Difficulty in replacing rear wheel bearing

[Court M3]

For a person that does the usual spark plug, wire oil, fuel and air filter changes how long should this take and are there any specialty tools needed?

Anyone around the Illinois area with tools or specialty equipment want to help me this weekend or next? Can provide beer $$$ in return.

[Garageaholic]

You need a bearing puller or if you're lucky and creative u can make one your own, but it doesn't work half as good as the real, $250 thing.

It's not easy and takes ALOT of elbow grease to get those things out. But good luck.. let us know how it goes

[///M42 sport]

I was really planning on doing this while I had my diff out, but chickened out. I don't have a press to press the new bearing in the hub.

[AdironRider]

This is one of the few jobs I wouldnt bat an eye at letting some guy at garage deal with.

[Garageaholic]

This is one of the few jobs I wouldnt bat an eye at letting some guy at garage deal with.

That and subframe bushings.. both are a major bitch..

///MN42 sport, having ur diff out is a major plus, but all you need to do is remove the half shafts completely if you DO have your diff installed..


and FYI:
please DON'T hit your hub with a hammer to loosen the splines or remove the hub.. you will cause your hub to bend (albeit slightly) and you will have rear end vibration forever bc the rear rotors won't sit flush against the hubs!
unless of course you replace the hubs, but then you will have to replace your bearings again bc u can't take out the hubs without taking the inner race of your brand new bearing... and the inner race does NOT go back on once it is removed. I've tried.

[1991 318is]

I'm cheap!

and a hillbilly that drinks ice water from a Mason jar. I did it all the rear bushings, brake lines, and bearings at once. I also put urethane windshield adhesive in the subframe bushings. It dries into an almost solid form. If you've ever pulled a windshield that was put in with the stuff, you know what I mean. This took two days for a 62 year old in the driveway. The old subframe bushings were corroded in the body. A royal PITA. Labor at a shop would have been $500 and I have the satisfaction of knowing I did it myself.
http://www.m42club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=565

[Adrian_Visser]

shit so this isnt just a simple DIY job eh? my right rear is on its way out right now

if i was to fab a custom puller how would i do it?

how big is the puller u need? is it huge?

i have acces to pretty much any tool i need at my college and i can sign it out (not supposta take it home but who cares) is this a pretty large puller that i couldnt fit into my back pack for the weekend?

PS sorry to jack the thread

[e30_kid89]

i did the rear bearings, in the -5 degree winter:evil: the way i did it was ghetto and not right but it works and ive had no vibration whatsover

i wont bother going over the tools i used cause they r so ghetto but when
you're changing them get ready to:

-press the halfshaft out of the hub splines
-pull out the hub(i never pulled it but still a real bitch)
-press out the bearing(i never used a press but ultra bitch)
-press in the new bearing(i used the old one as a driver as i CAREfully tapped it in
-press back in hub, halfshaft and finished.

some kind of puller is a MUST!!!!

edit:u can skip the pressing the wheel bearing in if you freeze it in a freezer overnite and drop it in without pressing on a hot day.....

funny thing was the real reason i had to repleace the bearing was so i can get the the backing plate cause it was rusted as hell so i just replaced it since it was out:D

hope this gives yall an idea of what ur gonna go thru.

[etxxz]

FYI. Advance Auto Parts rents out the tool for *FREE* you buy it, use it and return it for the full ammount. its part of their loaner tool program. They also have ohhh so many more cool tools to rent out like axle pulley, pulley tools and stuff like that

[Group A]

FYI. Advance Auto Parts rents out the tool for *FREE* you buy it, use it and return it for the full ammount. its part of their loaner tool program. They also have ohhh so many more cool tools to rent out like axle pulley, pulley tools and stuff like that

not just advance, but practicaly every major auto parts stores does it, schucks, autozone, etc.