wheel bearings

[viali8]

I need new wheel bearings in the front of my 87 325. Have any of you change them before? i heard it is difficult. i saw some hubs on ebay with the bearings already in them. is it cheaper to buy these and take it to a mechanic to have them pressed in or is it cheaper to have the mechanic replace the wheel bearings? i usually am a diy guy but i don't know about this one.

[Jordan]

They aren't pressed on.

Each side is a 20min job.

[AdamF 88iS]

The hubs and bearings in the front are sealed units. Pull the old one off by hand, carefully fit the new one on. Easy.

[RobertK]

I need new wheel bearings in the front of my 87 325. Have any of you change them before? i heard it is difficult. i saw some hubs on ebay with the bearings already in them. is it cheaper to buy these and take it to a mechanic to have them pressed in or is it cheaper to have the mechanic replace the wheel bearings? i usually am a diy guy but i don't know about this one.

THe hardest part is finding the thin walled deep well 36mm socket needed to get the hub off and getting the rotor set screws out without stripping the heads. You can do the rest with a 3 jaw puller.

[turnofftheradio]

It sounds more difficult than it is. I agree 20-30 min a side. I did not have to use a puller myself, but took someones advice and used a pipe wrench to take off the inner race. it was a snap. just don't let the new one come apart when you go to put it on.

for the 36mm, I just ground off some of the socket wall on a grinder worked fine, but took a min.

[RobertK]

for the 36mm, I just ground off some of the socket wall on a grinder worked fine, but took a min.

QFT. The best tools are the ones you create yourself. Usually you can find a regular deep socket 36mm at a Harbor Freight or Northern Tool and have them grind it down for you.

[Borat]

agreed, 20-30 min job unless something is MTF and wont come undone. The 36mm nut can be quite tight sometimes. You may need a puller to get the bearing off.

[Digitalwave]

My car did NOT need a thin walled socket. I got a normal $4 36mm socket from Sears and it had plenty of clearance all around. I used a BFH to get the old hub off, and I put the 36mm socket on the inner race of the new hub to gently tap it onto the spindle.

[turnofftheradio]

My car did NOT need a thin walled socket. I got a normal $4 36mm socket from Sears and it had plenty of clearance all around. I used a BFH to get the old hub off, and I put the 36mm socket on the inner race of the new hub to gently tap it onto the spindle.

good to know. I paid 12 from the walking distance store for a k-tool that needed to be ground. was it a deep or impact type? or just a standard chrome socket? not that I am going to buy another, but it will help others.

[Digitalwave]

Standard cheap chrome socket, it doesn't need to be deep but a deep or an impact would work of course.