Protection plate/wheel bearing

[etouring]

Hi all, Iv opened up a can of worms! My rear disks were looking pitted so I changed them, only to discover the protection plate behind was badley corroded. It could no longer hold the spring loaded fixing for the hand break shoes. So Iv got two brand new protection plate's only to discover the hubs need to be removed for fitmint. My local garage has quoted me £160 to do both sides. But I'm tempted to take on the job my self. Dose anyone have advie?? Worth giving it a go or not.

[Grrrmachine]

Depending on how badly rusted the backplates are, you don't need to replace them at all:

http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... ate_Repair

However, replacing the bearings in the rear hubs (which is essential if removing the hubs) counts as one of the worst jobs on an E30. It's much easier to cut the old plates off and weld the new ones on if your bearings are fine.

[NoTurbo]

Yeah just do it. Wheel bearing is a b*** to get off but there are loads of guides on here to help

[Brianmoooore]

Cut the new plates across the narrowest place, where the calipers go, twist the cut open a little, slide it into place, refit the four bolts, and weld up the cut, being careful not to lay weld where the handbrake shoes lie.
If it's just the retaining holes for the shoe fixing pins that are corroded, then this can be repaired by drilling out the holes to about 10mm, and fitting a domed washer as found in the drum brake shoe fixing kit.

[BenHar]

For £160 I'd bite their arm off and get the bearings replaced at the same time.

Ben

[DanThe]

/\ if it includes quality bearings then im with the above advice

[etouring]

For £160 I'd bite their arm off and get the bearings replaced at the same time.

Ben

Thanks everyone for the grate feedback!!

From the sounds of things I'm thinking that might be the wise option. Iv had a good look at the link and the washer fix would have worked when I first discovered the problem. Kicking myself for not checking the wiki first!! I made a rookie mistake by thinking it would be ok to drive the car without the shoes fitted. One of the expanding locks(fitted to the end of hand break cable) came lose and damaged the protection plate. Iv already ordered the bearings and have just read the wiki on replacing them. Has any one got a pic of the pullers I'll need. Iv already got the standard hub puller but struggling to get my head round the bearing puller for fitment.

[etouring]

/\ if it includes quality bearings then im with the above advice

That's labour only Iv ordered fag bearings half the price of oem

[e30topless]

90% of e30's I come across have noisy rear wheel bearings, it's worth replacing them and fitting the back plates correctly...if the back plates are rotted out its a sure sign that they probably haven't been done before!

with new shoes and a fitting kit you won't be going back in there for a while

[zd3bx]

£160 for both sides, assuming they will replace the bearings as well, is a steal.

I did mine £150 for EACH side, although that included handbrake cables as well...

[Grrrmachine]

Iv ordered fag bearings half the price of oem

FAG are the OEM manufacturer, so you got a good price there.

[NoTurbo]

This might help too:
http://www.teamdfl.com/bmw/e30/rear_whe ... index.html

[etouring]

This might help too:
http://www.teamdfl.com/bmw/e30/rear_whe ... index.html

Just had a look, this Is a good link the pics make all the difference. I don't have a bearing puller, if I can get a puller then I defo give it a go.

[etouring]

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/110859937427?nav=SEARCH
Would this be adequate?

[daimlerman]

I had to swap a rear wheel bearing last week.
First time I had attempted the job on an E30...after buying a very similar bearing puller kit to the above and finding I was still unable to shift the sodding thing,I took the trailing arm out and took the lot to a local garage.
Took two youngsters about ten minutes to press the old bearing out and slide the new one in.They also pressed in the drive flange as well,just a shame that I forgot to take the shiney new back plate with me.... so I still had to slice that and weld it up!

I slipped the two lads at the garage the smallest note in my wallet(the only note in my wallet!)bit of a blow that it was a £20 note


The main reason I was unable to shift the old bearing myself was that it had pretty much welded it's self to the hub carrier,the garage's press needed plenty of pressure and it finally gave with a fair bang.With the trailing arm installed on the car,with the car supported on an axle stand,I was unable to hold a decent sized socket against the back of the bearing and belt it hard enough to get it moving,so that my shiney new puller could get to work.

[capnmchl]

To anyone doing rear bearings on these, no matter what any guide on the internet says, just take the arm(s) off and get a garage to swap the bearing(s). Don't fuck around trying to do it in place on the car, don't fuck around trying to do it with threaded bar and bits of plastic tubing, just take it to a garage and get them to do it with a press.

[harry_p]

A welder makes most bearings a piece of cake.

Smash the bearing through so you're just left with the outer race in the arm, run a nice thick bead of weld as far as you can around the inside of the race.

The heat from welding will help free off any stiction, and will contract slightly as is cools loosening the bearing, and also gives you a lip to hit against with a drift.

Put your fresh bearing in the freezer for a couple of hours and gently warm up the arm with a torch before installing and it will slide in a lot easier.

[etouring]

A welder makes most bearings a piece of cake.

