front wheel bearing replacement

[carljwnc]

JOB DONE!!!! It took me about 8hrs. hands on time (12 altogether) to do the job, I also replaced the lower ball joints while I was at it. My car drives SOOOOOO much nicer now. One stuck screw, lower strut, was my only difficulty, this prevented me from using a press. I used an 1 1/8" dia. bicycle fork steerer tube to knock the old bearings out, and a 2 3/4" dia. piece of aluminum bar stock and a dead-blow hammer to drive the new bearings in.

 

I also took photos of the whole procedure (this added quite a bit of time) if anyone needs some visual aid, I may post the whole job if there is interest and the admin. will let me (it would take up some space, 20+ pics).

 

Thanks to all who posted hints and suggestions.

[carljwnc]

I assume that USRM is the Ultimate Subaru Repair Manual??? That would be the place for this, perhaps I'll wait until it's up and do it then, I did it with mind set of doing a write up and I would love to share the experience. Let me know when the USRM is up, this will give me the time to get it down on paper for a well presented service write-up that the manuals say you can't do at home.

 

Thanks Shadow,

[PoorManzImpreza]

I would like to recommend the use of sealed bearings..they come pre greased with the correct grease in most cases and you no longer need the inner and outer seals..unless your paranoid like me

 

If I remember the original NSK bearing designation was 6207M

I believe the sealed variant with metal seals would be 6207M.2ZR or something like that or you can ask your bearing supplier for the sealed version...If your unsure about grease the metal seals can be easily removed and the original grease flushed with laquer thinners (or similar solvent) and your grease of choice forced in there and the seals snapped back in..

[lagwagon]

I would like to recommend the use of sealed bearings..they come pre greased with the correct grease in most cases and you no longer need the inner and outer seals..unless your paranoid like me .

That's the way to go! I will use those next time. Where did you get them ?

[Svengouli7]

I used some sealed bearings on the brat I am driving now. The outer race on those things is about 1/2 the thickness of the outer race on non-sealed ones, meaning don't even try to use a punch in driving em in. It will slip and damaged the metal seal. Use an old bearing to push em in once started.

[Alex12]

JOB DONE!!!! It took me about 8hrs. hands on time (12 altogether) to do the job, I also replaced the lower ball joints while I was at it. My car drives SOOOOOO much nicer now. One stuck screw, lower strut, was my only difficulty, this prevented me from using a press. I used an 1 1/8" dia. bicycle fork steerer tube to knock the old bearings out, and a 2 3/4" dia. piece of aluminum bar stock and a dead-blow hammer to drive the new bearings in.

 

I also took photos of the whole procedure (this added quite a bit of time) if anyone needs some visual aid, I may post the whole job if there is interest and the admin. will let me (it would take up some space, 20+ pics).

 

Thanks to all who posted hints and suggestions.

Pictures would be helpful… I still have difficulty with the punch… how do you punch them out? … There are two bearings interfering with each other. Do you push one in first to get the other out? Thanks…

[torxxx]

Heres what you do. This works I did both my bearings in less than an hour.

 

Use a 3/8 inch socket extention to pound out the bearings. The extention has rounded corners so it wont burr the bearing seat.

 

Clean the spindle in solvent, repack the new bearings and then pound them in using the old bearings (make sure to not seat the old one on top) Finish seating them all the way down using a 40 mm socket.

 

The bearings are actually pretty tuff. We beat the hell out of mine and they came out working fine.

[stephenw22]

Another vote here for sealed bearings, if you have to replace them.

 

Whenever I change an axle, I just inject new grease in behind the bearing. I use a grease gun with a needle fitting on the end. It slips through any little cracks, and shoots grease in the back side of the bearings. I thought about installing a zirk on the knuckle, but i decided it would probably get too messy.

[carljwnc]

Pictures would be helpful… I still have difficulty with the punch… how do you punch them out? … There are two bearings interfering with each other. Do you push one in first to get the other out? Thanks…

I can supply pics but it would have to be this weekend. You have to knock the bearings out from the back side (outer bearing gets pushed out from the inside of the knuckle, and vice versa). I used a piece of tubing that fit through the inner race, and knocked on the inner race of the bearing I was pushing out.

 

Hope this helps, someday I'm going to do the full write up on the job with the pics.........someday........

[carljwnc]

Alex12, It may be to late for this, but this is how I knocked out the old bearings.

 

 

This is somewhat of a staged photo, I had already knocked out the bearing on top so it's just sitting there, but I think it gives you the idea.

[Idasho]

If you have that much play I would inspect the hub and cone washer VERY closely.