|
I didn't have the know-how or tools either, but it didn't stop me :-)
I did this just a month ago. These are the steps I went through, just in case you'll choose to do it yourself. Note that this was on a '74 144, yours may be different. Note that a nice way to check the wheel bearing is to jack up the front and spin the wheel while holding your hand on the tie rod. If you can feel vibration, the bearing is likely bad.
1. After removing the wheel, unbolt the brake caliper.
2. Unbolt the upper brake line from the mount on the wheel (yes, you will have to bleed the brakes when you're done). You have to do this in order to remove the caliper from the wheel.
3. Hang the caliper from the spring using a piece of wire or cable ties.
4. Remove the brake rotor (or keep it on with the hub). I chose to remove it.
5. Remove the outer grease cap by gently tapping it off with a flat head screwdriver.
6. remove enough grease to locate locking pin. Remove locking pin and then the crown nut.
7. You can now remove the entire hub assembly.
8. The outer bearing will come off by itself.
9. Remove the inner bearing seal (on my car this was totally fallen apart).
10. This is a messy job, but you should remove all wheel bearing grease. Shop towels are good to have on hand.
11. Use a hammer and punch to carefully remove the inner bearing from the stub axle. It's easier if you brake the bearing apart so only the inner ring is left.
12. Use same technique to remove bearing races. If your races look good, I guess you can keep'em.
13. I bought a Lisle bearing race installation tool. You can get it from Eastwood Co. and probably many other places. Cost less than $30.
14. Check the surfaces on the hub and stub axle and sand with fine emery cloth if needed.
15. Make sure everything is really clean before starting reassembly.
16. Apply high pressure disc brake bearing grease to hub where races install. Use bearing race tool to install new races in hub.
17. Grease inner bearing really well and slip into the inner race already installed in the hub.
18. Install inner bearing seal (rubber) and metal washer into hub. It should be self-evident how they install.
Apply bearing grease to stub axle onto mating surfaces with inner bearing and bearing seal.
19. Slide hub onto stub axle. Make sure inner seal conforms to the shape of the stub axle and doesn't get damaged. Use a small pickle fork to help guide it if needed. You may have to use a (sledge)hammer and wood block to get the hub all the way in. Just be gentle, it should slide in without much problem.
20. Before installing the outer bearing, you have to add quite a bit of bearing grease to the inside of the hub (fill up the area between the bearings). This is described in the shop manual.
21. Apply grease to outer bearing and install.
22. Install washer and crown nut.
23. Hand-tighten nut first, then use socket to tighten more while turning hub left and right. Here you have to play by ear and visually check that the hub is all they way in and also doesn't have any play. The way I did it was a slight overtightening, then loosening the crown nut to the first recess where the locking pin would fit. This is also described in the shop manual. Use a new locking pin.
24. Fill the grease cap about half full with grease and install it.
25. Install brake line, caliper and bleed the brakes per shop manual.
26. Install wheel and check for slop. If the it feels loose, you should tighten the crown nut.
I bought the wheel bearing kit from BMAparts.com. It was less than 30 bucks. If you need anything else, they have free shipping for internet orders over $50.
With the bearing kit, special tool and bearing grease, cost was about $80.
Good luck.
Disclaimer: It worked for me, etc. etc.
Kåre
|