The heat from welding will help free off any stiction, and will contract slightly as is cools loosening the bearing, and also gives you a lip to hit against with a drift.

Put your fresh bearing in the freezer for a couple of hours and gently warm up the arm with a torch before installing and it will slide in a lot easier.

I don't have a welder, but was thinking of using a blow torch to heat the arm and free up the bearing.

[DanThe]

I don't have a welder, but was thinking of using a blow torch to heat the arm and free up the bearing.

Blow torch is a waste of time, with some common sense thinking its an easy job. Most of the bearings I do the trailing arm is already off the car as the arm is being refurbed, big vice, drift, lump hammer and a couple of old bearing races is all I use.
The most difficult part is probably getting the old inner race off the hub, but with a bearing splitter its a piece of cake.

I use a puller if im changing them on the car. Plenty of oil when refitting and they also slide in with ease.

However, if you have ham fists and are attempting to do this job on the floor with a claw hammer and adjustable spanner your not going to get very far

[etouring]

Well Iv got a drive and a halfords tool kit... Basicley doing it on the flour. I'm no stranger to cars but this will be my first bearing change!! I'll let everyone know how it goes. Wish me luck

[Idol]

I done one side of mine today, although my trailing arms have been removed. I used to different sized sockets, one to fit the hub from inside and a clout with a hammer and the hub pop out. Plenty of penetrating oil around the outside of the bearing and a larger socket (36mm impact) to fit the outer race, 3 more clouts with a hammer and it popped out in one!

The other side it had I had a lot of agro with. Not the bearing, but the hub nut! I rounded it off! So after a little while of trying to break the nut with a chisel, I resorted to this




And the threads were fine! Although there is now an inch hole in the end of the shaft it's no big shakes!

[etouring]

Risky but it paid off nicely. Iv already loosed one side was a bit of a bitch they only give you about 4mm of nut! What size hole saw did you use just incase?

[Idol]

I started with the bigger, 32mm, then the smaller 25mm.

[Idol]

I should of said the 36mm socket was on the inner race, but it all popped out nicely.

[suedenim]

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/110859937427?nav=SEARCH
Would this be adequate?

I use this one:

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/produ ... separator-

I clamp the silver part between the hub and backplate (with the brake components removed), then drive some old wheel nuts into the hub and against the silver part, this splits the hub off the driveshaft spline, leaving you just the bearing to remove (sorry that I don't have a photo of this part).
It will more than likely result in the bearing splitting, so you can pull it of the hub like this



The benefit of the kit with povvo spec trailing arms is that with some threaded bar and a suitable socket, you can do this to remove the outer race



Then drive the new bearing in, applying pressure to the outer edge of the outer bearing only!



with a set up similar to this (the old bearing seats behind the driveshaft side)



For disc brakes the process is the same, although you have to drift the old outer bearing out.

Sometimes a good new bearing can split and I've read it many times that it makes it scrap, which I personally think is bo****ks. If you can remove the inner off the hub, it can be reassembled as long as the dust seal isn't damaged, although it will only go back together in a certain way, easily. IIRC you have to place the bearing race on top of the inner bearing and then drop the outer over the two (or the opposite) it will only go one way and easily, then carefully squeeze the lips of the dust shield into the gap.

[suedenim]

I done one side of mine today, although my trailing arms have been removed. I used to different sized sockets, one to fit the hub from inside and a clout with a hammer and the hub pop out. Plenty of penetrating oil around the outside of the bearing and a larger socket (36mm impact) to fit the outer race, 3 more clouts with a hammer and it popped out in one!

The other side it had I had a lot of agro with. Not the bearing, but the hub nut! I rounded it off! So after a little while of trying to break the nut with a chisel, I resorted to this



And the threads were fine! Although there is now an inch hole in the end of the shaft it's no big shakes!

Am I right in thinking that you tried undoing the hub nut with the locking ring in place, or that it was put in before and the nut tightened onto it??

[Idol]

No the locking plate sits behind the nut. I bashed the tabs out from the grooves but still managed to round it.

[suedenim]

The locking plate goes on after the nut is torqued up! It's also the first thing to come off, by prising it out, using a centre punch and ignorance I find. Can't see how it's locking anything but itself behind the nut.

[jimmyspeed]

I'm sure my lock washers were just wedged around the edges, stopping the nut from moving - without prior removal the socket won't get deep enough and the round the nut

[DanThe]

It does go on after, and you need a good socket to remove the nut with the lock ring in place, a worn/poor fit socket will slip off easily

[Idol]

It possibly was on after the nut then. I can't really remember. I think this side was the original as the lock nut on the other side was different with just 1 lock tab.

[etouring]

Cool thanks for all the advise Iv now ordered loads of pullers and bearing's. Let's hope it all arrives before the weekend so I can get it sorted on Saturday!.

[suedenim]

Cool thanks for all the advise Iv now ordered loads of pullers and bearing's. Let's hope it all arrives before the weekend so I can get it sorted on Saturday!.

Where are you based?

[etouring]

I'm in rayns park south west London

[etouring]