I am trying to replacing the rear wheel bearings. I am at the point where I have the inboard CV bolts removed and have removed the big castelated nut. Not sure what to do now. Should CV and axle be removable at this point? Right not it's not moving much at all.

I also have read posts of people who have removed the CV's only to have the the CV 'balls' fall out. Sounds not-so-fun. How do I avoid that, or is there only danger of that happening if I take apart the individual pieces of the CV itself? After I have the CV removed, should I rebuild the CV as a 'While I'm in there?'

I have done an extensive search on the site and read many a thread, but am still stuck and don't see an easy explanation in the Haynes manual.


Thanks!

Yes. Put some good penetrating oil on the exposed end of the stub axle and let it sit. Put the big nut back on - inverted - so that its big flat section is exactly flush with the end of the styb axle. Using a big brass hammer, tap the end of the nut. That should pursuade it back through the hub. This is the good method, and it helps if the person before you used a good anti-sieze compound on the splines. Try this first. If it doesn't budge after really smacking it, there are other paths you can escalate to. (Read the recent thread from the guy who got hit up for a new stub axle because his shop screwed it up getting it out - to the tune of about $600...)

Keep everything in line. The balls can only fall out if the joint is angled more than normal.

I am sure others will chime in, but my two cents:

You have done the hard part. Remove the entire half shaft by remove the 4 cv bolts at the flange. Then you can bang the stb axle out.

On e the half shafts are out why not refresh the cv joints? How long has it been? Easy to do -- disassemble, clean , grease, new boots, washers, bolts, cv gaskets.

There is an awesome 2 part step by step on YouTube on exactly how to do this for 914 cv joints -- a quick search and it should pop right up.

When you say "inner bolts" I hope you are talking about the ones that hold the CV to the transmission output flange.

Once the CV is loose from the transmission, you can raise it over the tranny (maybe have to remove the starter) and it should slide out of the hub.

If it seems stuck, thread the castle nut back on the stub axle and hit it with a brass hammer to see it it frees up ... regular hammer works to, but you don't want to screw up the nut or threads by pounding on them.

The CV joints will move on the beam. Don't push them back towards the center of the beam or you will lose your balls.

Lot easier with the engine out of the car.

double post damnit!

So that's what happened. One side I heard the soothing sounds of each ball hitting the concrete. All the while wondering, "Hmm...I wonder how that goes back together."

Uh Mike, you lost your ..........

Nevermind!

"Hmm...I wonder how that goes back together."

Be careful it IS possible to get the CV back together backwards and the it doesnt work right.

It is like a cool puzzle.
Look for darkened ball-bearings or scarred surfaces once you get them cleaned up.

Stu

So easy...even a caveman can do it

Video #1

Video #2

Robert, I can remove the rear wheel bearings without removing the axles.
Let me know I can run over popem out and reinstall the new ones WITH the axles and stubs in place. I am in Edmonds so its no problem.
Jeff

I never like removing the axles, so I tooled up so I would never ever have to agian, Its great when doing 5 lug conversions.

I would be interested in hearing exactly that's done. Maybe my imagination is worn out, but I can't picture how it could be done.

The Cap'n

I'll take pictures, worth a thousand words

I'll take pictures, worth a thousand words

My imagination/guess.....

Make a tool to pull the hub ... inner race of bearing will probably come with it. With that slop, you could then drive out the outer race. It's having the small hands & wrench to get the bearing retainer fasteners out that get me.

My imagination/guess.....

Make a tool to pull the hub ... inner race of bearing will probably come with it. With that slop, you could then drive out the outer race. It's having the small hands & wrench to get the bearing retainer fasteners out that get me.

Ron,

Do you need to post for both of your personalities?

You've jumped to a wrong conclusion, He's posting for both of MY personalities.

The Cap'ns

Roses are red;
Violets are blue;
I'm not schizophrenic;
And neither am I.

Slide hammer hub off
remove bearing retainer 4 bolts
push back stub (small amount)
insert tool
tighten tool
slide hammer bearing out
install new bearing, special tool not made yet,so hammer with
aluminum on outer race.
install retainer (4bolts)
put hub up to bearing.
thread special tool onto stub
tighten to draw hub into bearnig
remove tool
install washer and nut and tighten the F out of it.

Sounds a lot like the tool someone had made for the Rabbit/Audi front wheel bearings. I almost bought one, when I was getting about 6 weeks life per bearing, but I couldda bought 3 presses for the price, and I only needed one. By that time I was stocking spare hubs and just prefitting them with bearings so if I had a failure at an event I could just change the upright.

I can't recall who made that tool. Baum, maybe. Techtonics Tuning sold them.

Sir Tools makes the good one, Technics Tools developed the first one, and cheap Chinese knockoffs have flooded the market with copies that don't hold up.

The Cap'n

Yes! That's the one!

Nope , will not work with the 914/911 stub axle in place.