yeah , well i know slightly off the polo, but i brought a lupo yesterday. The rear wheel bearing has gone.

How much are bearings?

andhow easy are they to fit on the rear? i heard its a case of pulling the cap off, then undo the nut and get you fingers in there and change it round?

Be great for any help.

Cheers

i know front bearings are more expensive, about 30ish quid (thats what one cost me) rear ones are cheaper. basically youv answered your own question about the removal, tho it can be bloody hard to get that bearing out. id take the rear of the drum off, then take it down to a garage, give them a 10er to swap the bearing, theyll hav a hydrolic press thatll pop them in and out piss

Edited 30 January, 200917 yr by chrisbin

rear ones are easy. The bearing kit costs about £7 from GSF or Euros. Changing it is something along the lines of:

- jack up car and remove wheel

- knock off the dust cap from the middle of the drum

- bend the split pin (which should be renewed ideally) straight and pull it out

- remove the nut cover and undo the nut

- remove the outer bearing and washer, it just pulls off

- pull the drum off - you may need to poke a pointy screwdriver through one of the wheel bolt holes and move the adjuster wedge down first to loosen the shoes away from the drum

- put the drum down on the ground and prise off the inner bearing plastic cover, then pull out the inner bearing

- now you need to knock out the bearing races from the drum. Do this from the back of each race using a screwdriver or drift, there will be cut outs in the drum casting to allow you to hit against the back of the round races.

- then tap in the new races, I tend to use the old race as a drift to get it started

- after that reassembly is straight forward, just put everything back in the same way it came apart.

- once done you will need to readjust the shoes by moving the wedge up with a pointy screwdriver through a wheel bolt hole. Get it so the shoe is just touching the drum and it not just free-spinning.

rear ones are easy. The bearing kit costs about £7 from GSF or Euros. Changing it is something along the lines of:

- jack up car and remove wheel

- knock off the dust cap from the middle of the drum

- bend the split pin (which should be renewed ideally) straight and pull it out

- remove the nut cover and undo the nut

- remove the outer bearing and washer, it just pulls off

- pull the drum off - you may need to poke a pointy screwdriver through one of the wheel bolt holes and move the adjuster wedge down first to loosen the shoes away from the drum

- put the drum down on the ground and prise off the inner bearing plastic cover, then pull out the inner bearing

- now you need to knock out the bearing races from the drum. Do this from the back of each race using a screwdriver or drift, there will be cut outs in the drum casting to allow you to hit against the back of the round races.

- then tap in the new races, I tend to use the old race as a drift to get it started

- after that reassembly is straight forward, just put everything back in the same way it came apart.

- once done you will need to readjust the shoes by moving the wedge up with a pointy screwdriver through a wheel bolt hole. Get it so the shoe is just touching the drum and it not just free-spinning.

Do the bearing kits come with everything you need? Split pins etc? Are any special tools needed at all. I need new bearing myself. VW want £140 to change them. A local garage reckoned £88 for labour plus parts at £20-£30....

sometimes they come with a split pin and sometimes they don't, luck of the draw really I think. GSF use lots of different suppliers and manufacturers so it just depends what they have in at the time. Any motor factors will sell you a split pin though and to be honest I've reused them in the past, fine as long as you don't snap them. The kit should come with everything else including a new dust cover for the outside. You don't get a new nut, nut cover or washer though but you don't need them.

just thinking about this, I have assumed that your car has drums on the back, is this the case?

Both those quotes sound insanely expensive, I don't see why they'd charge more than one hours labour.

just thinking about this, I have assumed that your car has drums on the back, is this the case?

Both those quotes sound insanely expensive, I don't see why they'd charge more than one hours labour.

Yes the car has drums at the back.

The VW dealership also advised I have my pads and disks changed at £145 for the pair.

Edited 31 January, 200917 yr by dn852k4

I thought they were high too!

I'm a mechanical noob and I've changed rear bearings several times. Just give it a go. I used a hammer, big flathead screwdriver, wheelbrace, pliers to do it.

rear ones are easy. The bearing kit costs about £7 from GSF or Euros. Changing it is something along the lines of:

- jack up car and remove wheel

- knock off the dust cap from the middle of the drum

- bend the split pin (which should be renewed ideally) straight and pull it out

- remove the nut cover and undo the nut

- remove the outer bearing and washer, it just pulls off

- pull the drum off - you may need to poke a pointy screwdriver through one of the wheel bolt holes and move the adjuster wedge down first to loosen the shoes away from the drum

- put the drum down on the ground and prise off the inner bearing plastic cover, then pull out the inner bearing

- now you need to knock out the bearing races from the drum. Do this from the back of each race using a screwdriver or drift, there will be cut outs in the drum casting to allow you to hit against the back of the round races.

- then tap in the new races, I tend to use the old race as a drift to get it started

- after that reassembly is straight forward, just put everything back in the same way it came apart.

- once done you will need to readjust the shoes by moving the wedge up with a pointy screwdriver through a wheel bolt hole. Get it so the shoe is just touching the drum and it not just free-spinning.

Where can I buy 'races' from, and how much do they cost?

they come with the bearings, they are part of it and machined to match the bearing they come packaged with.

they come with the bearings, they are part of it and machined to match the bearing they come packaged with.

