Thread: Air strut replacement

Originally Posted by gandalf

I trust you are referring to the front wheel bearing, as you won't be replacing the rear one by the roadside

Yes fronts much easier seeing as you're just replacing the entire hub assembly in one piece.

Take it you mean you need a press for the new bearing on the rear?

Originally Posted by Russrobe

Yes fronts much easier seeing as you're just replacing the entire hub assembly in one piece.

Take it you mean you need a press for the new bearing on the rear?

You sure do.
Plus lots of patience, imagination,angle grinder ( you get the general idea).
After 8 hours it was back together, and the bad news there's one more to do.
Any offers😫

I've not heard of a D3/4 wheel bearing suddenly failing. They seem to be able to be noisy for a long time and still don't fall apart when removed.

Originally Posted by Graeme

I've not heard of a D3/4 wheel bearing suddenly failing. They seem to be able to be noisy for a long time and still don't fall apart when removed.

The nearside bearing I just replaced had some movement in it, and when the hub was pushed out left the outer taper bearing on the hub shaft.
There was just dry grease in what was left of the bearing and a lot of movement.
The taper bearing left on the shaft had to be cut off. It broke my bearing puller.
Certainly built very solid, but not designed to be be replaced easily.

Originally Posted by Graeme

I've not heard of a D3/4 wheel bearing suddenly failing. They seem to be able to be noisy for a long time and still don't fall apart when removed.

My left rear bearing have a very rapid failure a month or so ago. No noise leading up to the failure. Failed just as I was leaving Perth to come home so lucky I wasnt half way home when it happened as that would have been an expensive tow job

Originally Posted by gandalf

The taper bearing left on the shaft had to be cut off.

Did you cut it most of the way through with an angle grinder then split it with a cold chisel?

Originally Posted by Graeme

Did you cut it most of the way through with an angle grinder then split it with a cold chisel?

Well! Wasn't quite that easy.
It ended up with multiple angled cuts, one a little bit further than most of the way through😖, the cast part broke leaving parts of the race not wanting to give.
Brought a new puller this morning, not a cheap ebay one.
Round 2 next week ( maybe).
I thought after 50 years of collecting tools I would have everything I would need,but then I bought a Discovery

Too bad you can't just replace the whole section, what's left after the hub and bearing anyway!