Front Wheel Bearing Replacement

Here’s my situation.  The hub is disc brake.  According to John Muir’s description in his book ”How to Keep Your Volkswagen alive” this is the new type hub since “the inboard inner race does not stay on the axle like it does for the old type wheels.  Take the hub to the VW dealer and ask to have the old new-type races pressed out and new new-type races pressed in.  They have fixed it (we think , so far) so that it takes a special press tool to do this job.  Pay them and thank them nicely, then go home and start below where it says,  “All Models”.      HUH???

Should have mentioned, this is on a Vintage build with - I believe - a 1976 pan. 

I bought a $100 12 Ton HF hydraulic press for such things.  I use sockets (instead of pipe pieces) to press old races in and out.  On drum brakes I never used a press - just a big socket and hammer.  Any machine shop or big garage should have a press.

I wish mine were powered with an air compressor vs a bottle jack.  Kind of takes 3 hands.

Many ways to remove a race, and they all require you to be careful to not f-up the inside of the disc.  If you have very stubborn/stuck race, and a welder,  you can stitch 1/2" to 1" of weld on the race inner surface 180 degrees apart and then let it cool.  The weld cools and shrinks the inner race and they fall out.  But tappy tap usually works fine.

The old races are out and the new are going in.  Should be good now.  Thanks for the feedback. 

I just had mine reviewed after I had new tires put on the car.  I'm assuming since the new tires are skinnier and taller, I was able to notice how bad the bearing was immediately after the new tires were installed.  We reviewed and yes, the passenger side bearing was cooked.  Thankfully I noticed this then, and not during the 750-mile rally along cliffside roads that I did almost immediately after.

We found that while the front bearing in my wheel was significantly greased up, it was really tightened into place...causing premature failure.

The Morgan 3-wheeler in front of me seized its input bearing on the rear (only) wheel during the rally traveling 80 mph.  Lucky for that driver, there was a large flat clearing immediately next to road where he skid off.

Hey!  I thought Lane Anderson was the only guy on here doing major repairs right before taking off for Carlisle?

You trying to steal his thunder, East Coast Bruce?  

@East Coast Bruce posted:

The old races are out and the new are going in.  Should be good now.  Thanks for the feedback.

Glad it 's all fixed, Bruce.  Enjoy Carlisle...