rear wheel bearing replacement
 

I had the left rear wheel bearing replaced about 17,000 miles ago when a rear wheel stud broke. You have to press out the wheel bearing to replace the studs and you can't press the bearing out without destroying it.

I noticed last weekend that the left rear spindle seemed loose when I was changing tires. Sure enough the wheel bearing was shot. Seems to me it would be quite impossible to eat a bearing so quickly so I figure the machine shop I had do the work at the time damaged the new bearing when they installed it. Now that I have my own hydraulic press replacing the bearing was a cinch; I finished in an hour and a half.

The rear wheel bearing is a typical sealed bearing with a split inner race. The bearing presses into the upright and then the spindle presses into the bearing. To remove the bearing have someone hold the brakes and bust the 35mm axle nut loose (I use a 24" breaker bar with a 36" length of pipe on the end). I don't bother to unstake the nut because it takes so much force to remove the nut I find you don't need to. If the axle has never been removed from the spindle it will most likely stick and refuse to come out. Soak the axle splines liberally with penetrating oil and try to hammer the axle out after letting it sit. If it still refuses to budge heat the spindle with a torch and try tapping it out again. Mine came out this time with just a few hard whacks of the hammer since it had been apart just a couple years ago and I was careful to clean the rust off when I reassmebled at the time. The axle and spindle are raw steel and surface corrosion tends to form on the splines and make them stick. Same as what happens when the brake rotors stick to the spindle.

Once the axle is loose of the spindle remove the brake caliper and the rotor. Then remove the abs sensor and the bolt through the outer toe control bushing. Now remove the upper and lower bolts on the upright which pass through the pillowball bushings. You now have the upright with its wheel bearing and spindle free of the car.

First the spindle has to be pressed out and this will destroy the wheel bearing as it must seperate for the spindle to come out. It doesn't take much force to get the spindle out and I just supported the upright on the press with a couple blocks of wood. Press the spindle out using a socket just smaller in diameter than the spindle and the spindle will pop out right away. You'll notice that one of the inner races of the wheel bearing is still attached to the spindle. Set it aside for now.

With the spindle out you now see a large c-clip which holds the wheel bearing in the upright. Remove the clip. Support the upright in the press once again and drive the bearing out by using a socket large enough to press against the outer of the bearing. Always remove/install bearings by only pressing them from their outer edges or you will damage them! My bearing acted stuck at first but once it broke free it pressed out easily.

Thoroughly clean the bearing bore of the upright as well as the groove the c-clip sits in. Now it's time to press in the new bearing. I used the remains of the old bearing to press the new one in. Do not ever press on anything but the outer diameter of the bearing or you will damage it! The new bearing will press easily into the upright; be certain it's driving in square. Once the bearing is seated fully insert the c-clip to hold it in place.

Now you have to remove the bearing race that is stuck to your spindle. The FSM says to grind a notch most of the way through the race and then use a hammer and chisel to break the race off the spindle. I was able to remove mine with a bearing seperator and a gear puller without much trouble. Once the old bearing race is removed the spindle is ready to be installed. You might consider replacing the wheel studs before installing the spindle; they hammer out easily.

Since the spindle presses into the inner race of the bearing you want to support the inner race when the spindle is installed or risk damage to the bearing. I supported the inner race from the rear with a suitable socket sitting on the press and then pressed in the spindle. It will slip in pretty easily. It is my theory that this is how the shop damaged my old bearing. If you don't support the inner race when you press the spindle in then the race will try and seperate slightly from the bearing. This will destroy the bearing quickly.

All done, just install the upright back on the car. Be certain to use a new axle nut. The nut is so tight that they are normally slightly damaged whenever they are removed.

I jacked the car up and removed the rear wheel at 4:30 and had the car off the stands by 6. The only real hurdle in the entire project is getting the axle free of the spindle as they usually stick. This project could easily take twice as long if you have trouble getting the axle free. I had one stick so bad a while back that I mushroomed the end in trying to hammer it out. Don't do that ;) if the axle doesn't turn loose after half a dozen hard whacks I would try heating it with a torch. I had to grind the "mushroom" off the axle at the time in order to install the axle nut again.

DamonB , nice write up and no one thanked you . I have pressed bearings and care is a must ,Paul has bought a set for his rear hub,which we will put in when time permits . Nice write up .

