Replacing front wheel bearings

[ownfc59]

Good afternoon,
I am looking at tackling the replacement of the front wheel bearings on my standard front end FC.  A daunting task for a Bank Johnnie like myself but I have gotten a bit of confidence now after successfully replacing the front shocks & fuel pump & fixing the hand brake problems.
I have read the workshop manual & started the job, removing the hub & bearing cone & rollers.  The manual then says "Using a suitable drift, drive the two bearing cups out out of the hub."  What's a drift?  Does that just mean a hammer & a big screwdriver & thump them out or not?  I have tested the cups & they are pretty firmly jammed in there, will take a bit of work to get them out.  I have also just tested the new bearing cups & they are pretty snug fitting too.
Whats the best way of getting the old cups out & fitting the new ones?
Apart from this, the job doesn't seem too daunting, thanks to the good old workshop manual.
Any suggestions or tips for a mechanical novice?
Thanks,
Peter

[pedro]

A drift is usually a peice of mild steel rod or something similar, set the hub up in a vice or across a couple of peices of wood and tap them out, keep changeing from side to side or it will tilt and bind, reverse process to install, make sure you get them right up against the stops, don't hit them with anything made from hardened steel or you could damage something, I'ts quite an easy job really, when you fit them on the stub axle use plenty of grease and don't tighten the nut too tight, I think that covers everything good luck watch your fingers .
                                                             

[ownfc59]

Thanx Pedro, will give it a go.

[59fcholden]

Get yourself a brass drift, wont score the inside of the hub when hitting out the old cones and installing the new ones.
Ken

[mcl1959]

I use a cut down steering shaft from a Torana column, about 300mm long. It has nice weight and fits well in the back of the hub. The best way to install the new cones is with a press, but it can be done with a hammer as long as you don't get them out of square as Pedro says.  If you have access to a grinder, what I would do is grind half a mm off around the old cone and use it as a tool to install the new cone. Start the new shell by tapping it with a brass or copper hammer until it is level with the top of the hub, then place the ground down shell on top and continue tapping, then find a big socket which will sit up against the old shell and tap it finally all the way in.
New bearings need to be well greased. Place a big wad of grease in the palm of your hand and push the large side of the bearing into your palm working round and round until new grease oozes out between the rollers. Grease the new cones in the hub and the axle shaft well, some people like to pack the area in the hub between the cones with grease but I don't think this is necessary - interested to hear other people's opinion on this.

Ken

[FC427]

My Opinion is just a smear as all it does is sit there and never comes in to contact with the bearings when ever I have gone to repack the bearings and clean the hub out that grease is still new and then is disguarded, wast of grease ......FC427......

[nige and Jody]

Same Same here,

In all my years of packing wheel bearings by hand (we have a machine now due to OHS  ) The procedure I have always used is to Tap the old cups out with a brass punch, give the hub a good clean up and check for burrs etc on the inside.  Grind a couple of mm off the old cups, then gently get the new cups started with a soft faced hammer, a piece of hardwood or a socket that is the same diameter.  Once they are going in stick the old cup on top and gradually tap all the way in.  The sound will change once the new cup is correctly seated.

To pack the bearings, remembering you should always replace the bearings as a set of cups and bearings, as Ken said grab a dollop of grease in the palm of your hand and with the larger end of the bearing facing toward your hand 'wipe' the bearing across your palm to force the grease inside.  Once it starts to ooze out the smaller side move on to a different section until you have packed the whole lot.  I don't believe there is a need to put a big dollop in the centre of the hub because it sure aint going to repack itself if the other stuff falls out so really it is a waste of time.  Check with the manual on the correct tensioning technique as although they are all roughly the same there are very slight differences in pre loading and how much you then back the nut off etc.

The main thing with wheel bearings is don't neglect them, every service just have a quick peek and check they are still greased, no water has got in and that the tension is still good.

give it a red hot go.

Nige

[ownfc59]

Hi all,
Thanks for all the tips.  Found them very helpful.  I finished the job tonight & must say it was a bit easier than I thought it would be.  It all went pretty smoothly, thanks to the advice from you guys on the forum & the workshop manual.
Gives you a sense of satisfaction to know that you have done it yourself...until the wheel flies off next time you drive it!  Hopefully not.
Got to say too that the wheel spins a lot easier now, so the old bearings must have really been stuffed.
Thanks again,
Pete

[mikey]

Hi there,
              Isn't a good feeling to know you have tackled something and taken to completion?

One really good thing about learning new stuff like this is that the skills can be put to good use elsewhere in similar areas, by that I mean your new skills are not exclusive to front wheel bearings but to just about any bearing on a car or anywhere for that matter. Obviously different techniques will be employed due to different bearing types but the core skills are there. Things like how to pre grease them, how not to stuff them up by dinting them, cracking the races/shells or cocking them over.

One handy thing to note is that steel contracts when cold and expands when hot and this can help you along the way in the future. Ie stick a hub in a warm oven while putting the bearing in the fridge or vise versa for getting a bearing onto a shaft.

Good luck   M

[pedro]

Good on you Pete, like mikey said there is nothing like the satisfaction you get from doing work on your car yourself, and you know the job is done properly not just thrown together by some mechanic who doesn't really want to be there and is just doing it for the money(before someone takes offence i don't mean all mechanics, but we all know there are lots of shonks out there).

[59fcholden]

Good on you Pete, like mikey said there is nothing like the satisfaction you get from doing work on your car yourself, and you know the job is done properly not just thrown together by some mechanic who doesn't really want to be there and is just doing it for the money(before someone takes offence i don't mean all mechanics, but we all know there are lots of shonks out there).

I believe the majority of people that work are just doing it for the money and dont want to be there.

[nige and Jody]

yeah who WANTS to actually work for a living, I'd rather be home tinkering with the old girl.................................... and the FC 

Nige