sario Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 (edited) Does anyone have a link to a DIY for front wheel bearings on a 97 outback? Also a list of parts need would be GREATLY appreciated. I did a search and found some links to DIY threads, but they are all broken, or missing the pictures. Edited September 23, 2011 by sario Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmdew Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 The easy way to do it is to replace the hub bearing and all. Get a good used on and bolt it in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Sorry, I don't remember the link, remember reading the content before I and a friend changed my wheel bearing on my 99 OBW. I bought a DIY wheel bearing change kit from Harbor Freight for about $100. It worked okay with an electric impact wrench, but it was still a struggle removing the old race that stays in the hub after disassembly. Figure it being a 4 hour job from start to finish, the first time you do it yourself. Parts needed: new wheel bearing, inner an outer grease seals, and wheel bearing grease. My new bearing came greased, but really needed more grease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sario Posted September 23, 2011 Author Share Posted September 23, 2011 thanks for the information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unibrook Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 email me and I will send you the step by step for rear wheel, wont be much diff for front wheel. nwlovell at yahoo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msmithmmx Posted September 24, 2011 Share Posted September 24, 2011 I recommend the following. Purchase the bearing and seal kit off eBay for 50 bucks. You need high temp grease (red stuff). Remove the knuckle and take all of the parts to your local shop and have them do all of the press work. That will cost 50 to 75 bucks. Make sure you notch the strut and camber bolt. This should prevent the need for an alignment. Total cost is 100 to 130. Could take all day depending how easy all of the bolts come out. My job turned out to be a nightmare when the bolt that held the speed sensor in broke along with the bolt that was holding in the caliper mount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewisd Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 just did my left front 99 brighton wagon. $30 bearing, inner and outer seal from Subaru ($20), new hub $54 (old one was scored badly by bad bearing) and dropped off knuckle/hub assembly off with Western Auto service station to do the bearing swap ($80). I was debating the HF kit and getting impact wrench but passed for now. maybe next time. maybe recommend having the hub ready in advance in case it is damaged. I waited another 2 extra days waiting for that. If not needed you could always return it. few extra dollars for brake cleaner/grease etc... I did the ball joint at same time since boot was entirely blown out. now I'm trying to figure out where another new sound is coming from... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 (edited) I do a lot of them so I have the tools - both a press and the harbor frieght bearing service set. Only thing I use the press for is to get the outer bearing cone off the hub. I almost always am able to reuse the seals - they are usually not damaged - just dirty. Total cost is about $28 and two or three hours. It's not a difficult job at all once you understand the process. It can be done without removing the knuckle from the car. About 25% of the time the hub will be trashed because the inner bearing has spun on the hub and chowed it up. Used hub's from the yard run about $10. GD Edited September 25, 2011 by GeneralDisorder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarl Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 I do a lot of them so I have the tools - both a press and the harbor frieght bearing service set. Only thing I use the press for is to get the outer bearing cone off the hub How big is the press you use? Would the 6 ton HF press do the job? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 I use a 20 ton. But for the one thing I use it for (the outer bearing cone) I'm sure a 6 ton would do it. I have pulled them off with a modified three jaw puller also. Setup time on a press as well as the potential for deformation of the knuckle makes the hub-tamer/hub-shark/HF FWD set a better and quicker alternative all the way around. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North to Alaska Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 (edited) Goto NAPA wheel bearing set (inner & outer bearings & race) (#FW176 $58.00) inner & outer wheel bearing seals (#22026 $8.99 & #22032 $6.19) You will need a bearing puller for the outer bearing to come off the wheel hub. New NAPA wheel hub (#BK 770-1602 $92.00) sand the shaft with #320 sand paper. easier to slide into the bearings Don't forget to put the dust shield in place before tighten the axle shaft nut. New Subaru axle nut (28044AA001 $4.50) I have found that the BIGGER the hammer, the easier the race comes out. haven't found a Subaru wheel bearing race that didn't come out after being smacked by a 5 pound hammer a FEW of times. I have replaced several of the Subaru wheel bearings & seal sets and have had no problems with NAPA wheel bearings & seals!!! Edited September 26, 2011 by North to Alaska Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 NAPA is too expensive. I get NSK bearings (Japanese) for $28. Seals for $5 each but as I noted you shouldn't need them. Used hubs are plentiful , not a wear item, and recycling is a good thing for all of us and the planet. Hammer for removal is fine. DO NOT pound on new bearings!!!! Sanding the bearing mating surfaces on the hub is..... problematic. Don't do this unless you KNOW what you are doing. They are already prone to problems in this area. Less purchase would be a bad thing. You provided no insight on how to install them. I really don't think the OP needs a buying guide on how to waste his money on expensive parts.... GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarl Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 Uhm... "problematic" is being kind. 320 is still too coarse, and you'll end up removing more material than you should. Actually, any material is more material than you should (rust excluded )... the fitting tolerances are there for a reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 Burr removal is generally done with a file or abrasive stone.... by hand. Not with full-surface sanding. I've done a ton of bearing fitment and it is acceptable to clean up a mating surface with something slightly abrasive. 