Hey, today i found out that my rear driver side wheel bearing is shot. the wheel shacks alot if u kick it. i need to know the cheapest way to change it.
-
-
I need to do this too.. I've had the parts for months, but haven't got around to it. I'd like to do it before classes start again.
I've heard of people using a bottlecap as a slide hammer, and many other methods, but nothing concrete. -
If they are original bearings and hubs buy one of each (hub & bearing for each side) then follow bently. To get the hub out get a BFH (i resorted to an 8lb sledge) and a good solid punch and go at it. To get the outter race out of the rear trailing arm, you can dremmel the lip down to make it a 90 deg angle instead of rounded. then a punch and hammer again. To install new bearing you seat the bearing in the trailing arm and tap it around the edge lightly to get it set a bit then use the old outer race and set it against the new one and hit the old race with a hammer to get it all the way in. Make sure it goes all the way back. TO get the hub in: Buy a long bolt or piece of threaded rod and some washers and some nuts. your going to use them like a clamp. -----c[---bearing&hub---]o-------
Make sure the washers are big enough to contact the bearing on just the inner race. Put one washer on the back side of the bearing and one on the front side of the hub and tighten the nut(s). It will pull them togeather HTH. If you need anymore help pm me or hit me up on aim.
Brian
Comment
-
Whats the best place to buy bearing and hub?Comment
-
I did one a couple of weeks ago, it was the hardest thing I've done so far on either of the E30s.
Here is a writeup with lots of pics: http://teamdfl.com/bmw/e30/rear_wheel_bearings/ although he is using a Special Tool to remove & reinstall the bearing.
You'll need a new bearing, axle nut, lockplate.
I used a piece of wood to pound the axle back out of the hub.
Then from inside the trailing arm I pounded out the hub using an impact socket (I think 30mm ? It was a perfect fit on the back end of the hub & inside the bearing). I got lucky and the hub came out by itself leaving the bearing intact.
Now for the hard part: remove the big circlip and the bearing. I tried several methods, pullers, threaded rod w various caps, the bearing laughed at all of them. Finally I got under the car with a short length of 1" steel pipe & small sledgehammer and started pounding. There is a lip on the inside of the trailing arm so you can rest the pipe there while pounding and not hit the inside of the trailing arm. Ten inutes of pounding moved it a mm or 2, ten more had it peeking out of the trailing arm, then a couple more and it was flying across the garage.
I had the new bearing in the freezer overnight, so it started in pretty easily. Smacked it flush with the trailing arm using a block of wood, then the old bearing to seat it the rest of the way. Replace the big circlip and admire your work.
While it's apart, clean up the splines on the hub & stub axle so it will slide back in easily.
Now the tricky part, you have to get the hub back in the bearing while keeping the inner race in place. I used threaded rod with a socket on the inner side of the bearing inner race to pull the hub in.
Now reinstall the axle stub into the hub. It might take some tapping to get it in far enough for the axle nut to thread on, there is a spot outboard of the CV boots where you can tap without messing anything up. Support the hub from outside while doing this, as you can still pop the inner race out of the bearing.
Took me about 6 hrs, cost about $45 for the bearing etc and $2.50 for the threaded rod.Comment
Comment