Changing rear hub bearings...***EDIT, caliper's siezed!***

[Iain C]

After my last off roading day, I think my rear wheel bearings are a bit unwell.  They sound grumbly and with the truck sat on the ground I can grab the top of the tyre and feel movement when I rock it.  I'm not actually driving it at the mo, but I've had a look at the Haynes manual and it looks quite a big job to change them, so here are some questions!

Am I likely to be able to keep the existing bearings and just adjust them?  Or are they probably too far gone?

If I do need to change them, I've heard a rumour that if I put the truck on axle stands and then jack up one side of the axle (with no wheels on) at a time I can pull the halfshafts and do a bearing one side at a time without draining the axle oil...fact or fiction? (only recently changed it and added Forte so I'd rather not drain if poss).  Haynes says "if you don't drain be prepared for some spillage"...are we talking get a tray underneath is to catch a bit or the full Exxon Valdez?

The Haynes manual says I'll need a press to get the old bearings out and the new ones in.  I don't have one...in fact I don't even have a vice.  When I've done propshaft UJs a Workmate style bench has done it, will this be enough?

If I use a socket to press/gently tap the new bearings in, how big does it have to be?  I have everything up to about 32mm, is this big enough? Presumably as long as you start the new bearing off square, a gentle tap with a rubber mallett should be OK?  If not, I can borrow a mate's vice, but it will mean both hubs off together and draining the axle oil.

Haynes manual says that you need a Dial Test Indicator to get the endfloat right, is this true?  Do people always do this or is this good old Haynes getting a bit "first, disconnect the battery" about everything again?  A DTI is quite a posh thing for your average toolkit!

What EXACTLY do I need to buy?  Hub bearing kit, flange gasket and lockwasher x 2?  Anything else? (I have a hub spanner)

The rear discs are slightly pitted, and it looks like a set of pads and discs is only about £25, is it a false economy not to do these at the same time?

Axle stands...I don't have any, can anyone recommend a set?  I don't need Snap-On...just something of reasonable quality and big enough to be useful under my lifted truck.

Thanks very much in advance...I guess it's like any job that you have not done before, easy when you know how but a bit daunting otherwise!

[Skibum346]

Ian, You can use one or both pairs of my axle stands.

Don't know about the spillage thing... but my concern would be that the bearings may have given up cuz off road grinding paste got into them... if that's the case there is a good chance that it's also in the axle diff oil. Seems like a false economy to not change it IMHO.

Assuming your bearings are the same as RRC & Disco 1, then a drift (hole punch, blunt cold chisel etc) will get the bearing races out... then you can use an old one turned the other way as a drift to get the new ones in straight.

YES! Do the brakes at the same time... otherwise your gonna have to undo all your good work when you DO do the brakes. It might also be worthwhile getting oil seals as well if appropriate.

Good luck

Skibum

[Iain C]

Thanks mate...might well take you up on the axle stand offer.  That said it's time I got my own...where did yours come from as they are quite good!

(PS think I still have your pop rivet gun... :oops: )

Any thoughts on the DTI?  Do I really need one?

[hobbit]

Have a good look at the discs before you get the parts (would be worth doing if they look like they need it, make a list up of what you want, seals, locking nuts and tab, gaskets etc, pads and possibly pad retaining kit

A hub nut spanner to hand is useful as well

If you havn't got a bench or something to hold the hub while working, stack up your wheels and put the hub inside while tapping out the old bits


Have fun

[Skibum346]

Thanks mate...might well take you up on the axle stand offer.  That said it's time I got my own...where did yours come from as they are quite good!

(PS think I still have your pop rivet gun... :oops: )

Any thoughts on the DTI?  Do I really need one?

1. Dreaded Halfords! The old blue set were 2 ton so the yellow ones are 3 ton... for safety!  :shock:  Machine Mart do some good cheap ones with an easier to use ratchet system.

2. No worries... you can pop round with it some night (not tonight!)  :lol:  :lol:

3. Done a few now... seen a few done... never seen a DTI gauge...  :shock:  :roll:  

Can also recomend the tyre thing for working on the hub... though I was never quite clever enough to stack them into a mini workbench! The studs slip into the holes in the wheels and hold the hub really well, particularly when loosening/tightening the disk nuts.


BTW... I have a hub nut spanner if you don't have one... but it should be part of your kit and only costs about £5 ya tightwad!
Skibum

[Iain C]

Well, just went out for a poke around before I ordered anything...the scrapey noise is actually a siezed NSR caliper!  Oh joy!

Jacked it up and as it happens there is a barely perceptible amount of play from the wheel bearings...certainly no more than at MOT time.  The wobble I could feel when the truck was sat on it's wheels must be something else!

It's pretty obvious that it could probably do with discs and pads all round...that's a pain as it means the hubs need to all come apart anyway.

So...my new questions are as follows!

Is it even remotely possible to resurrect a siezed caliper with careful use of fine wet and dry and a new seal kit, or is it a case that if it's siezed it's almost certainly knackered beyond repair?

And whilst I'm at it should I just change the wheel bearings anyway?

(PS AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHH on the phone to a well known LR "specialist" who just said "we don't do handbrake shoes, it's discs on the back!!!!!!) :roll:

[bilge rat]

iff your sure the noise is just the seized caliper . just re grease the brg and reset. when yourve got it out have a look for pitting ?. i got away with my caliper about a year ago and still o.k. at the time i didnt think i could save it .but was wrong. did do my wheel brg on blue due to water contamination the grease had turned like grey brown. so iff your grease is this colour id change  the back seal and brg . good luck. alan.....

[Les Henson]

You can clean-up the caliper pistons if you are careful. Remove the pads and use foot pressure to move the pistons out and then clean the rust off and spray them with WD40. Push them back in with a pry bar of G-clamp, then out again with foot pressure and clean once again until they move smoothly. You can rebuild a caliper - pistons and seals are available standard or in stainless. How to do that is here -

http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=2851

If the grease in the wheel bearings is contaminated or the tracks pitted, then replace them as well - along with the seal.

Wheel bearing (defender, but the same method) -

http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=10286


Les.

[Iain C]

Les, great info, thanks very much.

2 more questions for you...

1-If the caliper is siezed to the extent that with the engine not running (no servo assistance) and the brake pedal partly wedged down with the jack handle, I can actually still turn the roadwheel by hand, am I likely to be able to still rebuild the caliper or will it be too far gone?  With the same pressure on the brake, the other wheel was locked up, so the NSR in question is very lazy!  Is it just the piston that corrodes, and the bore is likely to be OK?

2-Do you have to split the caliper to get the pistons out?  I'm just worried about not being able to find these O rings...I saw the linky on the other site but I have no idea which size I would need.

Thanks