How hard is it to replace the front bearings? Are there any special tools i need? how do i prepare it for installation? Thanks

 

you can do it with normal tools but if im not mistaken you may need a special socket to replace the races. because if you replace the bearings you will have to replace the bearing race too its not that hard to get the bearings out

 

what are the "races" what kind of socket do i need?

 

Mazdatrix has a FAQ on this. It's not straightforward:

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

And if you don't know what "races" are, you should not be replacing bearings. They are a critical safety item on the car, and it's easy to screw up the replacement. The result is a seized bearing, generally on the highway/freeway. Very dangerous. Through no fault of my own, I have been through bearing failure at high speeds. The only thing that kept the wheel on the car was the fact that the brake caliper bracket wouldn't let it slide off...

Edit...That said, there's a very easy to remove the race. Grab the trusty MIG welder, crank the current and run a bead around the inner circumfrence of the race. Let it cool, then hold the hub upside down and tap on it a few times. The race will literally just drop out. Heating the race up causes it to expand, and as the weld bead cools it will pull the race ever so slightly from the inside. The result is a tiny reduction in outside circumfrence, and thus if falls right out.

 

the races are that the bearings ride on there are two races in the hub that will need to be taken out and replaced. the sockets are just metal slugs that will be used to press the new races in. im sure a good shop can do it for you in about an hour

very true arron, if it is your first time let a professional do it i've seen a spindle sheer off a 240 on the highway it was not pretty

 

It's not that simple. Read the Mazdatrix FAQ. In order to get a press in there, you need to grind away part of the hub.

 

thanks guys.

 

sorry, its easy to me prolly because ive done it a bunch

 

I've used a long punch with a sharpened tip to cut away a little of the hub behind the race, and then used the punch on the back of the race exposed by the cut. You have to do that process at two points directly opposite each other, and tap it out equally on each side.

 

just a FYI-
if your bearings are old but they dont wobble much yet they could be a little tighter, you can remove the outer bearing portions and repack them with fresh grease after cleaning them off, that is very simple.

when I went to do my front wheel bearings on a chassis with 190k miles on it, I noticed the inner races had no wear on them so it was most likely the bearing cage.. the metal pieces that run to and from each roller bearing to hold them a certain distance from one another, the cage was wearing out and allowing some slop in the bearing. so, I replaced the bearings but I left the old inner races on the hub and didnt use the new inner races. this made the entire project just take a few hours to remove the hub, clean the spindle up, remove the old outer race and bearing, pack up the new bearing and install it.

if you have the time, remove your hub and take a look at the bearing races, if they show no signs of wear you can most likely replace just the bearings and outer race without using the mazdatrix method of grinding and pounding out the inner races. the bearings from mazdatrix are cheap enough, be sure to get the dust seals too. if youre lucky like I was, you can do this in your driveway without any special tools since the outer race and bearing rollers fall righ toff once you pull the hub off the spindle.