How to replace Front Wheel Bearings

[SJ]

> From: "Edward R. Wendell IV" <erwendell at mac.com>

> There was some discussion about difficulty in separating the ball joint
> from the hub carrier. I can't stress how much easier that job is if you
> unbolt the front sway bar so the the control arm can actually drop far
> enough. Just looking at it you'll have yourself convinced that the ball
> joint is stuck in place when the real problem is that the control arm
> isn't dropping far enough for the strut to reach the end of it's travel
> and stop the descent of the ball joint.

**** Good point. When I did some work on the front end of the other car . .
.new struts . . .I do recall unbolting the sway bar. I think getting it back
on was a problem . . .had to jack it up and fiddle to get the bolts to line
up.
I have strut spring compression clamps. The good ones . .3 to a spring . ..
deep heavy duty hooks. If you clamp up the spring it its compressed
state(wheels on ground), that should make the whole job much easier. The
strut spring wont be fighting against the sway bar. Has anyone tried this
approach?


>
> Also, if it wasn't already said, make friendly with a machine shop that
> has a press and a bunch of different diameter spacers. I couldn't see
> any other way of getting the bearing in and out without damaging it.

**** I bought that $300 tool set of spacers and adapters for working on VW
and Audi wheel bearings. I used it  2 years ago for the rear wheel bearings
on this car. The tool worked, but not with that wishbone attached to the
car. You cant get at the rear C clip when its rusted in. Hopefully I can do
the front bearing work with strut in car.

I wont need the services of a machine shop. Problem with machine shops is
that you dont know how well they do the work until you give them a job and
pay them. I watched them butcher up my center bearing when they pulled it
off. The idiot had no clue where/how to attach the clamshell puller to get
the bearing off without ruining it. If I bought the set of clamshell pullers
and done the work myself, the cost would have been the same . .. and I would
still have had the old working center bearing.

I would be working on the car today, but the wife has me pulling weeds and
cutting brush on the stone retaining wall.
If I suggested that she do the laundry and clean house on Mothers Day, I
would be castrated with a rusty dull knife. So much for equal rights. We are
all equal . . .but some are more equal than others.
My cat showed me some sympathy on this Fathers Day . . .he brought me a half
dead mouse.


SJ