Damon, great write-up...

I'm trying to get my dust shields on so need to get the wheelhub off...when you say you whack it...where the heck are you hitting it at??? I'm not sure where to start to beat this thing from.

I don't need the axel out just from the wheel side.

Turbojeff had this quote from an old thread but am having a hard time visualizing how to do this.

Damon I have a friend that eats up wheel bearings when he trail brakes in his WRX, I have no idea why, maybe more stress and heat or w/e. Good write up, Im going to be doing this soon on my 144k chassis.

Same thing happened to me. I heart my cut-off saw :D

Again, great write up. Hopefully I won't have to take apart the rear again for a while now...

Thanks Damon, you da man :bigthumb:

You hammer the end of the axle where the big nut was. Remove the nut and then hammer the axle out of the spindle. Be careful not to miss with the hammer and whack the spindle. If you bend the little lip there your wheels will no longer seat correctly.

Realize you can't remove the dust sheilds without replacing the wheel bearing because you have to remove the spindle to remove the sheild. If you need the dust sheilds gone so you can install your brake kit just cut them off, that way you don't have to take the axle apart or replace the bearing.

Now if Damon only had a digital camera... :D

We plan to buy one soon but even then I don't plan to keep it in my toolbox. When I'm working I want to work, not take pics ;)

ack...i just found it in the FSM. Well that sucks. I was just wondering. Is that the same for the front dust shields? It seems different int he FSM.

The front dust sheilds can be removed by first pulling the entire bearing and hub assembly off. You can re-install the same parts afterwards as they are not harmed in removal. Only the rear requires pressing and damaging the bearing.

thanks!!!

and I second the comment about getting a camera for when your wrenching ;)

My 2cents on removing the axle.

A. If you are going to hammer, take the old hub nut and put it on backwards and hammer that. You may have to bend/grind out the stake.

B. IMHO, Excessive hammering may damage your pillowball bushings. There are gear pullers and hub pullers you can buy. After some hammering, I had luck using my old cheap 3 arm gear puller and alot of torque.

I broke a 1/2in drive breaker bar trying to get my hub nut off.

I nearly ruined an axle doing that. The axle wouldn't budge and the first 1/4" or so of threads on the axle were ruined as the nut was literally being driven onto the axle from the pounding. At that point I stopped and had the axle pressed out of the spindle and spent a good 30 minutes with a thread file cleaning up the axle. That was my first go 'round.

I also assume if you used a 3 jaw puller that you attached it to the spindle (where the wheel bolts on) to push the axle out. You can easily bend the spindle in that case and end up with a wheel that permanently wobbles.

Much thanks Damon for helping remove my rear bearings to put on the dust shields. Also it was a fortuitous thing as we fount that my right rear bearing was bad!!!! After we removed it you could easily feel the bearing "wobbled". Also when turning the hub, you could hear/feel it "grinding"

So anyways here are some pics.

So as Damon stated you want to hit with a hammer right on the axle, driving the axle toward the diff (after you remove the 35mm axle nut). Mine had been removed before so it was extremely easy.

Here the axle has been loosen and the brake caliper and rotor has been removed.

https://www.rx7club.com/forum/attach...hmentid=112694

Remove the upper hub mount and lower mount:

https://www.rx7club.com/forum/attach...hmentid=112695
https://www.rx7club.com/forum/attach...hmentid=112697

Remove the toe link bolt (you don't have to remove the whole thing just the bolt connected to the hub:

https://www.rx7club.com/forum/attach...hmentid=112696

Remove the ABS sensor:
https://www.rx7club.com/forum/attach...hmentid=112698

Here you can see the splines after the hub has been removed. This is what Damon was mentioning to try to liberally lube before you try to knock the axle out:

https://www.rx7club.com/forum/attach...hmentid=112699

Here you can see the removed hub (with my poorly trimmed dust shield ;))

https://www.rx7club.com/forum/attach...hmentid=112700

Off to the press...

