[s-cars] NAC Jetta Wheel Bearing

[CLAG500 at aol.com]

Wow great write up Bob! I'm thinking this may be extra easy as I bought the 
bearing already pressed into the hub. Looks like I can just bolt it on? It has 
a strange looking collar pressed on to the back but it doesn't look like 
something that would have to be press-fit on to the car. Nothing like doing the 
front bearings on the S4. That was a good 30 minute workout turning the Hub Shark 
by hand with a 3-foot cheater bar. Here is a picture of what I got. 
http://i4.ebayimg.com/03/i/02/55/72/f5_1.JPG 

Chad Tobin

In a message dated 12/10/2004 11:57:38 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
bob.rossato at att.net writes:
These have an inner and outer bearing riding on a fixed spindle and are
fairly simple to change with minimal tools needed.  A new set of bearings
plus rubber dust shield is probably about $20.

I'll assume you have rear discs.  If not, no biggie as it's the same basic
procedure for drums except for caliper removal.

Removal of old bearings.
- Remove caliper and caliper carrier.
- Pry off grease cap and remove cotter pin.
- Remove thin metal cover off of the nut
- Remove nut and thrust washer.
- Remove rotor off of spindle.  Outer bearing will fall out as you're
sliding it off.
- Remove dust seal from inner bearing.  This holds inner bearing.
- Remove inner bearing and clean out grease from center of rotor hub
- Remove the outer races for both the inner and outer bearings using a
drift.  You'll notice 3 cutouts/recesses allowing you access to the bottom
flat portion of race so you have something to pound on.  Save the races as
you're going to make them into installation tools for the new races.
- Take the just removed races to a bench grinder and rest outer diameter on
tool rest and gently press onto grinding wheel with your fingers from the
inside edge.  If you're not comfortable with this use gloves, or use a
pencil or similar shaped object to in the center of the race to press it
against the grinding wheel, but I find I have the most control by using my
two index fingers tip to tip inside the race and pressing on the race with
my fingernails.  So, perform at your own risk/comfort level.  The idea is
use a light enough pressure so that the race will just start spinning with
the grinding wheel and evenly grind down the OD.  Sounds worse than it is.
Once you get the knack of it the sucker will start spinning real fast and
you can just back off as needed to keep your fingers cool.
- Keep grinding the races down until you can just slide them back into the
bores of the hub with no interference.  It'll only take you a few minutes
max.  If you don't feel comfortable with grinding them down just use them as
is.  It'll just be more difficult to remove them after pressing in the new
races as they will be stuck in the bore.  Or I suppose I could just send you
mine that I've ground down.

Installation of new bearings
- Make sure you clean the hub out as well as any tools you're going to be
using
- Start tapping in the outer races from the new bearings using the flat end
of a socket, or similar object (piece of wood maybe), large enough to cover
the entire diameter of the bearing that will allow you to evenly load the
races.
- Continuing tapping the outer races in until the outer edge of the race is
flat with the hub edge.  You'll still have to drive the races in further but
this is where the old modified races come in.
- Take the matching old race and turn it around so you have the two thin
edges against each other.  The bearings are tapered and you don't want to
damage the inner surface of the outer race that the bearing rides on.  The
old race provides you a perfectly sized tool that will press only on the
thin edge of the race.  Once you start tapping it in, the bore will self
center the tool.
- Continue tapping it in until you bottom out.  You'll know you've bottomed
out by the distinctive change in sound as you're striking the old race. Hard
part is done, and it's actually fairly easy.
- Pack the new bearings with wheel bearing grease and install the inner
bearing first.  Make sure you have plenty of grease in and around the
bearing.
- Install new dust shield over inner bearing.
- Clean off spindle to remove any debris that might be on it and apply
coating of grease on spindle
- Slide rotor back on spindle.
- Install outer bearing onto spindle.
- Install thrust washer and nut.
- Tighten nut by hand until you can just move the thrust washer side to side
by prying with a screwdriver.  You don't want it too tight that it won't
move.
- Install metal cap for nut and orient so that the openings line up with
hole in spindle.
- Install new cotter pin and old grease cap.
- Re-install brake caliper and you're done.

Bob




> -----Original Message-----
> From: s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com
> [mailto:s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com]On Behalf Of CLAG500 at aol.com
> Sent: Friday, December 10, 2004 5:08 PM
> To: s-car-list at audifans.com
> Subject: [s-cars] NAC Jetta Wheel Bearing
>
>
> Hey Fellas,
>
>    No Audi content but closer than a lot of the recent content. I
> need to change a rear wheel bearing on the wife's Jetta. It's got
> the hub on it already and there is some other part pressed on to
> it. Kind of weird. Anybody done one of these? I have a Hub Shark
> to remove it if need be bit it looks like it might not be
> necessary. Any advice/ torque specs would be appreciated.
>
> Chad Tobin