wheel bearings

[nightrider]

wat do you guys think about these wheel bearings i found on ebay, do u think they have the seals?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Timke...spagenameZWD1V

and if that isnt it does anyone kno where to get them cheep, the local auto parts store said 200 for the bearings and seals on both sides

[subarufamily]

i bought the exact same wheel bearings. they do not have seals you should be able to get them fairly cheaply (under$20) from subaru. after purchasing them i repacked them with synthetic bearing grease haven't had a problem from them in 35,000 miles still going strong no grinding no whirring no noise at all just quiet. if you do buy them MAKE SURE TO REPACK THEM !!!!!! they come with very very little grease in/on them. if you choose not to spend the money on synthetic ( it's fairly expensive) make sure to use a high quality high temp grease

[nightrider]

ok so those bearings will work. how do i go about changing them, ive done it on boat trailers but i dont imagine it will be very similar at all

[svxistentialist]

Originally Posted by nightrider

ok so those bearings will work. how do i go about changing them, ive done it on boat trailers but i dont imagine it will be very similar at all

There is a lot of information in the How To section above to the right. It is currently open for non-sponsors, although that could change sometime in the future. You should click in and poke around the files to find the information you want.

Have a look at this write-up HERE
and don't forget you will need a "hub tamer" or equivalent to take out the old bearing and install the new one. If you get it wrong you could oval the hub, and this will lead to quick premature failure of the new bearings.

Unless you are pretty sure what you are doing, you might be safer to let the main dealer install the bearing. If you are pretty handy and don't resort to the FBH all the time, you will manage it OK.

Joe

[nightrider]

What is a hub tamer?

[svxistentialist]

It's what we call a "pullers" over here this side of the pond.

I think you can rent or buy them. It uses a threaded bar to push out the bearing cleanly and without damaging the hub.

I take it you know what a BFH is?

Joe

[nightrider]

BFH? sorry no i dont kno alot of technical terms, let alone abreviations

[94SubieSVX]

i think it means big freakin(change that to ...) hammer

[NiftySVX]

The replacement of wheel bearings in Subarus has been revisited by the manufacturer many times because they have had so many problems. They no longer approve of the method used in the service manual. The new way to do it involves a SST (special service tool) that all Subaru dealerships were REQUIRED to purchase. The new tool, often called a "hubster" eliminates the need to press the bearing into the knuckle with a press. They determined that this was too delicate a process to be performed and often causes damage to the bearing. this is why they now use the special tool that eliminates the press. A version of this tool is available but it is quite expensive (over $400). Most independent shops will not have this tool because replacing wheel bearings is not very common and that tool can only be used for a few styles of vehicle. For this reason, I always recommend that people have their wheel bearings replaced at a dealership. Oh, and they will check the sealing surface on the axle, to make sure that it is not worn where the seal lip makes contact (I've seen many with a groove worn in them) which will allow debris to enter. If you have them replaced at a shop where they use a press, I can almost promise you will be doing them again.

Just my $0.02

[svxistentialist]

Originally Posted by NiftySVX

The replacement of wheel bearings in Subarus has been revisited by the manufacturer many times because they have had so many problems. They no longer approve of the method used in the service manual. The new way to do it involves a SST (special service tool) that all Subaru dealerships were REQUIRED to purchase. The new tool, often called a "hubster" eliminates the need to press the bearing into the knuckle with a press. They determined that this was too delicate a process to be performed and often causes damage to the bearing. this is why they now use the special tool that eliminates the press. A version of this tool is available but it is quite expensive (over $400). Most independent shops will not have this tool because replacing wheel bearings is not very common and that tool can only be used for a few styles of vehicle. For this reason, I always recommend that people have their wheel bearings replaced at a dealership. Oh, and they will check the sealing surface on the axle, to make sure that it is not worn where the seal lip makes contact (I've seen many with a groove worn in them) which will allow debris to enter. If you have them replaced at a shop where they use a press, I can almost promise you will be doing them again.

