I've never done this before. I've been out there all day trying to figure out how to get the rear hub out. I've got some ridiculous socket/extension setup that I'm absolutely wailing on with a sledge hammer and I can't the stupid hub to move. Is there any trick to this, or is there something I'm missing? According to my manual, there's no retaining clips or anything. It's just a press fit. Is this correct? Please help. It's getting dark and cold. Thanks.
Mark D.

It is just a press fit.

I've use a 5 pound sledge and it still takes alot of beating to get them out. Kiss those rear bearing goodbye too

I used a wooden dowel (same diameter as the hub shaft) and a BFH.
The dowel sort of gets destroyed and works its way into the splines, but that seems to make it a better tool than it started out as.
If the bearing had serious problems then it may have started to weld itself to the hub, that that would be unusual. If you ar working with it on the car, then the trailing arm may be absorbing a lot of the pounding; in that case you may need to brace the arm in such a way as it will not move.

takes a lot a effort....
those rear castle nuts are torqued to like 300#s when you finish up so those hubs are sunk in pretty good.
I took the castle nut off of one side and doubled it on each side at a time to give myself a bigger area to get the hub moving( hammer and block of hard wood)...once it was moving then I removed the castle nuts to finish the job

good luck and hope you have a BIG hammer.

Sh*t. So the Bearings are done for after this job?
Mark D.

possibly, but not necessarily.

I was able to reuse mine...

K... Thanks guys.
Mark D.

If you pound on the hub to get it out, I wouldn't even try to reuse the bearings! Sometimes if you press them with proper bearing support and tool you can save them but you might as well put new ones in anyway!

.02

The bearings are toast if you start to pound out the hub. I think it is too late to hope to save that one at least. Nowhere near close to worthwhile to reuse such a bearing. You only remove the hub to replace a bearing anyway in 99% of the cases.

Bearings are about $30 each and are normal wear items. Not really any point in putting old ones back in, given the magnitude of the effort it will take to do the job over again.

I have found this to be the best way to do wheel bearings period. If you have a local Independent VW,PORSCHE,or AUDI shop around you they might rent it to you.

The "C" shaped part is what is used to remove the hub you slide it between the back side of the hub and the control arm and thread the two long bolts thru the lug bolt holes and as you do this the hub comes out of the bearing.

ALWAYS The beating damages the races. Maybe not immediately noticable, but the bearing's a goner. The Cap'n

Good luck trying to find them at that price. The best I can get them is at $40. I know last year at this time they were around that price. Prices are going up on alot of parts.

Google is your friend. I searched around and found that the prices have gone up at most of the usual parts places I look at. I found these though partsquick.comat a good price.

Stock up prices are going up!

Jim