First press the spindle out (destroying the bearing):

https://www.rx7club.com/forum/attach...hmentid=112702

Remove the "C" clip that is holding the wheel bearing in the spindle. Damon used some needle nose pliers while I worked in a small screwdriver to keep it from popping back in. Damon then worked the clip around until it released:

https://www.rx7club.com/forum/attach...hmentid=112703
https://www.rx7club.com/forum/attach...hmentid=112704

Also per Damon Always remove/install bearings by only pressing them from their outer edges or you will damage them!. Here we are pressing the bearing out:

https://www.rx7club.com/forum/attach...hmentid=112705

After we cleaned the c-clamp groove and bore, we proceed to press the new one in (second pic is one using an old bearing to press the new one in fully until it seats:

https://www.rx7club.com/forum/attach...hmentid=112706 https://www.rx7club.com/forum/attach...hmentid=112707

Here I am trying to pretend I know what I'm doing.... :D
https://www.rx7club.com/forum/attach...hmentid=112708

Now you have to remove the bearing race that is stuck to the spindle. While Damon was able to remove his with a gear puller we couldn't on mine. It seems that the 93 and 94's are slightly different. My 94 didn't have enough of a "lip" if any at all to attach the gear puller.

Here Damon is trying to grind a notch. The grinder was a little weak. However, he was able to grind it off with another grinder at work:
https://www.rx7club.com/forum/attach...hmentid=112721

I don't have pictures of when Damon pressed the spindle into the inner race. However, as he noted...support the inner race when the spindle is installed or risk damage to the bearing. I supported the inner race from the rear with a suitable socket sitting on the press and then pressed in the spindle. It will slip in pretty easily. It is my theory that this is how the shop damaged my old bearing. If you don't support the inner race when you press the spindle in then the race will try and seperate slightly from the bearing. This will destroy the bearing quickly.

Finally, reverse the order to install. Use a new axle nut and notch it.

Thanks Damon for all of the help!!!!

Here is the finally install with new dust shields and 99 spec brakes installed.
https://www.rx7club.com/forum/attach...hmentid=112724 https://www.rx7club.com/forum/attach...hmentid=112725

Great pics and write up. :)

-Max

Excellent post fellas. Here is a little tip to make installation easier: Take the new bearing and put in a box of dry ice for about an hour to shrink the metal. If your quick enough, the new bearing will drop right in place without even needing a press. Even putting it in the freezer overnight will make it easier.

Bob, you forgot to mention our custom sewer accessories to press the dust sheild on! :p:

CRAP!!

LOL. I forgot, to press in the shields you can't just push them on. Also the metal is too flimsy that you can bend the shields easily.

Instead we went to our local mazda accessory store...Lowe's:) and bought some nice PVC crapper tube!! All you need is a 4" diameter tube. We found one that fit perfectly.

We just set the PVC over the dust shield and put it on the press and pressed the shield onto the hub! Worked out GREAT!

*the PVC is up for sale CHEAP if anyone wants it ;)

https://www.rx7club.com/forum/attach...hmentid=112791

Umm, Eye protection for the grinder Damon? :rolleyes: ;)

How about "no sandals" even if the car is on quality AC Hydraulics jackstands.

I wear at minimum close-toe shoes, but I have a set of "steel toes" for garage work, and a pair of Dickies pants & shirts.

:-) neil

That little stone did such a poor job of grinding the bearing race there was absolutely no danger of flying debris :p: I took the parts to work and used an abrasive blade on the chop saw to grind a notch through the races and then split them with a chisel.

When I did my bearings the races were a tad larger than the spindle and I could get hold of them with a gear puller. These two were different; they were the same size as the spindle and there was no hope in using the puller so I cut and then hammered them off just like the FSM says you must.

Sorry to dig up an old old thread, but what size sockets did you use for pressing out the bearings?

What were the size of the sockets you used?

You may find it best to just measure for the sizes you need, go to your favorite socket supplier and pick out the sockets that fit.

Socket size will vary from brand to brand, different models within a brand, and date of manufacture.

I just went through this with sockets used as drifts to press out suspension bushings.

I can give you this answer after this weekend. I'll be doing my rear wheel bearings (+ fronts + arp studs + rest of SuperPros, etc.) this Saturday.

I'm doing mine right now, just got one of the axles loose from the hub. Other one is soaking in PB blaster overnight. I recommend that stuff as mandatory for this job. What part number did you use for the ARP studs, I'd like to replace mine as well.

