I'm replacing the front wheel bearings on my polo today, just wondering what grease to get for them? normally you get grease in the kit but i only have the bearing

I think you'll find they are sealed bearings so you won't be adding grease.

Erm balls the ones i have are just open angular contact bearings. Me thinks GSF have supplied the wrong ones!

And are they esy to get out and in using a vice and the appropriate sized socket?

Edited 2 September, 201016 yr by Thorpy

possible yes, easy no.

you really need a BIG press

Hmm I might have to take a walk down to the local garage and use their press. As for the bearing I got it was this

Edited 2 September, 201016 yr by Thorpy

The good news: You really don't need a press to get these bearings either out or in, in fact if you do use a press and fail to get the bearing exactly square to the bore when you are replacing it, you can in fact do a lot of damage to the bore.

To remove the old ones:

Support the housing (maybe in a vice), use a length of MILD steel bar and a hammer, working through the housing, use the mild steel bar as a 'drift' and drive it out ,a little at a time at three equally spaced (120degree) positions, continue with this 'till the bearing cup comes out.

Fitting new ones: first the 'don'ts': Don't use hardened steel drifts (they may chip the new bearing, also bits can fly off of the drift or the bearing - most dangerous; Don't use soft metal as a drift (brass, copper, aluminium etc) as bits could also peel off of these and possibly become trapped under the bearing, preventing it from seating. Now for the 'Do's.' Do make sure that you are fitting the bearing cup the right way round!! do use mild steel to drive it in with ( a piece of iron pipe is ok to start it with, but providing that you keep it square to the bore, you can use your length of mild steel ( a coach bolt is ok) do strike it in THREE equal places around the circumference. keep an eye on it remaining square to the bore and correct it if one side starts to go in before the others. You will know when it is fully 'home' as the sound will change.

NEVER use the centre part of the bearing to drive in the cups, as you could actually leave microscopic indentations from the rollers in the cups.

This technique can be applied to bearings in any cast iron or forged steel housing. For bearings in aluminium housings, it is best to first heat up the housing, it;s ok to use a steam gun etc for this

Use a soft lithium soap grease, the technique is (with clean hands) fill the space between the cups and to a level of the height of the cups. Now, take a dollop of grease in your hand and scrape the open end of the roller bearing into the grease, the object being to get as much grease into the bearing as you can. If you are not going to fit the bearing straight away, wrap it in the packing that it came in, or in cling-film, foil etc.

Fit a new oil seal when you put the bearings in and keep everything clean.

I know that this is a bit long and drawn out, but bearings are expensive and in any case, you don't want early failures.

Regards.

Cheers mr caretaker! I'll be using a proper press courtesy of mr. Knight. But your help is much appreciated. Slow and steady all the way :-)

that doesnt look like a mk3 front wheel bearing to me!

The front bearings on my 6n took 8 tons on the press before finally going, really can't see how I could've done that with a hammer, can't speak for mk3s though!

aye, some pretty hard force required at times.

If youve got your head screwed on and take your time. Pressing them out is easy. Some heat always helps the bearing to slip out.

that doesnt look like a mk3 front wheel bearing to me!

Yeah I've been to GSF and taken them bearings back, went to VW and got the proper original ones.

The front bearings on my 6n took 8 tons on the press before finally going, really can't see how I could've done that with a hammer, can't speak for mk3s though!

I've done plenty with a hammer, it needs a BIG hammer and you have to give it a hell of a whack.

that's a rear wheel bearing you've got there.

that's a rear wheel bearing you've got there.

I dont think it was a rear wheel bearing as i did them a while ago and this one i had was huge! about 70mm OD. And I don't have a big hammer :(

you own a mk3 polo and dont have a hammer? lol

I had to take mine to a mates garage and use his 30ton press to pop mine out when my

own 10ton press wouldn't even budge them...it took 24ton of pressure to get them out.