How easy is it to remove rear wheel bearings?

[Silverfang]

Seems the rear wheel bearings on my 325 touring are groaning / rumbling away.
Now i've got a bearing puller but this works only for the fronts with the stub shaft...

How easy is it to do the rears? and what tools would you require?
I'm guessing it'd be a good weekend's work or so to change them though.

[steve_k]

http://www.toolprofessional.net/B000OUU ... OUUGJ6.htm

that might be of help to you??

i could be wrong though.

[redcar]

...

[capri_rob]

Or take the trailing arms off and pop along with them to your local garage at a suitably quiet time and give them a few beer tokens to press the old bearings out and new ones in.

Quick and easy

[redcar]

Or take the trailing arms off and pop along with them to your local garage at a suitably quiet time and give them a few beer tokens to press the old bearings out and new ones in.

Quick and easy

Good idea

Get them to press the hub in too if they can do it without damaging the bearing.

Nothing a hammer and extension can't solve though

[buzz6353]

Try not to hammer new bearings this can lead to damage to the faces

[KimH]

I imagine it's whole lot easier with the trailing arms off the car. I did this last summer as I was replacing the trailing arm and rear beam bushes.

I managed to replace both rear bearings with nothing more than a short piece of scafolding tube that was slightly smaller than both the diameter of the hub and hole in the trailing arm, strong circlip pliers, some threaded rod and an assortment of large washers. Oh - and a hammer.

Lots of sensible tips on here, including: freezing the new bearings to slightly reduce their diameter before fitting into a warm trailing arm; using the old bearing to press in the new one as this exerts pressure on the outer race rather than the inner (which would damage the new bearing); freezing the hubs before fitting into a room temp bearing.

Good luck, and make sure the bearing and hub stay aligned as they go together.
For me, being firm with all the bits rather using brute force yielded the desired result.

[redcar]

I'd recommend putting the bearing in first.
Then getting the hub in a little bit, attached the driveshaft from the other side, then put the nut on the driveshaft bit.

With an impact wrench, tighten.

It will pull the hub right into the bearing.
Remember to lube everything up though.

[blue30]

I don't think there's enough length on that part of the driveshaft to do that? you won't get the driveshaft through the trailing arm and hub and get the nut on without it all being very nearly home already IIRC.

I always find putting the new one in the easy bit it's just hammer time. Getting the outer race of the old one out is the ball ache!

I did one last year where I forgot the put the circlip in before putting the hub in, I wanted to punch myself in the face when I realised

edit, that's a point if you put the bearing on the hub then pull that in you won't be able to get the big circlip in.

[redcar]

I don't think there's enough length on that part of the driveshaft to do that? you won't get the driveshaft through the trailing arm and hub and get the nut on without it all being very nearly home already IIRC.

I always find putting the new one in the easy bit it's just hammer time. Getting the outer race of the old one out is the ball ache!

I did one last year where I forgot the put the circlip in before putting the hub in, I wanted to punch myself in the face when I realised

edit, that's a point if you put the bearing on the hub then pull that in you won't be able to get the big circlip in.

I was lucky because my old bearing came out in one piece. Simply with 2 hefty blows with a hammer !

Yes you're right about the driveshaft bit, it has to be on about 50% of its journey, but saves banging stuff when its possible to pull it in with said method

[Tom_Maverick]

when I did the rear bearings on the heavy artillery I was trying to get one in and using a bit of wood and a hammer I managed to knock the seal and balls out of one side of the bearing all over the ramp.. bugger.. so had to go buy another and ended up getting them pressed in by a mate.. so be very careful when wielding a club!

[suedenim]

I did one last year where I forgot the put the circlip in before putting the hub in, I wanted to punch myself in the face when I realised

I'll have your forgeting to put circlip on, and raise you a forgeting to put the brake back plate on before driving the hub back on