you please explain this method better? I don’t understand, sorry.

[Sgambots91]

Not related to your question, but I'd caution where your jack stand placement is. If it is under the lower rearward control arm, that is not meant to support the weight of the car. Also if you damage the bushing, fluid will come out (since it is hydraulic) and will ruin it. I just made this mistake and had to replace my whole arm (since it's a bigger PITA to replace just the bushings). Also I'd better secure your caliper with that bungee, last thing you wanna have to deal with is fixing stuff that you didn't need to.
GLW removing the hub!

It’s not on the control arm. It’s resting on some sort of X frame. And yeah I repositioned the caliper better as it almost fell off when I was beating the bearing with my hammer.

[Sgambots91]

Don’t heat it you guys are over thinking it the bearing should have come with new bolts (triple drive) thread the old ones in a few thread and smack the bolt head with a hammer, or just smack the top/back of the hub flange away from knuckle.

How do you hammer the bolts? The axle and boot is in the way I think. This seems like a good idea though.

[Quattro420]

Put your socket and an extension if needed, a punch in the middle of the head or your best bet but very unlikely you have one is a air hammer with pointed tip right in the middle of the head

[rcprato]

You need to take axle out so you have room to hit the bolts like described above, did it this way on a B6 Passat and came out fairly easy. You should have got new bolts with new wheel bearing and even try using torx bit with extension to hit bolts

[A4B8 2.0tfsi]

Can you please explain this method better? I don’t understand, sorry.

You see the five holes in the hub? Take a wheel nut in two of the holes. Use a backstop and when you turn the bolts threw the disc, you will force the bearing hub out of its position.

[Sgambots91]

Success!!

Blow torched the spindle and beat the hell out of it with a flat chisel and a 4 pound hammer

[A4 Centaur]

Crazy!

[Sgambots91]

What a nightmare this project has been! After finally getting the damn hub assembly off the car and getting the new bearings in, I was struggling getting the axle back into the hub. I was trying for probably an hour straight.

I took the hub assembly back out entirely and inspected the inside of it. Discovered the splines were chewed up. No idea how it happened. Maybe when I was beating at the hub assembly trying to get it off, the axle was bouncing around back there? I did not want to have to drop another $3-400 just on hubs.

I ran to the auto parts store and picked up some very thin needle files. I carefully filed down the splines inside the hub so I could slide the axle back in. It took a long time and required a lot of patience, but I’m so happy that worked, it saved me a fortune. I tried taking some pics but they didn’t come out the greatest.

Before


After


I couldn’t get the splines back down to perfect, but it was just enough to make it work.

Tip for anyone about to tackle this for the first time, maybe leave the axle threaded into the hub a little bit when trying to break the hub free from spindle. Once it’s broke free, unscrew the axle bolt fully and slide hub out.

[A4B8 2.0tfsi]

I've told you about how you can get it done, without any violence or messing up any splines or heating stuff out of warp.

[Sgambots91]

I've told you about how you can get it done, without any violence or messing up any splines or heating stuff out of warp.

I tried that method first, trust me. The lugs weren’t going far enough through the hub, even with a backstop. I also started beating on the hub before I started this topic so the damage was probably already done.

[A4B8 2.0tfsi]

Yeah I'm not bashing you. Just wanted to let you and other guys know that you have a simpler and non-aggressive way to get the hubs out. The lugs go far through the hub, so you didn't use a backstop thick enough. You can use any size lug or bolt, just thread a nut on it on the back of the the hub to force it out.

[mtroxel]

Don’t heat it you guys are over thinking it the bearing should have come with new bolts (triple drive) thread the old ones in a few thread and smack the bolt head with a hammer, or just smack the top/back of the hub flange away from knuckle.

^^^This^^^ I did both fronts today. I backed the bolts out of the bearing a bit, then used an old broken 1/2" extension as a punch and a 3 lb hammer to whack on the triple square bolts from the back side of the spindle. It will drive the bearing right off the spindle. Do not heat aluminum alloy. You're weakening the alloy.

I bought FAGs from FCP Euro.

[jfo]

^^^This^^^ I did both fronts today. I backed the bolts out of the bearing a bit, then used an old broken 1/2" extension as a punch and a 3 lb hammer to whack on the triple square bolts from the back side of the spindle. It will drive the bearing right off the spindle. Do not heat aluminum alloy. You're weakening the alloy.

I bought FAGs from FCP Euro.

You've been busy...all the control arms , now both bearings! How about tie rods? I'm starting to chip away at the control arms and will likely do them as well as I go along.

[mtroxel]

You've been busy...all the control arms , now both bearings! How about tie rods?

I'm chasing a little popping noise. All new control arms, sway bar links, greased the sway bar bushings, now new bearings. Still got this $#@! little popping noise. So now I'm down to either a strut mount or something about the CV joint.

[Quattro420]

I'm chasing a little popping noise. All new control arms, sway bar links, greased the sway bar bushings, now new bearings. Still got this $#@! little popping noise. So now I'm down to either a strut mount or something about the CV joint.

Befor you replace more parts try a front brake service. Sounds random I know but just clean the carrier up and the spot on the pads where they sit in the carrier and apply lube and possibly some stuff called stop squeak to re-glue the pads back to the caliper. Your noise is probably your brake pad lifting then falling in the carrier.

[mtroxel]

My control arms were starting to make some noise, and then I saw rusty oily stuff coming out of the bearings. So I don't feel too bad about spit-balling on those parts at 95,000 miles. But I've now found a way to make the noise happen with a jack. So I'm going to lay under the car and grope everything on that side while a friend makes the noise. Your brake idea is worthwhile, and free. So if I can't feel where the noise is coming from, 'll probably pull the caliper and do as you say because its as good an idea as I have, and its free. I like free.

[mtroxel]

Got it! The is the best day of 2018! Could not find anything underneath the car, and the noise sounded higher up than the suspension. Opened the hood to touch the top of the strut mount. Leaned on the driver's side fender and heard the noise. This bolt wasn't tight enough, and the flex resonated through the fender. Weird.

[old guy]

WOO HOO! Nice find!

Don't you love easy fixes? Enjoy, because the easy ones are few and far between ;-)