OK did the install... pretty straight forward.

Hubs, spindles, rotors, calipers, brake lines in the front.

I have a base 87 and the donor car was a 90 Gxl

I noticed that in the front both wheels have a tiny amount of play when I shake them vertically.

Took the wheel off and basically the rotor has about 1/16 play in it. I immediately think wheel bearing. -but the same amount of play on both sides? ball joints seem OK me thinks maybe I missed something or the parts are not a direct fit but maybe both wheel bearings were bad on the hubs I bought?

any thoughts? something I could have missed?

 

Sounds like wheel bearings to me also. I suppose if you changed them out and still had the problem at least you would know that the bearings were good... Not exactly sure about the swap itself though. Sorry I couldnt help more. How much are wheel bearings?

 

Shake them vertically?? I don't follow here, but if your wheels have play then you have bad wheel bearings.

 

I dunno gonna take it apart and check everything if I find nothing... then I'll take out the bearings inspect them and probly head to NAPA.

Funny the Chilton manual does not have a section on wheel bearing replacement

 

I meant push on the top of the wheel inward.. like 12 and 6 O'clock.. vertically was probly a bad term I'm tired as ****.

 

Dont worry about him, I knew what you were saying lol. Im willing to bet that it may be easier to simply replace the entire hub (yes, money wasted I know) rather than yank the bearing. Of course I dont have presses to shove them out and reinstall new ones. If you have someone available with a press then I doubt it would cost much.

 

local NAPA will press them in for a small fee

the Hubs are big bucks man and a dealer only item... well I think Supernow makes fronts.

 

You need to weld a bar across the inner race to remove it. Mazda made the front hubs without a way to remove it.

http://mazdatrix.com/h86-92bearings.htm

http://mazdatrix.com/faq/frontbrg.htm

 

THANKS!
I can manage that... what a P.I.T.A though...


I don't see anything on there about welding?

 

It shows them cutting room for a punch but it's a little easier to just weld a piece of metal across the old race to hit to remove it.

Also Mazda did the same thing with the driveshaft, you can't remove the u-joints. Then on the s5's they switched to a front control arm with a non-removable balljoint.

 

You can also put notches in the rear of the hub and knock it out I think.


Actually like the second link he put up.

 

never heard that one, great idea... seems much easier.

 

I gotta say that Mazda either seriously shot themselves in the foot or got damn greedy with not being able to replace an item known to wear out such as ball joints, U-joints (they did this crap with the FB also), and wheel bearings.

 

yeah... very strange/greedy