Wheel Bearing Replacement

How easy is it to replace the front wheel bearings? My front near side is on its way out, I have tightened it up twice now and I think this time it will be the last.

Any guides one doing it as the Haynes manual is not very clear at all!

Follow this from Buster: http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f41/cv-joint-renewal-68945.html and whilst you have the hubs off, simply knock out the bearings and oil seal then replace them.

Simple! It took me less than 2 hours to do one of mine yesterday!

OSD

Piece of ****, once you've done it once it's a 20 minute job.

take them out, clean them and check the surfaces of the outer races for pitting/rust and then the needles within the bearing case itself. IF all looks good pack properly with LM grease and re-install. You shouldn't need to replace them unless they are worn. I end up greaseing mine approx every 6-10k miles.

G

Busters guides are excellent for that sort of stuff, and u-tube is well worth checking out to if you actually want to see people take the hubs apart etc and replace bearings etc.

If you've already tightened them up a couple of times, you must already have a hub socket, and you'll know to replace the hub gaskets and lock tab washers. Other than that you'll need some lm grease, and ideally a torque wrench for replacing them (some people do without that though). Depending on how old and rusty your landy is, id even say to think about replacing the caliper bolts also. They have a tendency to round off if they are rusty, as they're a 12 point bolt and not a standard size.

Thanks guys that was really helpful!!

I have the tools I need just not something I have done before oddly. Managed to rebuild an engine and replace the diffs with limited slip yet never changed a wheel bearing.

Looking at busters guide the bearings look simple enough to get at. Are there any cups to drift out? Or is everything just a push fit?

I am pretty sure they are knackered as they have been adjusted at least twice and play frequently appears.

I managed mine a few weeks back - but struggled for a while to refit one...
Worth noting that the nice new tight wheel bearings highlighted the play in the swivel pins! Might be worth tightening these as you go.

bearings are rtc3429g timken seal ftc4785 ,bearing outer races need drifting out and preferably pressing back in or if you must hit them in use old race as dolly as punch will damage bearing to adjust just remove freeplay

thanks. I will put them in with the press. Thanks for all the good advice, much appreciated.

Yeah i would say to check that it really is the bearings thats gone and not something else that youre missing. You haven't been specific as to what play you're talking about, and not making any assumptions about your mechanical knowledge or experience Ill state the obvious.

Usually to check bearing play, you'd jack up the wheel and give it a rock side to side and top to bottom. Youre looking for any movement that isnt smooth rotational, no matter how slight. Sometimes you can hear a grinding sound, especially when going around corners, although admittedly in a fender (which is so bloody noisy anyway) you might not hear it. The noise may happen though if you jack it up a spin the wheel by hand (engine off obviously).

I only say this in case you're a mechanical newbie and have mistaken some other play (a worn bush etc) for a bearing problem.

Thanks mundungus. It's definitely bearing, I have adjusted the play out if it a couple of times already, but there are so many times you can adjust the slack up before crushing the bearings. I think I am just about there!

Is it worth changing the oil in the swivels for one shot grease while I am at it?

Airways said:

Is it worth changing the oil in the swivels for one shot grease while I am at it?

Click to expand...

wouldn't do any harm, but if all your seals are good, no performance advantage between one shot and EP90