Lots of lengths of string there.

Not a hugely difficult job but moderate skill level and patience.
Yes you may be able to just take in to a garage for them to press in and out. Maybe £10 or less depending on how generous they're feeling.

You could do 45% of the work before the additional 10% required by the press.

 

Hi all,

Recently had a little 'kiss' with a kerb with the result of both the nearside wheel bearings needing replacement (happy it wasn't more!). Changed the front last week and turned out to be a fairly painless job but only brought out the sound of the rear...

I've looked around the forums and it seems to be do-able apart from the need to press in the bearing as I understand its not a single assembly replacement like the front was. I'd like to do as much of the job myself as I can so wondering if I can just bring the hub and bearing to a garage and have them do the replacement for me or does it need to be done in-situ? Any idea on how much that might cost? Alternatively, might be able to use a press at work if I ask an apprentice nicely ...

How far into the job can I get without being able to physically replace the bearing myself?

Thanks!

('04 mk2.5 Euphonic with ABS if that helps at all)

Lots of lengths of string there.

Not a hugely difficult job but moderate skill level and patience.
Yes you may be able to just take in to a garage for them to press in and out. Maybe £10 or less depending on how generous they're feeling.

You could do 45% of the work before the additional 10% required by the press.

Thanks Whipit,

Sorry about the broadness of the questions, more the fact that I haven't attempted the job yet that anything else so not 100% on what it entails. Best I've found is this guide: http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=368385
but no pics so will have to just give it a crack.

OK, i'll purchase one of the kits on mx5parts and get as far as I can - any recommendation on which one to go for? There are two that seem very similar but I'm not familiar with the brands:

http://www.mx5parts.co.uk/rear-wheel-bearing-motorsport-mk1-25-p-3129.html

http://www.mx5parts.co.uk/rear-wheel-bearing-aftermarket-mk1-25-p-314.html

 

It's easy but you do need a high range torque wrench, a BFOIP, breaker bar and an impact socket. The key thing is to torque up the hub nut correctly as it preloads the bearing. If you don't, there's a good chance that it'll fail not long after - I've seen it happen.

It cost me about 20 quid at a machine shop to get the old bearings pressed out and the new ones pressed in. They can be bastards to get out, so whilst for some it's an easy process of drifting them out with a socket and hammer, I couldn't shift them the tiniest bit. So I'd just say spare the hassle and go to a machine shop.

Daz

 

It's easy but you do need a high range torque wrench, a BFOIP, breaker bar and an impact socket. The key thing is to torque up the hub nut correctly as it preloads the bearing. If you don't, there's a good chance that it'll fail not long after - I've seen it happen.

It cost me about 20 quid at a machine shop to get the old bearings pressed out and the new ones pressed in. They can be bastards to get out, so whilst for some it's an easy process of drifting them out with a socket and hammer, I couldn't shift them the tiniest bit. So I'd just say spare the hassle and go to a machine shop.

Daz

Cheers Daz,

Sounds like a plan will order the part now. I've got that kit you mentioned, do I need anything else to get the hub off the car completely? Balljoint splitter? Sorry for my ignorance but not attempted this before.

Cheers

 

Anything special need to be done with the ABS sensor either?

 

There are no ball joints at the back, just the bolts through the pivot points of the upper and lower suspension arms. The long lower bolt can be a pain in the arse because its middle section is exposed to the elements and corrosion can make it jam rather than slide out as it should. Might come out like butter, might take a lot of penetrating oil and patient persistence.

I actually bought used hubs (10 years younger than my originals) to swap in rather than even try to replace the bearings. The newer ones had ABS sensors and when I tried to unbolt them the heads just snapped off the bolts. So I'd say whatever you do with the ABS sensors, do it super-carefully.

One other potential problem: I had a hell of a job getting one hub off its driveshaft. And I had an impossible job getting the other one off. Okay, mine were ten years older then yours but it does seem to be a matter of luck: sometimes they come loose, sometimes you have to pop the halfshafts out of the diff and take the hub and shaft off the car together. As I say, I eventually beat one of them loose but the other needed a workshop press plus heat and the hub was destroyed recovering the halfshaft (lucky I was replacing it).

Don't want to put you off, but forewarned is forearmed.

 

I did this on an ABSless Mk1 so I can't comment on the ABS issue.

As Martin says here, the driveshafts can either be really easy to release, or an absolute pain in the arse. There seems to be no middle ground with them, they're one or t'other. Mine was easy so I suppose I was lucky.

Daz

 

crack the hub nut whilst it's on the car

tap the end of the shaft with a hammer

if the shaft moves then simple press job

if the shaft 'rings like a bell' then it'll be a complete twat & will usually require a big press, although it is possible to shift them with an air chisel, if you have a decent compressor

i use a 50 ton press & sometimes even have to use bottles on the really stubborn ones

 

Thanks guys, will give it a go - half the reason I bought the car was to learn some of this stuff. Lets see if if I have that same attitude whilst swearing at driveshafts and corroded bolts!

 

Progress update!

Hub nut off (eventually) but struggling to get the hub off/driveshaft out. Don't have a puller so I'll continue swearing at it and see where that takes me.

@Martin - despite your warning I have still managed to crack the heads clean off the ABS mount bolts. Any tips on the best way of getting the bracket off with the thread still in it? Looking at new bolts now....

 

@Martin - despite your warning I have still managed to crack the heads clean off the ABS mount bolts. Any tips ...

Ah, bad luck. Sorry but, as mine lacks ABS, I never had to figure out how to solve that problem.

 

crack the hub nut whilst it's on the car

tap the end of the shaft with a hammer

if the shaft moves then simple press job

if the shaft 'rings like a bell' then it'll be a complete twat & will usually require a big press, although it is possible to shift them with an air chisel, if you have a decent compressor

i use a 50 ton press & sometimes even have to use bottles on the really stubborn ones

Progress update!

Hub nut off (eventually) but struggling to get the hub off/driveshaft out. Don't have a puller so I'll continue swearing at it and see where that takes me.

@Martin - despite your warning I have still managed to crack the heads clean off the ABS mount bolts. Any tips on the best way of getting the bracket off with the thread still in it? Looking at new bolts now....

did you even read the post?

the bracket will pull off

if there is some thread sticking out you'll need bottles & heat the hub till it's cherry

if they're snapped off flush you'll need to drill & re-tap

 

Rear hubs are a 50/50 gamble whether the shafts come out. john is correct.. nut off tap if it moves great if not start praying. :baseballbat: i have left one over night with 50 tons on it and its still in in the morning. i try and keep a good used set of hubs in stock along with both 1.6 and 1.8 shafts just in case..

I have a cheap hub puller that will get 90% out and causes no damage to the shaft end :yes: