How To: REAR BEARINGS?
 

It's time to replace my rear bearings (noise getting louder). I've seen alot of entries about these rear bearings (e.g. don't torque too tight, replace shipping grease, etc.), but can't find a step by step how to for the replacement. I'm sure there's an old post, but I don't know where to find it (if it exists)? Please tell me exactly where to find it and how (because I've used the SEARCH and all I can find are related comments only).

THANKS! :)

P.S. For those who know me: BTW, my car is still working without rough idling (very infrequent and mild) or shuddering!(?) :D

I think there isn't a how-to because there are a couple of ways to do it.

On car using a tool called the Hub Tamer (about $300 - and I think there are other brands now similar). That's how I did mine.

Off car means removing the hub and taking it to a place with a press.

Doing this is pretty straight forward with the manuals. Some have mentioned corrosion problems with the ABS sensor giving them trouble - doesn't want to come out of it's positioning hole - PB-Blaster is one preferred method to loosen up rust type corrosion.

Here's a mini-how-to using the Hub Tamer. Explaining use of the Hub Tamer itself would be hard to do without photos and I didn't have a digital camera when I did mine. Will photograph any future procedures. Plus, it's been awhile so I may have forgot some steps, I think it's kinda obvious once you're in there - but YMMV.

1. Put tranny in Park & set parking brake.
2. Raise and support vehicle, then remove rear wheel(s). Remove axle nut after removing wheels from vehicle. Even if doing both I suggest leaving one side alone as a reference to look at. Then do it once the first side is all back together.
3. Move shift lever to Neutral & release the parking brake.
4. Disconnect lower stabilizer links and/or trailing links (I forget, do the obvious to get bottom of hub loose).
5. Remove caliper (hang it somewhere safe)
6. Remove rotor and parking brake mechanism.
6. Remove ABS clamps, then the parking brake cable bracket.
7. Disconnect parking brake cable clamp.
8. Pull out ABS sensor.
9. Pull out on lower part of hub and pull axle out of hub (make sure you have old hanger or? to support axle).
10. Remove inner seal and use hub tamer to press out the bearing.
11. Reverse procedures to install, using Hub Tamer to press back in bearing (don't forget seals), etc.

I'm thinking about having a knowledgeable friend help me to do it myself as well.

Did your bearings ever fail after doing them yourself?

I've only had my SVX for about a year, and replaced just the driver side rear - it's been about 8K miles since then and seems OK so far.

One caution (I think) I have posted before. Either go to Subaru for parts or someone local and responsive. I got the seals from a local supply and they were the wrong seals - they returned them but were no help in figuring out what the right part should be. I checked the number on CarParts.com and they list the same wrong part number - tried another internet site and still found the wrong number. Somebody has copied a catalog error over and over. Ended up getting the seals at NAPA - their box, but Chicago Rawhide product inside.

Subaruparts.com has the seals and the packing grease, but they charge a lot for shipping as well :(

The old fashioned way. . . . . .
 

I'm gonna use a 20 ton press that my brother-in-law loaned me [last summer to do my old Ferrari 308 GT4 rear (sealed) bearings, A-arm bushings and (coil spring over) Koni shocks] to press these bearings myself. It worked great if you don't count that I almost shot one of the shocks into the front end of my wife's "new" Camaro while trying to press the coil spring over the shock - YIKES! [That maneuver was the trickiest of all that I did on the Ferrari, by far!] So, I guess I have to take some more parts off, since I'm not using the Hub Tamer? I have a FSM, so will use it since you say it's OK. [I had trouble with accuracy, to say the least, doing troubleshooting out of the FSM for my rough idling problem, as you may have read!]

Beav said that the replacement should not be that tricky (torque specs, etc.), so here I go (SOON)!

If there's anything else I should watch out for, please let me know. Is there a How-To for this way to do it?

THANKS! :) :D :) :D

I also have a press. I bought a hub tamer because a common press is almost useless when doing hub bearings. Good luck!

And, it seems to work quite well. :D

(Beav let me watch on both of the two bearings, on two different SVXes he replaced. :D)

Randy - I hear you are good at watching that process! :D

Oh, I hear a good option is to get a dealer to do it for about 230$. If you find a dealer nearby that will do the deed for $230(best deal ever noted, that I have seen) then let them do it and take the warrantee that comes with it.
fyi, here are the Subaru part numbers you need:
1 Axle nut-28044AA000 $7.86
1 Oil Seal 28015AA070 $14.31
1 roller bearing 28016PA010 $95.96
and 1 more Oil seal 28015AA021 $17.33

The above prices are retail, so you better get a better deal than that.

Please, someone else please confirm these are correct parts, so I don't feel like I got screwed:D

Yes. I have become far more adept at it than I had ever hoped. :rolleyes:

Tame THIS!
 

I'm sure not gunna argue with you Beav, but I'd like to understand (briefly) why the press doesn't work with this bearing set-up? Should I try to rent a Hub-Tamer or take it to the dealer for installation (of the bearings/seals I bought some time ago)?

THANKS for the HEADS UP! :confused: :D

Can you just buy a new housing and bearing and then have a shop press them together with packing grease and then install the rest yourself?

It's simply a matter of how you need to support everything when you begin pressing the bearing. Take a look at what you're working with and try to imagine how you're going to postion it on the press.

Don't let him fool ya. He is really good at it until the Hooter's van rolls up next door. It becomes extremely difficult to keep his attention after that. :D

p.s. To be up-front, honest and forthcoming, it is difficult for me to keep my mind on my work at that point also. ;)