[Vwdiesel] Dasher front wheel bearing changed, some tips

[William J Toensing]

I successfully changed & put in a new wheel bearing. I bought a wheel bearing press kit at our local NAPA autoparts store. Cost $150. Probably could have got by cheaper but I have other cars & like to buy good tools when I need them. The biggest problem was removal & replacement of the "C" clips holding the bearing in the hub. None of the special pliers of needle nosed pliers would work so I invented my own solution & it worked like a charm so I will pass the tip along to you. Take a pair of small needle nosed vice grip pliers & grind the tips so it will fit into the "C" clip holes. Slightly file the inside of the tips so the "C" clip won't slip off . Now you can really compress the "C" clips easily. I also used the bearing press to press in the wheel hub. I also used the old bearing outside race to press in the new bearing, grinding off the outer edge so it wouldn't stick  into the bearing hub or carrier.
After removing the rubber cover from the outer CV joint, I was able to notice some play or slop in the CV joint. Don't know if this is normal, but to play it safe, I will order a rebuilt left CV joint half shaft.
One interesting thing I found was the bad left side wheel bearing I removed, which I think is OEM,  was a Timken bearing made in the USA. If you want the bearing number & the bearing press kit manufacturer & tool number, I will supply it for you.