After looking at it I don't think the size is that important if you use the old wheel bearing to press in the new one, I have some left over large sockets from doing my pillow ball's I think they might work. I'll let you know.

I used ARP-100-7708. From what everyone is saying, definitely do it NOW, while you're doing your wheel bearing, because you won't be able to get access to the studs again without destroying another wheel bearing.

FWIW, when I did my pillowballs, I rented out a ball joint pressing tool from Autozone, which included four large receiver tubes that worked flawlessly instead of sockets. They were pretty large in size, so you might want to go rent/check that out before you go spending your money on huge sockets.

Luckily, my friend has an 1" drive oversized socket kit, so I'll be set :D

I just got the 35mm socket from sears, (got a gift card for xmas) and a soft faced mallet from home despot, the sizes are not that specific, you just need one small enough to punch out the spindle. Then you'll need one that is large enough to grab the lip of the outside of the bearing, but small enough not to make contact with the inside of the hub.

sweet info!! Thanks a ton!

Thanks for the tip.

How about getting the old bearing out without a press?

I've never tried this personally but friends have used a torch to heat up the spindle around the bearing enough so that the metal expands and the bearing falls out when smacked upside down. You'll need a press, or possibly a large vice, to press the hub into the new bearing without damaging it. I'm sure someone local to you will be glad to let you use their press in exchange for some beer or a pizza.

The harder part of this job is removing the inner bearing race that gets stuck on the spindle. You can cut the race with a hacksaw or grinder and use a chisel to get it off. In my experience, this method is faster, less cumbersome/frustrating than trying to get a puller to remove the race. It's not too bad of a job. Make sure you have a beefy pair of snap ring pliers to get the giant snap ring on/off easily. Shameless plug time... I carry rear bearings on my website (click the bushing man on my sig) if any of you need any :nod:

I don't understand how no one sells the axle flange.

That way I can just buy everything new and press only the new parts on and just throw the entire old assembly away.

Holy cow. On Friday I called the dealership to ask how much a rear bearing cost. $200 for one!!!!!

:(

Why would you get anything from the dealership? They don't call it stealerships for nothing.

I found timken rears for like 80 bucks each.

I haven't heard of Timken before. I went to there online website but it says I need to be a business, or did you find a local retailer?

DBL J

You can even (if you want too) take the old bearing to any local beating specific business and see what they have for a replacement, or maybe even a HD upgraded one...

If you have the measurements, or take the old ones with you, they (any bearing place) should be able to do something for you...

My brother has to do this with his small business and some of his old out if date equipment that needs repair...


J.

Go to a distributor then.

Autopartswarehouse.com, parts geek.com etc.

Timken is a WELL know bearing company. All the ls guys use timken for all their cars. I got timken wheel bearings for the goat.lol.

But weirdly the goat was easier to do the job than these pita rears. Lol

Thats crazy! I sell Koyo rear bearings for $50 a piece. Timken is a good brand and I'm working on getting a good price for their front wheel bearing/hub assembly to add to my website.

I'm thinking of buying a small press to do this job. do you guys think I can perform the press job with this?

http://www.harborfreight.com/1-ton-a...ress-3552.html

Doesn't have to be the same exact model but that type. Small press for a small job. Will this work??

I have 2 bearings to do so I think the cost of this is worth it. Instead of finding a shop to press for me.

That press wont work due to it's size. You'll need to find a really big arbor press which are expensive and a bit harder to find. The biggest issue is the very limited amount of space you have in the press to work with. I have a 20 ton hydraulic press which is the perfect size for positioning the spindle assembly for a bearing replacement. You may be able to get away with a small 6 ton press which costs about $100 but you need to make sure you have enough room to work with inside the press. It's not so much how many tons the press is but how big the work area is inside the press.

Yeah I was looking at the work area. But I was uncertain on it working or not.

But from the pics of the spindle with the trimmed dust shield, I thought I could get away with it.

I think the ton capacity is sufficient I just wanted something small and cheap to do the job and be done..I have no need for a huge 12 ton floor press, no do I want the space it occupies.

I used this on my Subaru the big screw did strip but I just returned it and got another one :nod:

http://www.harborfreight.com/fwd-fro...ers-66829.html

Hmm that might actually work, im gonna try that. And if it doesnt, ill return it. HF has always been good to me. Thanks man!