wheel bearing

Guys ?

How complicated is it to diagnose a bad front wheel bearing
in an 04 golf - and how complicated is the replace process ?

-

Sent a pm to you.

Share the wealth! My mechanic tells me I've got one on the way out, but can't be sure because the studded tires are on.

I've wondered how to tell myself, and what the job is like to replace.

The quote I read on here a short while ago was "check the rear of the vehicle, if there's a a circle with a V and a W in it then you have a bad wheel bearing".

My neighbor and I replaced a front and a rear on mine last week. The rear wasn't bad, the front was a little more of an issue. Steve has all the proper pullers to do the job though. He'll treat you right if you need to get it done.

Let me know if you need his contact details again.

I normally do most of my own work...but when I had one go bad, I took it to a mechanic. I felt the center of my wheel (hub). It was HOT !

I was wondering if Steve could do that ...

Thanks.

I'm largely basing my diagnoses so far
simply by observing sound changes when at speed
while alternating steering left to right ... sound there, sound not...

--

Its a bugger trying to diagnose this time of year with the winter studs on. Last year for me it was that first week with the summers on that I noticed bearing noise and a couple of other rattles.

Had both my bearings and hubs replaced a little while ago. They had lateral play. No noise yet. I suspect the rears will be coming up soon.

If you ever want to try this yourself, there's a great how-to on Vortex. You still need to have a god set of pullers though... and I don't mean the "Duane" type of puller!
(I know you're lurking here...)

How To Here

lightly load the bearing by turning the wheel a bit, and you should hear a dull pitch change. then do both sides while your there and you will need axle nuts also.as youre going to need an alignment after...and look at the boots at the same time and the seals at the trans etc to get it all done at once ...

Tis the season, I've got a bad front one. Picked up the bearings (doing both fronts), a slide hammer, and a puller set today, tackle it later next week.

dellwas said:

Tis the season, I've got a bad front one. Picked up the bearings (doing both fronts), a slide hammer, and a puller set today, tackle it later next week.

Click to expand...

Check out the how-to... a standard slide hammer is frustrating as hell to try and make work. It just won't bite on the edge. A second set of hands makes it a lot easier.

Mine is also a two or 3 leg puller as well. I don't think I'll have an issue getting it off, but not so sure on pushing the hub back on. Did you guys use something like this:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=66829

If not what did you use?

There are a couple of threads on it, the one you referenced, and this one:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=250295&highlight=bearing

Fyrman said:

Check out the how-to... a standard slide hammer is frustrating as hell to try and make work. It just won't bite on the edge. A second set of hands makes it a lot easier.

Click to expand...

It was just a heads up...

We had every type of puller on the standard market with us the other night and I can tell you, it was still no easy matter. Just be ready for it, the front end is not a 15 minute job.

Thanks Jeff, much appreciated, what did you use to get the hub back on, something like what I posted in the link, the Harbour Freight kit?

As for not 15 mins, I hear ya, I'm allowing 3 days, off on Friday, Sat., and Sunday

Fyrman said:

It was just a heads up...

We had every type of puller on the standard market with us the other night and I can tell you, it was still no easy matter. Just be ready for it, the front end is not a 15 minute job.

Click to expand...

dellwas said:

Thanks Jeff, much appreciated, what did you use to get the hub back on

Click to expand...

Actually, a precision fit, large socket and BFH...

(The "h" stands for hammer!)

That sounds good, and I assume you did that with the new bearing, either a socket to fit the outer race, or the old bearing itself as a driver?

I'm also assuming you pulled the knuckle assembley and did it on a bench, or did you take the chance of installing it while it was on the car?

Sorry for all the questions, just looking for the quickest and easist way to do it...

Fyrman said:

Actually, a precision fit, large socket and BFH...

(The "h" stands for hammer!)

Click to expand...

dellwas said:

That sounds good, and I assume you did that with the new bearing, either a socket to fit the outer race, or the old bearing itself as a driver?

I'm also assuming you pulled the knuckle assembley and did it on a bench, or did you take the chance of installing it while it was on the car?

Click to expand...

We did use a big socket as a punch to seat the new bearing and the spindle was removed and it was done on the bench.

Thanks Jeff much appreciated. Here's a tip for anyone that wants to use the kit from Harbour Freight in the link that I posted up above. I had completely forgotten about this until I called Canadian Tire. They have a similar kit:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST%2Fbrowse%2F4%2FAuto%2FAutoTools%2FEngineTools%2FPRD%7E0256319P%2F23-piece%252BForward%252BBearing%252BRemoval%25252BInstallation%252BSet.jsp

Now for the kicker, and I'd completly forgotten about it. Canadian Tire has a tool rental program for specialty tools that is free if you follow the guidelines. You pay the full retail price but if you return it in the time frame allowed then you get the refund back. In this case I have 7 days for the kit, after that I own it. Call the different stores, the timellines are different, and it appears to be different on what you "rent". Also, not all stores rent, Tantallon doesn't.

Fyrman said:

We did use a big socket as a punch to seat the new bearing and the spindle was removed and it was done on the bench.

Click to expand...

That was one of the kits we used... Steve has five or six different sets.

Picked it up from Sackville CT tonite. Looks like it will do the job, and the one they gave me has a helluva lot more parts than the one in the pic. I've got another driver kit myself. Took a look through the rental catalog, they have a lot of speciality tools for rent. Food for thought...

Fyrman said:

That was one of the kits we used... Steve has five or six different sets.

Click to expand...

Well, got the bearings done. The Cd. Tire bearing tool kit was the cat's a**. Did screw up one bearing though, just wasn't paying attention, put too small of a spacer in the back of the bearing case and foobared it, so had to wait for wifey to pick one up. Also, I don't recommend a 3 jaw puller, at least not a P.A. one, snapped the minute I put pressure on it. Luckily my slide hammer has an axle attachment and that made short work at removing the hubs.