Discovery 4 Front Wheel Hub/Bearing Change Advice

Dear All and thanks in advance,

Had a bit of a intermittent hum/rubbing noise with a slight rumble. Thought it was near side front, but after jacking up the front and spinning the wheels, the Offside front is rumbling and has play on both the 3/9 test and 12/6 movement check. I can see the whole wheel and disc moving, so I’m pretty positive it is a Wheel Bearing gone.

I have recently changed a hub on a Passat and had the pleasure of hammering the c**p out of the hub for an hour to get it off. Really easy once it’s off. I see the Disco 4 might be slightly easier, but any advice on the torque for the hub retaining nut and also about punching the nut with a chisel before removing to stop any axle damage.

I think the tools required are a 12point 21mm socket for the brakes, T50 Torx for the disc and then a 32mm hex socket for the hub retaining nut.

I will be removing the speed sensor and the retaining nut for the brake lines as well.

Any other pointers would be appreciated, before I put the disco on jacks again!

Cheers

Sensor might not come out, my d3 one would not, I did the job anyway with no damage to sensor.
Mine had only been replaced 15k beforehand so everything cam apart pretty easy, I think hub nut torque has changed more than once so best to google for latest figures, also think there are two sizes of hub nut.
I also changed nsf drive shaft and that had never been apart so was 120k old, and like the osf apart from being a heavy clumsy lump to move around was pretty easy.

Lynall,

Thanks. I might just have to be careful with the hammer if the sensor is stuck.

I need the truck back on the road quick-ish, so I’ll probably just stick to the hub at the moment, as I’m more likely to swear at it and drop something on my foot changing shafts.

Watch this

I'm assuming you're replacing the front hub, and not just the bearing?
https://www.jgs4x4.co.uk/discovery-4-l319-front-wheel-bearing-hub-assembly/
Replacing the hub makes the job easier, without excessive hammering (a press is best) removing the bearing from the hub carrier.
It shouldn't be too difficult to do, actually I think hub on the D3/4 is about the easiest there is to change on any vehicle.

Yes, whole assembly. I’ve found it’s easier on most vehicles to replace whole assemblies these days. Plus I get to bash the disco with a hammer for a purpose, instead of just thinking about it

HI see attached

Perfect thanks. I did think 350nm, which someone quoted was a bit steep. I was already wondering how long my scaffold pole would have to be to get the leverage.

if you want the manual PM me your email

Thanks I have the D4 workshop manual, it just doesn’t give the Tools required and a couple of the videos online have some very different Torque settings. Frostythor has reinforced the 230nm for the Wheel retaining nut and I know the brake calliper ones are the higher with 275nm. So I’ll have fun trying to guess that, as my Torque wrench won’t go past 250 (due to it getting stuck)

Not Without a Light On said:

I know the brake calliper ones are the higher with 275nm. So I’ll have fun trying to guess that, as my Torque wrench won’t go past 250 (due to it getting stuck)

Click to expand...

250 Nm will be enough for the caliper, if that's all your TW goes to, but I add a touch of thread lock, just for good measure.

how about one of these , a handy item in your tool box

So, Bearing replaced. My pointers. I got the hub nut loose with the wheel on and the logo cap off. I tried loosening with the wheel off and someone on the brake, but it wouldn’t budge. Eventually got it loose (and yes I had unstaked it) with a breaker bar and a piece of pipe.

Then the rest was fairly easy. I took the speed sensor out (needed WD40 and a small flat screwdriver to get it loose. There was a lot of crap in the drive shaft housing, so all cleaned out. Brakes were split, by taking the calliper off and then the pad holder. I took the hub splash guard off (as I needed to smash the old hub off). The 4 bolts on the back were fairly easy. Then a lot of WD40 and a good 40 minutes of hammering (turning the wheel to opposite locks, so I could get to both sides) until the hub even moved a couple of MM. once it started, then alternating hitting from one side the other worked a treat. Pulled the hub off, cleaned the drive shaft and housing, Copper greased the lot, re-assembled and torqued, before a test drive followed by a beer

so what was more satisfying,, beating the crap out of the hub and winning ....or the beer

Definitely beating the crap out of the Disco and spending the price difference on a dealer repair on beer x1,000,000

Guess that what you call a Win Win then