Just to double check, is this the correct kit for my car (6n, hatchback 96 plate)?

41311K WHEEL BEARING KIT-REAR PO 4/75 > 6.75

I also noticed this one too..

41204 WHEEL BEARING-FR/RE OUTER PO 4/75 > 2.25

Do I need to buy the above in addition to the first one?

This kit on ebay doesn't mention anything about races? Are races and bearings one and the same?

bearing kit ebay

they come with the bearings, they are part of it and machined to match the bearing they come packaged with.

Just to double check, is this the correct kit for my car (6n, hatchback 96 plate)?

41311K WHEEL BEARING KIT-REAR PO 4/75 > 6.75

I also noticed this one too..

41204 WHEEL BEARING-FR/RE OUTER PO 4/75 > 2.25

Do I need to buy the above in addition to the first one?

first one is the kit and the second one appears to just be a bearing on it's own with no other parts such as inner grease cover, split pin, dust cap etc...

This kit on ebay doesn't mention anything about races? Are races and bearings one and the same?

the race is a part of the bearing, it's the metal ring on the outside of the bearings in the picture on that ebay advert. You wouldn't buy a bearing without the races or it'd just be a box of loose ball-bearings.

Well you live and learn.

I bought a kit today from a local Motor factors, £18 for the pair it cost. I'm not sure if I have the correct one though. There's 3 extra items that I haven't seen mentioned in any other posts about wheel bearings.

What are the bottom 3 items for? I know one is a nut.

Left to right:

Locking cap

Retaining nut

Toothed Washer

You definately need these!!

Toothed washer goes on first, prevents the bearing rotation from trying to undo the retaining but (which goes on next.) The locking cap further prevents the retaining nut from comming off as the split pin goes through the axle (the split pin sits between the tabs on the locking cap).

Did my offside rear bearing a couple of weeks ago. Took approx half an hour (the first time I have ever changed a car bearing!).

Remember to pack the bearings with a decent grease. (Haynes recommends lithium-based).

hayesey gives great advice above as always - useful to have a look at/buy a Haynes manual for your car too - pictures have saved me making a couple of cock-ups in the past!

Edited 5 February, 200917 yr by cheys03

Cheers for that mate.

Do you reckon the grease suplied with the kit is no good then?

I want to do this job properly the first time, as I cannot be arsed fixing it a second time, especially in this weather!

the stuff that comes with it should be fine I reckon, I've always just used general purpose grease in them.

Once you take the old parts off it'll be obvious where those three parts go because you'll be taking the old ones off. That looks like a decent kit really, I don't remember getting a new washer, nut and locking cap in any bearing kits I've bought from GSF!

The EuroCarParts kit came as above with all bits too FYI

Edit: But didn't include the grease

Edited 6 February, 200917 yr by cheys03

Is the inner bearing meant to just drop out? Mine isn't it's being a complete bastard and won't come out.

any tips are welcome before I end smashing it out!

Are these standard drums that I have? Where should I find the cut outs for knocking out the races?

Theres races in the inner and outter drum which one should be knocked out first and from which direction? Wouldn't the other race prevent the one you;re knocking out from moving?

passenger side inner drum:

passenger side outter drum:

driver side inner drum:

Washer (?) that came out of the inner drum after a few whacks with the hammer:

Driver side outter drum:

You will have to rest the drum on a couple bits of thin wood to get clearance

The races need to be knocked outwards from the opposite side using a long punch & hammer

On your inner bearing pic the seal is in need of removing to remove the bearing

Youll see the cut outs in the casting when youve cleaned all the old grease out

That washer in the other pic is the knackered seal

You will have to rest the drum on a couple bits of thin wood to get clearance

The races need to be knocked outwards from the opposite side using a long punch & hammer

On your inner bearing pic the seal is in need of removing to remove the bearing

Youll see the cut outs in the casting when youve cleaned all the old grease out

That washer in the other pic is the knackered seal

Cheers mate.

What is best thing for cleaning up the old grease? there is a LOT in the middle of the drum.

There shouldn't be any grease applied before puting the new race in?

Does the new seal go in after the inner race and bearing have been fitted?

You will have to rest the drum on a couple bits of thin wood to get clearance

The races need to be knocked outwards from the opposite side using a long punch & hammer

On your inner bearing pic the seal is in need of removing to remove the bearing

Youll see the cut outs in the casting when youve cleaned all the old grease out

That washer in the other pic is the knackered seal

Cheers mate.

What is best thing for cleaning up the old grease? there is a LOT in the middle of the drum.

There shouldn't be any grease applied before puting the new race in?

Does the new seal go in after the inner race and bearing have been fitted?

Clean the old grease out with something disposable - kitchen towels are good. Whether these is grease or not doesn't matter when fitting the braces, you just need to clean away enough grease to see the cut-outs.

kitchen roll and fingers to get the old grease out. I give the outside of the bore the race fits into a slight coating of grease first to help it go in. Another hint to make it a bit easier is to leave the races in the freezer for a couple of hours and if you really want to go to the effort stick the drums in the oven for a bit to heat them up! These are differential bearing outer races but the same applies:

Yes the new seal goes in after the inner race & bearing