Just my $0.02

You are working in the trade and see more bulletins and bearing changes than the rest of us, so thanks very much for the input. Replacing a wheel bearing is too costly a process to mess up IMO, so I definitely take a belt and braces approach to try and ensure all angles are covered.

Going back to the Yahoo! years, and here since the Forum opened we have had many, many takes and reasons for the repeat failure of these bearings. My view is that it's not surprising replacements fail, considering so many OEMs fail direct from the factory.

It would be reasonable to presume that the factory has all the benefits of engineering advice on how they should be installed, plus all the right equipment, the right seals, the correct grease.

Yet a higher than desirable percentage of original rear wheel bearings fail.

That says it all for me. The bearings are under performers. They are incorrectly specified from the outset. The load ratings are wrong for the torque and weight and loadings that the SVX exerts on the hub.

One of our members in Australia has used another different bearing from the same manufacturer that has a higher load rating than the SVX rear OEM bearing. It is of a slightly smaller width, so has to be packed to fill the hub aperture. This bearing has performed in the desert for I think over 100,000 miles now with no repeat failure.

There isn't a write up, but if you search the Down Under forum, you should find the story.

Subaru just used the same bearing they had in use for the Impreza at that time, the practice of using from the corporate parts bin to keep costs down. That bearing is inadequate for the SVX.

For those who think that Fuji engineers can do No Wrong, they will seem less like Gods to you when the rear end of your car starts to howl at you for attention.

Joe

[SVX_MY_BABY]

Joe:
The Subaru master tech I use tells me two things.

1. It's the seals which usually go first which allows contamination to damage the bearings.

2. Subaru now uses the same rear bearing for the SVX that they use in the WRX. It is also now packed with the correct grease from the factory.

[svxistentialist]

Originally Posted by SVX_MY_BABY

Joe:
The Subaru master tech I use tells me two things.

1. It's the seals which usually go first which allows contamination to damage the bearings.

2. Subaru now uses the same rear bearing for the SVX that they use in the WRX. It is also now packed with the correct grease from the factory.

That sure makes sense.

One thing occurs to me is we don't actually take care of them like we should. Most other cars you could buy, the bearings have "headroom" in the engineering, they won't fail. The last car I had that did wheel bearings was in the early 80's. We now expect them not to fail, that is what we are accustomed to.

If you check the service intervals for the SVX, we are supposed to check and repack these bearings, and I'm guessing that most people/many dealers do not do this. If we did, maybe the seal giving problems would not happen, we would see damage and replace.

Joe

[nightrider]

ok thanks for all the help but i realy need to find out how to reoplace them myself, as being 16 years old and just haveing to go back to school(loss of summer job) u can imagine i dont have money to pay a dealer or mechanic to fix my car

[Nevin]

At my job, I replace wheelbearings on trailers, pickups, and cars fairly often. I know how to pack a bearing by hand or with the handy little cone-shaped packer tool.

None of my bearings are currently making any noise, but given that I know what I am doing and there would be no parts cost... Would it be a good idea that I just take them all apart, clean them at the parts washer and just repack them all with synthetic grease? Is this good maintenance, or just overkill?

[NiftySVX]

Originally Posted by svxistentialist

That sure makes sense.

If you check the service intervals for the SVX, we are supposed to check and repack these bearings, and I'm guessing that most people/many dealers do not do this. If we did, maybe the seal giving problems would not happen, we would see damage and replace.

Joe

I do not see how there could be a procedure for repacking the bearings. There is one to check free play. To repack a sealed bearing system like this would require separation, which requires a press or the hubster, both of which destroy the bearing. The inner seal, like mentioned earlier in this thread, is prone to failure that can cause contamination. Replacing the inner seal is not really hard to do, and it isn't a bad idea. I would do it any time i had the rear axles out. Also, make sure you check the sealing surface for a groove, if there is one, the axle must be replaced! I've personally performed this service many times on my car and others, and I honestly believe it would NOT BE POSSIBLE to replace the wheel bearings without a press or a hubster. There is no way you could get the inner race off of the hub, much less push the new bearing onto it. Sorry guys, I don't see how you could do it without the hubster or a press.