rear wheel bearings... do it myself?
 

hi everyone in cyberspace


so here is my dillemma:
my driver rear wheel bearing is toast. i was driving and all the sudden a horrific grinding and then then it sort of popped, and then it was a steady, lower pitched squeally grind.:barf:
i was like 100 miles from home at this point, and i just kept on trucking cuz i had no choice.:o i get home (slowly but surely) and i examine the wheel in question and there is metal shavings all over the rim and the wheel (when i did the ol' tire kick) looked as if it were about to fall off:(.

my question is:
can i just replace the entire hub assembly off of my parts car?
or, conversely, would i be better off just replacing the wheel bearing on the working car with a new piece (cost and time wise)?

also, do the new bearings need to be packed with grease? i have heard conflicting reports: my local dealer says that "the bearings are sealed and come with lubricant from the manufacturer", but another mechanic and reports on this site have told me they must be packed with grease or else they will just fail again.

i was quote $95 for the bearing, $14 for the seal, and $300 for the labor at the dealer.
the private mechanic said $280 for the labor, plus $50 for a machine shop to pack the bearings....

what should i do? i would much prefer to just replace the entire hub if possible and practical (much cheaper and i can do it myself).

thank you so much for any input you all might have on my plight

thanks
JJ

Re: rear wheel bearings... do it myself?
 

Swap the hub off of the parts car.

Have fun with the lateral link bolt. And be sure when re-assembling not to use a impact wrench on it and to torque it properly.

Re: rear wheel bearings... do it myself?
 

thank you.

i thought that would be the cheapest easiest and fastest way to replace it, i figured i should consult the pros first.
thanks.

the lateral link bolt....... thats #18 below, correct?
you suggest i just use a regular wrench and not an air impact gun for that?
http://www.subaruparts.com/subaru.diag/2/i201-A2.gif
thanks

Re: rear wheel bearings... do it myself?
 

For re-assembly, no, no impact gun. If you overtighten at all it will distort the knuckle and start to repeatedly eat wheel bearing.

And I'm not sure what hills you're up in? But if there is any rust, I'd suggest soaking that bolt and the bushings it goes through with PB Blaster (or your favorite penetrating oil) for a few days before you work on it.

Re: rear wheel bearings... do it myself?
 

not really too far up in the hills :)

its auburn, ca.... the foothills of the sierra nevada...

good idea about the pb blaster tho, thanks a million for the insight.

Re: rear wheel bearings... do it myself?
 

Ah the lateral link bolt..sweet memories of eastern rust on my old 92.
Disconnect the wire for the abs sensor on the hub from under the rear seat and remove the hub with the sensor still in the hub. Then you can work on removing it if necessary. Easy to damage abs sensor and they are not cheap.

Re: rear wheel bearings... do it myself?
 

I know right where that is! I lived there from 87-95... As for the bearing, my recommendation would be to swap it out with the parts car knuckle, but when that bearing goes out, have the dealer replace it. The bearing is a press fit, you won't get it out without a press. (As for the sealed & lubricated part, a lot of the newer bearing assemblies are a permanently lubricated, sealed unit, but I do not know if the SVX bearing is that way or not, but I DO know that the SVX rear bearings are the same as the 04-07 STi. (Might be 08 too but not sure..)

Re: rear wheel bearings... do it myself?
 

ya its a nice area... im currently living 1/2 time in san fran and the other half here in auburn.... two extremees for sure :)

this must be why the dealer said they dont need to be greased beacuse they are sealed, whereas the joe shmo mechanic said they do need grease (the private mechanic probably referring to the actual part for the svx, not the compatible new sti part.)



one more question:

i am going the route of just taking the hub assembly off my parts car and swapping over to my driver.. (money considerations, i am trying to do this for $0 if possible) and i have a question:
how do i remove the emergency brake cable? i have the entire hub disconnected, the abs sensor out (very carefully i might say), the axle out, and the only piece left is the ebrake cable...

do i have to take the drum brake apart to get it off?

what now?

Re: rear wheel bearings... do it myself?
 

Yeah, you need to pull the rotor off. I don't remember if you need to take the brake shoes off or not. If you do, remember how they go back together. If I recall one of the springs is yellow, another is blue, remember which goes where...

Re: rear wheel bearings... do it myself?
 

i wasnt very clear, im sorry.


i have the rotor off...

so i suppose i do have to dissasemble the shoes....
bummer.

oh well, you are right, i must just be careful when taking it apart so as to remember to put it together correctly.

thank you for your expertise

i will keep this updated as the project unfolds.
thanks again!

Re: rear wheel bearings... do it myself?
 

you need to pack the bearing with high temp grease. the grease on/in the bearing is only good to keep it from rusting for storage.

the two "inside" races come so it can be cleaned and repacked

Re: rear wheel bearings... do it myself?
 

Check my locker for some rear wheel bearings pictures.
Good luck