45k miles but a slight problem
Discussion
I have just got 45,000 miles up on the old odometer, (quite apt considering the festivities) but with it comes a grating noise from the front passengers wheel, I suspect the wheel bearings going/gone so what do i do I take its a garage job, how much am I looking to pay? help appreciated.
Wheel bearings are not a major problem to change. Only mistake I made was putting them in back-to-front which meant that the more I tightened the driveshaft nut, the looser the bearing became 
Pretty sure you just need to remove the hub, drift out the old bearings then tap the new ones into the hub, and refit.
Pretty sure you just need to remove the hub, drift out the old bearings then tap the new ones into the hub, and refit.
It's one of the easiest jobs to do yourself:
Take off the wheel
Remove the split pin and the driveshaft end nut.
Undo the two caliper bolts and remove the caliper - support it to avoid loading up the hose.
Undo the top & bottom swivel pins using a pin-splitter.
Remove the hub leaving the drive shaft and CV joint in place.
Remove the oil seal and the inner bearing races.
Drive the old outer races out of the hub and thoroughly clean the hub.
It's worth checking the ball pin play at this time as if there is excess play this would be the ideal time to change them.
Using new grease to assist, press the new outer bearing races into the hub. You can tap them in using a large socket or steel pipe, but make sure you don't damage the ground running faces of the outer races. They must be fully in against the register in the hub.
Fit the inner races together with the spacer.
Re-assemble as a reverse of dis-assembly.
Keep everything clean and do up the drive shaft end nut to a high torque figure - it should be 150 lb.ft, but so long as it's good and tight that's fine. Make sure you fit a new split pin.
Dont get any grease on the brake pads!!
I hope this helps.
Peter
Take off the wheel
Remove the split pin and the driveshaft end nut.
Undo the two caliper bolts and remove the caliper - support it to avoid loading up the hose.
Undo the top & bottom swivel pins using a pin-splitter.
Remove the hub leaving the drive shaft and CV joint in place.
Remove the oil seal and the inner bearing races.
Drive the old outer races out of the hub and thoroughly clean the hub.
It's worth checking the ball pin play at this time as if there is excess play this would be the ideal time to change them.
Using new grease to assist, press the new outer bearing races into the hub. You can tap them in using a large socket or steel pipe, but make sure you don't damage the ground running faces of the outer races. They must be fully in against the register in the hub.
Fit the inner races together with the spacer.
Re-assemble as a reverse of dis-assembly.
Keep everything clean and do up the drive shaft end nut to a high torque figure - it should be 150 lb.ft, but so long as it's good and tight that's fine. Make sure you fit a new split pin.
Dont get any grease on the brake pads!!
I hope this helps.
Peter
make sure you mark up the position of the joints, so that you don't throw the wheel alignment out of whack. Just to be safe if you do it, after go to the local wheel fitter/garage (with wheel alignment gear) and get it checked. Most check for free and only charge if an adustment is needed to be made, if it is at least you will know it is right! 
annodomini2 said:
make sure you mark up the position of the joints, so that you don't throw the wheel alignment out of whack. Just to be safe if you do it, after go to the local wheel fitter/garage (with wheel alignment gear) and get it checked. Most check for free and only charge if an adustment is needed to be made, if it is at least you will know it is right!
You should not be altering the position of any joints as only the track-rod end could alter the alignment in this case and all you are doing is disconnecting it from the steering arm (unless I'm missing something - not unknown!)
If it all comes apart easily the job should take no more than an hour.
To be fair, you do need the right tools and a proper ball-pin splitter is essential, as is a good socket set. Mind you, for the labour charge at a garage you could buy the necessary tools for this type of job and still have a bit of loose change. then you could do the other side later on!
It's not difficult to drive the outer races into the hubs, either. I've got a big socket the outside diameter of which is about 1/16" less than the diameter of the bearing housing, so that does fine with a copper mallet. I keep thinking about getting a bench-sized small hydraulic press for this type of work and to press gudgeon pins in or out of the pistons. My local machine shop charge me about a fiver a rod for pressing out and pressing new ones in, so that's £20 per engine build.
It's not difficult to drive the outer races into the hubs, either. I've got a big socket the outside diameter of which is about 1/16" less than the diameter of the bearing housing, so that does fine with a copper mallet. I keep thinking about getting a bench-sized small hydraulic press for this type of work and to press gudgeon pins in or out of the pistons. My local machine shop charge me about a fiver a rod for pressing out and pressing new ones in, so that's £20 per engine build.
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