Front Wheel Bearings

[Seahorse]

Just about to do the Front Wheel Bearings on my 2000 1.8L Freelander.

Reading the Haynes Manual creates as many questions as it answers..!!:(

Firstly, does anyone know the particulars of the front wheel bearings..?? I would rather buy from a Bearing Supplier that be held to ransom by LandRover.

I notice that Haynes recommends that the Drive Shaft nut and bearing retaining circlip be replaced at the same time as the bearing. I would assume that all of these come in a kit which may mean buying genuine LR parts. :mad:

Secondly, does anyone know the size of socket required for loosening the Drive Shaft Nut..?? I will probably need to source and impact socket for the job. Knowing the size will give me a head start in sourcing one.

Thirdly, does anyone know the size of the Ball Joint Nut...(same reason as in two above).

Any assistance from you guys will be highly appreciated..;)

[Seahorse]

OK....Been busy "Googling" and managed to find a "SKF" bearing Catalog here...:)

Free Download PDF Ebooks Files | Wheel Bearing Kits for Cars and Light Trucks (http://www.ebookspdf.com/automotives/1744/wheel-bearing-kits-for-cars-and-light-trucks/#more-1744)

Simply a matter of finding the Freelander kit (Page 57 I think.!!)

VKBA 3527

According to the legend at the front the kit should containg everything required to complete the job. (So assume new nut & circlip are included..)

I will hit the bearing shops tomorrow and get prices and availability.

Still interested in nut sizes if anyone can help..

[Seahorse]

For those interested, the Drive Shaft Nut is 32mm (Torque 400 Nm)

[Seahorse]

Seem to be having a one way conversation with myself in this thread...:p

None the less, I will continue on, as someone else may find themselves in similar situation, and need to replace their wheelbearings.

Tomorrow I am hoping to get a definitive answer as to whether the noise I am hearing, is indeed a front wheel bearing, or something entirely more sinister.

In the meantime I have started chasing up prices for Wheel Bearing Kits.

Bearing in mind (pun intended!!:p) a wheel bearing kit comprises a bearing, circlip and replacement nut, I started chasing up prices.

Firstly I tried a local bearing shop that supplies bearing to my workplace. I applied as much loyalty brownie points as possible to assure maximum discount........ $168 per wheel !!!!!

Next stop Repco. No, they dont keep them in stock, but could get them in for $190 + $15 freight.... $205 per wheel !!!!

Next, my favourite source and long time local supplier of parts for my Freelander... They quoted $132 per wheel.....:D Unfortunately they only have one bearing in stock but are able to source another promptly if required.

I figure that if I have one front wheel bearing about to fail, there is every chance that the other will do likewise in the not to distant future. It will therefore be my intention to replace both bearings at the same time.

My only concerns at the moment are freeing the main nut which is torqued up to 400Nm. I am sure this will be a challenge for my 12V impact gun. I am currently preparing a back up plan which involves a 3/4" square drive socket and a breaker bar with a 1.5M pipe extension. Will also need to secure the services of a torque wrench for the re-assembly process. The other concern is splitting the ball joint to release the hub. Will address this problem when I have a chance to take a good look at it.

More to come...........:)

[trentski]

Thanks for the WIP (work in progress) so far.

What were the symptons that led you to beleive that your front wheel bearings were due for replacement?

[mjm295]

Sorry for the late reply - I got the kit from that place in mulgrave (British Motor Imports (http://www.lrparts.com.au)) for about $80 per side.

(Bearing plus nut plus clip)

They are a :twisted: to do.

Getting the hub nut off is easy - 2 foot long bar - stand on it.... I am well over 100kg though.

The worst part is getting the inside off the hub. I ended up buying a grinder from super cheap....:wasntme:

Also I forgot to support the rear of the new bearing and managed to separate it when installing it. Luckily this went back together and the 400NM on the hub nut also pins it back together.

[Seahorse]

Pretty busy at work at the moment. Will continue on with this project next week. More then...:)

[Seahorse]

Made a start on this today....:)

Was surpried at how easy it was to remove the axle nut. All I used was a 32 mm x 3/4 drive socket with a ratchet and meter long length of waterpipe. Just leaned on it and off it came.

Even the ball joint cooperated. (Used a set of sissor type splitters from Supercheap ($30).)

Removing the old bearing was a bit of a struggle. Using a suitable "driver" and swinging the hammer with a bit of "conviction" did the job though. However wouldn't recommend this task to anyone without mechanical skills and lots of confidence.

Used the old bearing shell to drive the new bearing in, but will need to find a suitable bush to support the inner race while I knock the hub back in. May have to spin something up on the lathe if I can't find a suitable length of pipe.

Hoping to complete the job tomorrow and also take some pics....

[Seahorse]

Raining too much today to continue work.....(Was such a nice day yesterday I decided to work out on the driveway :(.)

Anyway, not a complete waste of a day, as I took the lot into work and pressed the hub in there.....Actually, more like flogged the hub in, as I supported the inner race with a large socket clamped in the vice and drove the hub in with the help of a drift and a 2Lb hammer.

As mentioned in a previous post, this job would probably be beyond the basic home handyman, unless they have access to some heavy engineering equipment and an extensive array of tools to hand.

Hoping for fine weather tomorrow so that I can complete the exercise.