Front wheel bearings

Re: Front wheel bearings (Djazair)

I'm doing this myself right now actually. You have to disconnect the strut, ball joints, and remove the bolt that holds the axle to the hub. Then take the whole spindle/hub-bearing assembly out. If you have a bearing puller, then pull the bearing and hub out. You will need to have the new bearing pressed in with a hydraulic press. Then re-assemble. You do not have to remove the axle from the transmission, only from the spindle. Hope this helps!

Re: Front wheel bearings (passatrcr)

Thanks, I just don't see why the hub can't be pulled out of the spindle/knuckle with some kind of a puller - while on the car. This means i need an alignment job again (I just changed the ball joints).
this sucks.

Re: Front wheel bearings (Djazair)

How do you know when you need to replace your front wheel bearings? When I make right hand turns, it feels like I am running over the reflectors on the freeway. Could this be a sign? But it doesn't do it when I make left hand turns.

Re: Front wheel bearings (str8dub)

That could be your CV joints. If you're making a right hand turn, your left (driver side) CV joints will click, and you can feel it in the steering.
You'll know if your wheel bearing is bad if you can hear a faint whine when you turn, or in my case when you turn and you're going straight. You can also check it by jacking up the car (whole front end if checking front, not just one wheel) and grab the wheel firmly, and shake it. If you get some movement, in and out, meaning there's some play, then your bearings need replacing. Eventually they'll whine, and then they'll grind.

Re: Front wheel bearings (Djazair)

how much would i expect to pay to get the front drivers side fixed up?

Re: Front wheel bearings (Mk3GolfGL)

Golf 3's have a "wheel bearing problem" you know the type that everyone has and vw dealerships swear that they never heard of such problems. It is so bad that if you replace the carier with a new oem vw part there is a change in design. If you don't want to get an alignment again you can mark everything with a clay pen. This wont be perfect but you can save some money.

Re: Front wheel bearings (Mk3GolfGL)

~$45 for each wheel bearing kit, and then the cost of having the old bearings pressed out, and the new ones in. It just cost me $75 to have both bearings pressed in. (Which seems really expensive.) You'll also have to get a tie rod end puller, and the puller to press the axle out of the hub. (It's a b*tch, I broke my puller.) Other than that, it's not too bad...

Re: Front wheel bearings (kolob1)

You also have to remember that 75% of the time your hub is wasted when your bearing goes bad. It was $130 for new bearing, hub, and pressing service for me at the local v-dub shop when I just brought the hub carrier in. I did the labor of removing everything and putting it all back together myself. My axle slipped right out of the hub though, so I don't know why you had such a problem kolob1...Sorry to hear about that..



[Modified by passatrcr, 2:50 PM 2-21-2002]