[Vwdiesel] front wheel bearings

[Val Christian]

Just a couple of comments, as I've done this job a dozen or more times
on my high mileage Rabbits.

1. See if you can find a "on the car screw type press".  They are 
about $250 or $300, but save the alignment work afterwards.  Look for
a loaner, if you're in an area where you can find them.

2. I agree with Loren's advice, except advise against using a cold chisel.
My experience with using one several times is that there will be all kinds
of small, hard shrapnel (sp?), and even with safety goggles, you'll get 
penetrations in your face, hands, arms.  Risky.

As an alternative, use a highspeed grinder, like a 4" one.  It will take 
a while.

I use a oxyacetylene torch after trying a bearing moon, for extracting the
inner race from the hub flange.  I've never nicked the flange cutting
the inner race off, and I've done it at least a dozen times.  Best
method.

3. If you can do it with a vice, great, but I use a 12 ton press, and 
sometimes need to heat and/or hammer things to get them apart.  A vice 
might work for reassembly, if you ended up having a shop with a press
do the disassembly.

4. Consider chilling the bearing before pressing it into the hub.  You could
chill the flange also, and let the bearing warm up, once pressed into the
hub, before pressing the flange into the inner race.  Heed Loren's advice
about supporting the inner race with sockets while reassembling.

Val




> 
>   Just did it on the Passat, nearly identical.  There's two ways to do it.  
> One is an "on the car" press that uses cups, plates and a threaded rod to 
> "pull" the bearing out and press the new one in.  The other way is to pull the 
> knuckle out  and use a press of vise and large sockets or what have you.  Press 
> out the hub which will take one inner race with it and destroy the bearing.  
> Press out the outer race and remainder of the bearing.  Cold chissel the inner 
> race away from the hub (pound into straight down between the two) until you get 
> a gap.  A friend's shop usually uses two pry bars and then "pops" the race off 
> the hub in a few tries.  I didn't have time so I fired up the torch and cut 
> it.  I've used a grinder too to cut most of the way through the race then split 
> it and pop it off.
>   Press the new bearing into the knujckle (there's snap ringe inner and outer 
> btw.  Then SUPPORT THE INNER RACE while you seat the hub from the other side. 
>  Failure to fully support the race from the back will ruin the bearing!
>   Put the hub/knuckle assy. back in the car and align.  Or mark the strut 
> location well and you might get away without alignment.
>     Loren
> 
> 
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