Yeah, I may sound dumb, but I'm more of an engine guy. Is there a VFAQ for repacking wheel bearings or anyone have directions/pictures?

 

the EASIEST way to do it is to just get a wheel bearing packer. it's a little plastic container that you put the grease in. throw in the bearing and then it has a top that you press down on to force the grease into the bearing. when you see all the grease pushed out inbetween all the bearings it's good to go. just make sure you clean the bearings in some solvent to get out all the old grease and let them dry before packing. clean out any old grease from the axle as well and maybe put a little new grease in there. that's the easiest way to do it.

but if you're too cheap to buy one, and wanna get your hands all messy, you can do it the old fashioned way. take some grease in one hand. with the other hand take the bearing and at the edge of the grease, push the bearing into some of the grease (sideways to the grease) and pull it towards you (kind of like scraping it across your hand so that it pushes the grease inbetween the bearings). you want the grease to go in one side of the bearing and start coming out the other side. just rolling the bearing around in some grease won't do it. but anyway, just keep doing this until you go all the way around the bearing and you have grease inbetween the cage and inbetween the bearings. i then usually wipe a layer of grease around the outside of it too just for extra lubrication and put some grease in the axle as well. just make sure you clean out any and all old grease. well hope this helps.
scott

 

better yet got get a hub from pick n pull for 30 bucks

 

Ok, that's great, but where the bloody hell are the bearings and how do I get to them? Sorry, I'm frustrated, I hate not knowing things. Like I said, I may sound dumb, but I'm more of an engine guy. I don't know the first thing about wheel bearings. Pictures and details would be greatly appreciated.

 

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

that should give you an idea

 

and in a month go back to pick-n-pull b/c the car is making a mysterious grinding sound

 

You should pick up a hayes manual...I did my first bearing/rotor/brake job using it...and it helped alot.

 

Yeah, and make sure you don't get the preload on the bearings too tight. Tapered roller bearings don't respond well to preload, but will self destruct with too much slop. Just get them tight enough to take out the play. (thats why there's a anti back-off plate and a cotter pin in there) Speaking of the anti back-off plate... Keep rotating it till it lines up with the cotter pin hole. never loosen the spindle nut to make that plate fit. The slots on it are not evenly spaced with the corner notches so you'll be able to find an orientation to fit the proper tension on the sprindle nut.

 

Pull the rear tires off. With a 14mm wrench, disconnect the two bolts that hole the caliper. Place the caliper out of the way. Get a 32mm socket and a long breakover bar. First unstake the 32mm nut. Now remove the two phillips head screws that hold the rotor on. Now remove the rotor(does not just fall off in your hands, sorry. Work at it). Now remove the 32mm nut. Lefty lucy(a little more effort than that, sorry). Now get your puller and offer it up to the hub/axle. As soon as the half shaft starts moving, remove the three bolts that hold the hub on, completly. Now continure with the puller until the half shaft is free of the hub. REmove hub. Press out the beaing with your press(no press? Tough, its gonna be a little harder).

Shouldn't take more than thirty minutes a side. See Mazdatrix FAQ for the front bearings.

 

I use my hand, I'm old fashioned. Grab the bearing in one hand, and in the other, put a dallop of wheel bearing grease. Using the edge of the bearing, scrape it accross your other hand so you force grease up into the rollers.. Once it's coming out the top, rotate the bearing and repeat.. You're finished when the whole bearing has good amounts of grease wedged inbetween the rollers. Just smearing it around the outside isn't going to do the trick, and don't overpack the bearing with grease or it may push out past the seals.. Grease on brakes is never a good thing

I don't use a packer because you waste a lot of grease IMHO..

PaulC

 

Its not too difficult packing the front by hand. I replaced inner and outter bearings using CV-2 grease, took about 25-40mins for the both of them. Take your time doing it though and make sure you get the grease between all of the bearings (rotate them).