Rear wheel bearing...., squeek squeek squeek Options

[Gilbert914]

Hi All,

for those of you who helped and read my impeller woes, I fitted the woodruff key, installed the hub etc etc, got the engine back in and it's running well and has been for over half a tank of fuel (mileage unknown odometer not working). Thanks again for all the help & advice.

Now...... my rear wheel bearing is squeeking, first i thought the caliper venting clearance may have been out or a siezed caliper, but on jacking up the car releasing the caliper, removing the disc and running the car the squeek still came from the wheel bearing, it's almost like it sounds 'dry' (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wacko.gif)

I've seen a few threads on rear bearing replacement, it looks like a real pita to do, i'm tempted to get a shop to do it for me, but welcome any encouraging stories/tips for DIY replacement

cheers guys

[IronHillRestorations]

If you can rent a cup style bearing puller, with the correct backup plates, it's a piece of cake, and you don't have to remove the trailing arm.

First thing to do is take the cotter pin out of the castellated nut on the end of the stub axle, and then loosen the nut. So you take the wheel off, pull the cotter pin, put the wheel back on (with the center cap removed), and then loosen the nut with a socket through the center of the wheel. I use a 1" drive breaker bar with a 10 foot piece of steel pipe for a cheater bar. Do this on both sides, jack the car up, remove the wheels and then you can remove the half shaft assemblies. DO NOT TRY TO LOOSEN THE AXLE NUTS WITH THE CAR ON JACKSTANDS!!!

Remove the CV's at the transmission first, I don't do anything to the outboard CV's untill I pull the complete halfshaft assembly. Be sure to use a copper or brass hammer or drift to drive the halfshafts inward, out of the hubs. If you damage the threads on the stub axle, you've done a major kludge job and you'll need new stub axles.

I always polish the outer race on the hubs and put a light coat of anti-sieze on the bearings and the hubs, this makes them go in like a breeze, and when your son has to replace the rear bearings twenty years from now, he'll thank you instead of cuss you!

Don't forget to put the bearing retainers on before you install the hubs.

If this is out of your skill set and available tools, pay someone to do it for you.