3M Fabricut for example is what I use and it's 120 grit..... just be careful that you are cleaning and not removing material: http://erisautomotivetools.com/3M-5072.aspx That's why I said it was problematic.... you have to know what you are doing. If you are talking about an engine bearing surface (sleeve bearing like a rod or main) then you should be polishing with no coarser than 600 grit and finishing with 1200...... GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North to Alaska Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 I have been building rear end and doing automatic transmissions for 30 years, and I know what im doing. In Alaska only idiots use junk yard parts, and up here its NAPA or waiting two weeks for your mail order parts to arrive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarl Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 (edited) @North: I don't doubt for a second you know exactly what you are doing, but that's not the case with a lot of people who ask for help in these forums. The difference between an interference fit and a tight/loose fit can be removed in a few seconds using the wrong sandpaper, and a newbie can mess up a perfectly working part in a blink of an eye Edited September 26, 2011 by jarl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnW Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 So true. THANKS. I still stand by my junk yard parts comment. On all critical to operation parts, buy NEW parts !!! There is a reason that they call them JUNK YARD PARTS. Which is why most used automotive parts suppliers call themselves Automotive Salvage yards. I am sure everyone here understands but to review, the idea is to Salvage the good, usable parts from the vehicles prior to them being crushed. I would say its a bad practice to use wear items from salvage vehicles but items that can be measured and inspected to tolerances from the factory manual are encouraged to be reused. I install used engines, transmissions, rear differentials, interior and exterior trim pieces and electronic items all the time. Most of these can be purchased for 20 percent of the cost of a new one from the dealer and even better are available much quicker than waiting for a part from a dealer that has to order the part in. If a part is in stock at the dealer its probably one to install a new one of. If not, its probably good to buy it at the "junkyard". Also: Keep it clean. Don't call each other names and bash each others ideas. Challenge ideas and suggest but don't smash on one another. This is a friendly place to talk Subaru. Infraction points have been given and will continue to be given if it doesn't stop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qman Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 Oregon and Alaska are two different environments. There is room here for both sides to be correct. There may well be far fewer salvageable parts in an Alaska auto wrecker's yard, compared to one in Oregon or Washington State. I know that where I live, awfully close to Alaska, there are plenty of parts that are not worth looking at in the wreckers' yards. If it died by corrosion, chances are there won't be any good ones around here to salvage. Hubs, however, are usually worth a look. (Oh, and "children's" is correct, as "children" is the plural, and doesn't include an "s." But a bus and a bus are buses. Just to be picky...) When you guys get your saliva off of Rick's scrotum we can continue this conversation. Clean it up or there will be a few part-time and full-time time outs given. Now as far as the englilsh class goes. childrens school buses and Children's school busses.(Just to be picky, both spellings are correct) The ' exhibits possension and ownership. Neither of which would be the case. And before any of you decide to push this you should all use spell check as I can find spelling and grammatical errors in every one of your posts. Back to Subaru! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sario Posted October 5, 2011 Author Share Posted October 5, 2011 Is there a way to delete your own threads?????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sario Posted October 5, 2011 Author Share Posted October 5, 2011 Come on! Delete this thread and you'll miss some of the USMB finest! Seriously... I think the Universe will recover from this one. So... What did you do about the bearing? I'm interested in the process... I haven't done it yet. What i thought was a wheel bearing turned out to be a tire that was out-of-round. I didn't even know they could do that! All the tread depths were equal and everything. But anyway i still plan to replace the bearings since they are original, i have the parts, and the car has 250k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarl Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 Sounds like a good plan. As far as I know tires can get out of round if the car sits for too long without being moved, but I understand it will go away after some miles of driving. Other than that... In my case my car has a rumbling noise coming from the back of the car, but it doesn't seem to change when turning left or right. The brakes are also dragging a little bit and the shields are badly rusted, so I'm hoping a brake job will fix the noise. Otherwise I'll be in for new bearings as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sario Posted October 5, 2011 Author Share Posted October 5, 2011 Sounds like a good plan. As far as I know tires can get out of round if the car sits for too long without being moved, but I understand it will go away after some miles of driving. Other than that... In my case my car has a rumbling noise coming from the back of the car, but it doesn't seem to change when turning left or right. The brakes are also dragging a little bit and the shields are badly rusted, so I'm hoping a brake job will fix the noise. Otherwise I'll be in for new bearings as well The car gets driven almost everyday. I have no ideal what happened, but new tires fixed the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qman Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 Is there a way to delete your own threads?????? You can report the post by clicking on the triangle icon at the bottom of the post. A mod/admin will check it out and decide if it is neccessary to delete it or just remove the nonsense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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