(This thread is an offshoot of my "What did you do to your A3/B4 today" posts.)
TL;DR - I wreck bearing #2, but not totally, and have questions.
The background: '97 Passat Sedan, ~348K miles, original left front wheel bearing making noise. I'm using one of those long-bolt-through-everything removal and install kits, which I used to successfully replace the right front bearing a year ago and my wife's Honda Pilot front wheel bearing a few months ago. Anyway, I replace the old bearing with bearing #1, but don't correctly support the inner race when installing the hub, leading to the "inner" inner race being pulled in and busting the seal. Boo. Order kit #2.
For clarity: Here, the "inner" inner race is the one facing in towards the engine; the "outer" inner race is the one facing out towards the wheel.
Today: Kit #2 received, bearing installed just fine. I'm quadruple checking everything at this point so I don't have to do this again and I can get Lili back on the road. Get the long bolt and plates set up to install the hub, making sure the "inner" inner race is supported. Start installing the hub. Barely one or two cranks, just to get it started. Fingers crossed. Release tension to check everything again. Aaaaaand...
Bam! Hub falls off attached to "outer" inner bearing race. Are. You. Effing. Kidding. Me?
Pull it all out, order bearing #3, and pray it will be in tomorrow like they say it will. Seriously question my mechanic-ing skills and life choices.
Now the fun begins. Through my tears, I get the inner race off the hub. No damage to the race and seal, and nothing looks wrong with the exposed inside of the bearing. Playing with the pieces, the inner race just snaps back into the bearing and everything works just fine.
Bearing #2, minus inner race:
A better picture of the innards. Note the "teeth" at 12 and 1 o'clock - these go all the way around and grip the race to hold it in:
A picture of bearing #2's race - the groove at the bottom is what I think snaps into the race teeth in the previous picture:
For reference, here's the original bearing's innards (with 348K miles). The teeth have been broken off, probably when I pulled the hub. Both old and new versions have 15 ball bearings.
I'll install the new bearing (#3), but really wonder if #2 would work. If you ever experience a bearing race separation prior to any serious wear, could you just regrease everything, snap the inner races back in, and use it? Or am I missing some bearing secret where any breach of the inner races instantly kills the bearing?
Thanks,
Matthew
TL;DR - I wreck bearing #2, but not totally, and have questions.
The background: '97 Passat Sedan, ~348K miles, original left front wheel bearing making noise. I'm using one of those long-bolt-through-everything removal and install kits, which I used to successfully replace the right front bearing a year ago and my wife's Honda Pilot front wheel bearing a few months ago. Anyway, I replace the old bearing with bearing #1, but don't correctly support the inner race when installing the hub, leading to the "inner" inner race being pulled in and busting the seal. Boo. Order kit #2.
For clarity: Here, the "inner" inner race is the one facing in towards the engine; the "outer" inner race is the one facing out towards the wheel.
Today: Kit #2 received, bearing installed just fine. I'm quadruple checking everything at this point so I don't have to do this again and I can get Lili back on the road. Get the long bolt and plates set up to install the hub, making sure the "inner" inner race is supported. Start installing the hub. Barely one or two cranks, just to get it started. Fingers crossed. Release tension to check everything again. Aaaaaand...
Bam! Hub falls off attached to "outer" inner bearing race. Are. You. Effing. Kidding. Me?
Pull it all out, order bearing #3, and pray it will be in tomorrow like they say it will. Seriously question my mechanic-ing skills and life choices.
Now the fun begins. Through my tears, I get the inner race off the hub. No damage to the race and seal, and nothing looks wrong with the exposed inside of the bearing. Playing with the pieces, the inner race just snaps back into the bearing and everything works just fine.
Bearing #2, minus inner race:
A better picture of the innards. Note the "teeth" at 12 and 1 o'clock - these go all the way around and grip the race to hold it in:
A picture of bearing #2's race - the groove at the bottom is what I think snaps into the race teeth in the previous picture:
For reference, here's the original bearing's innards (with 348K miles). The teeth have been broken off, probably when I pulled the hub. Both old and new versions have 15 ball bearings.
I'll install the new bearing (#3), but really wonder if #2 would work. If you ever experience a bearing race separation prior to any serious wear, could you just regrease everything, snap the inner races back in, and use it? Or am I missing some bearing secret where any breach of the inner races instantly kills the bearing?
Thanks,
Matthew