Anybody use one of these to change a wheel bearing?

[srivett]

http://chat.carleton.ca/~srivett/IMG_0819.jpg

It is a transport u-joint, spring bushing, and ball joint remover.  I bought it because I wanted to remove ball joints without destroying them with a pickle fork.  Cost me 50 bucks plus tax.  My biggest concern is the size of the wheel hub.  This clamp will go around a 4 3/8" diameter hub but I do not know how big the VW hubs are.  It has a several pipe adapters and one is a perfect fit for the inner race, I may have to use an old outer race to press in a new one.  Otherwise I'll have to find some more pipe.  

I'll get back to you guys on whether or not it works, eventually.  I'll be away on a bike trip for a few days and then I won't be fixing my car right when I get back either.

Cheers, Steve

[Staley]

I would imagine you would have a heck of a time removing the wheel bearing with that tool.  Unless you clamp it in a vice and have a LONG cheater bar on the ratchet handle!

[vwmike]

I've used one of those actual wheel bearing tools. It was kind of a pain in the ass, but is good if you don't want to take the knuckles off so you don't have to realign it. If you can take the knuckles off then the way I do it is to put the knuckle in the vice and pound the hub out from the back using a socket that's about the right size. Usually it flies out of there so be careful. It will have one of the inner races attached to it still. Use a die grinder to grind a notch in it - enough for a chisel to grab onto, then use the air chisel to "push" the race off the hub. It usually comes right off. the rest is pretty obvious - press the bearing into the knuckle and then press the hub into the bearing while being sure that you are always supporting the bearing. Don't forget the circlips.

[chrissev]

http://chat.carleton.ca/~srivett/IMG_0819.jpg

It is a transport u-joint, spring bushing, and ball joint remover.  I bought it because I wanted to remove ball joints without destroying them with a pickle fork.  Cost me 50 bucks plus tax.  My biggest concern is the size of the wheel hub.  This clamp will go around a 4 3/8" diameter hub but I do not know how big the VW hubs are.  It has a several pipe adapters and one is a perfect fit for the inner race, I may have to use an old outer race to press in a new one.  Otherwise I'll have to find some more pipe.  

I'll get back to you guys on whether or not it works, eventually.  I'll be away on a bike trip for a few days and then I won't be fixing my car right when I get back either.

Cheers, Steve

removing a wheel bearing is easy.  Take the hub out, put it on a work table (or concrete floor, something solid), place the appropriate sized cone on top of the bearing, and hit it out with a large hammer.  This works much better than trying to press them out (which often doesn't work since they tend to be rusted in place).  Use a press to put the new bearing in.

[fspGTD]

I like the front wheel drive in-car wheel bearing press tools myself, due to not having to set alignment afterwards.  I usually rent the tool, as I think to buy one, they are quite a chunk of change.

I have not seen that kind of large c-clamp you posted the link to before, steve.

[lord_verminaard]

That looks like a VW tool to me.    I think I used the exact same one when I worked for VW to take out the U-joints on my Camaro's aluminum driveshaft.  They were so stuck in there, that the aluminum "C" of the tool cracked from me cranking it down with a 4' breaker bar.   :shock:

Stupid stock U-joints have plastic "injected" in a channel in the yolk that locks the U-joint in place.  The manual said: "The injected plastic should brake free when pressure is applied to the joint in a vice".   Stupid GM.   :roll:

Brendan
84 Scirocco 8v
00 Camaro L36 M49

[srivett]

Ugh, I'm taking the parts in to the VW dealership because I know things are messed up pretty bad.  For some reason it ended up being the opposite wheel bearing than I suspected.  When turning left you would get noise so I figured it was the right wheel bearing so that's the only one I was checking weekly for the last 4000 km.  WRONG METHOD!! ALWAYS CHECK BOTH OF THEM  :shock:  The left axle nut was loose and the bearing had a ton of play in it.  I mean you can literally grab the hub and shake it all over the place!  It would be nice to know if the bearing caused the nut to loosen because I cranked it on really tight when changing the axles.

Steve