Here is a simple guide to changing rear wheel bearings.

Step 1

After removing the discs/drums use a punch or long and strong shaft to punch out the old races.

the discs/drums should have cut outs like so to hit the races out

Rear of drum/disc

top of drum/disc

if you hadnt already removed the bottom bearing - hitting the race out should have removed the bearing and the dirt seal.

i have shot blasted my rear discs

A- because my discs were fine and just had surface rust

B- makes it easier for you to see what I'm doing in the guide

It is very important for you to clean out the bottom of the edges/faces where the new bearing will sit - any dirt will make the race not sit flush and will make the bearing wear out much quicker.

This is the rear mating face

use the old race you just hammered out to push the new race in.

do do this gently tap the new race in as far as you can with a rubber mallet.

if no rubber mallet is availible - use a piece of wood to place on top of the bearing and hammer in with a normal hammer.

DO NOT DAMAGE THE BEARING RUNNING FACE!

place the old race on top of the new one and continue to push the new race in.

IMPORTANT! - when using the old race to hit the new race in- make sure they are facing the same way, this will leave a big face for which you can get the old race back out again! (SEE PHOTOS BELOW FOR REFERENCE)

i used a press to finish this stage - but the hammer method will work and so will using a vice(if its large enough)

The same method is used on the top bearing

ensure the mating edges/faces are clean.

push the new race in using the same method as above.

Hit the bearing race in as far as you can

The photo below shows the old bearing race ontop of the new one. as you can see it faces the SAME way so that you can tap it out again.

This is needed because the bearing race goes 1cm deep into the drum/discs making it hard to install with a hammer.

once you have hit the old race out it should look as follows

Grease up the bearings giving them a good spin as you do so that the grease gets in everywhere

Tap in the dust seal

and do the same to the other side

As different cars have different torque settings for the rear wheel bearings i shall leave it there.

The rule of thumb is not to do it up to tight and that the bearing should run free without being loose.

Install castle piece and fit the split pin to finish.

Put the dust cap back on aswell as this will prolong the life of the bearing

KiZ

bump for gettin faq'd

Good guide pal

Is it the same on 6Ns

I'm soon to be doing one of my rear bearings. Looks like a really good guide. Thanks.

Is it the same on 6Ns

yes the process is the same whether you have drums or discs on the back

According to things I've read and have been told,

When doing them up, you do them tight by hand to load the bearing and ensure everything is sitting correctly. Then you need to back off quarter of a turn. You then need to fiddle abit to get the ideal tightness. This is where the nut isn't stupidly loose and the drum doesn't rock back or forward, but not so tight that it will not turn freely. May take sometime to get it right but is far better than having a burnt out bearing which is what happens when you have it to tight.

According to things I've read and have been told,

When doing them up, you do them tight by hand to load the bearing and ensure everything is sitting correctly. Then you need to back off quarter of a turn. You then need to fiddle abit to get the ideal tightness. This is where the nut isn't stupidly loose and the drum doesn't rock back or forward, but not so tight that it will not turn freely. May take sometime to get it right but is far better than having a burnt out bearing which is what happens when you have it to tight.

that is correct yes

I keep writing about this subject on here, but it seems to get lost in the mists of time, so , here we go again.

Slacken off the rear road wheels.

Jack up the rear of the car and support it on axle stands.

'Chock' up the front road wheels.

Remove the rear wheels and release the hand brake.

In the absence of the correct service tool, use a screwdriver and a hammer, working in three equally spaced positions around the dust cap, GENTLY tap the screwdriver under the lip of the cap and prise it off, placing it in a box.

Remove and discard the split-pin.

Remove the split-pin cage, put it in the box.

Remove the hub nut and washer, put them in the box.

With a twisting action, pull off the brake drum, if this has much wear on the working surface, you will have to work through one of the wheel bolt holes to release the automatic brake adjuster. TIP: leave the outer bearing in position until you have the brake drum at least partly off, this helps to keep the drum centralized for easier removal.

Place the outer bearing in the box.

Working from the outside, use a length of tube, a metal rod or a length of wood to tap out the inner bearing and oil seal.

( If the oil seal has remained on the stub axle, the inner bearing will fall out of the hub, but you will have to prize the oil seal from the stub axle.)

Remove all of the old grease and discard it.

Working in three equally spaced positions around the inner and outer bearing tracks in the hub, use a length of MILD steel rod and a hammer to tap them out.

Clean out the hub and all of the parts that are to be reused, but do not wipe the hub with 'fluffy' rag.

If you have thrown up any burs on the bearing seats within the hub, these MUST be carefully scraped off.

Open your new bearing pack, but remove only the outer tracks at this stage, keeping the inner parts of each bearing clean and in their package.

Making sure that it is the correct way round, tap each outer track SQUARELY into the hub, using a short length of MILD flat steel across the bearing to start it off, then using the MILD steel rod, again, working in three equally spaced positions around the circumference of the bearing track until it is fully seated. ( you will probably notice the change in tone as the bearing contacts its seat.)

DO NOT use the face of the hammer, any hard steel, any part of the old bearing or any soft metal such as aluminium, brass or copper to drive in the bearing cups. ( Hard metal may chip the bearing surface, soft metal may flake, off, these flakes could then become trapped under the bearing and prevent it from seating squarely.)

Wash your hands.

Take the tapered roller bearing in one hand and a dollop of soft lithium soap-based grease in the other,working from the larger end of the bearing, force as much grease into it as you can get. Repeat on the other bearing and put them back in their packaging.

Pack some grease into the hub - you should end up with a ring of grease running the full width between the two outer tracks.

With the open end of the brake drum facing upwards, place the inner bearing in its track.

Making sure that it is the correct way round ('open' side inwards) and making sure that you do not damage the sealing lip, fit the new oil seal squarely into its housing. ( It should end up just about flush with the rim of the housing.)

Clean any grease contamination from the brake drum working surface.

Replace the brake drum on the stub axle, using the new outer bearing to keep it square to the brake linings.

Replace the keyed washer and the hub nut, spinning the hub as you tighten the nut to hand-tight.

Use a socket to tighten the nut a LITTLE further, still spinning the hub.

When resistance is felt on the socket, note the position of the nut and slacken it off again, retightening to the same position

Repeat this three or four times.

Slacken off the nut again and retighten it by hand (no handle on the socket) to about one to two flats short of the fully tightened position, still spinning the hub.

You should now have little or no end float (a little too much is better than too tight in spite of what the MoT man may say!)

Take the split pin retainer cage and place it (without moving the nut) over the nut with one pair of slots EXACTLY in line with the split pin hole.

Fit a new split pin.

Put just a smear of grease in the dust cap and tap it back into place.

Replace the road wheels.

Lower the car to the floor.

Tighten wheel bolts.

If auto adjusters were released in order to remove the drums, it will now be necessary to pump the brake pedal to adjust them back up again.

Note on grease: It is not necessary to use molybdenum disulphide grease in hub bearings, but it will do no harm.

If good quality bearings are fitted using the above method, they will give years of good service.

Regards.

Would LM Grease work as a lubricant? Just bought a bearing kit, no lubricant was supplied and all I have at home is LM Grease :/

*Edit

Just Googled LM Grease and it IS lithium based, so I would imagine it will be fine. Any confirmation from your far more knowledgeable noggins would be welcome though

Edited 20 January, 201115 yr by Tubthumper

I'm a bit late replying, but yes LM is lithium. If you have had the grease in stock for some time and there is oil floating on top, give it a good stir up and it will be fine. (providing that it is clean!)