Wheel bearings

[craigvk]

I'm looking at replacing my wheel bearings on my VK, all 4 I think. I think I will buy new ones as the ones on the car have probably never been replaced and I don't think I will repack them with grease even if they are ok.

The reason is for a while the wheels seem a bit squeaky. Not too bad but just a little bit.

What's usually the process for replacing them? I have never done them before and I assume it's an easy enough job to do.

Do the bearings come pre greased or supplied with grease? From memory there is two bearings per hub. Which ones are usually looked at?

Cheers.

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

The fronts are fairly straight forward. None of them come prepacked, so you will have to pack them. You will need a punch or a sharp chisel to get the cones out of the front hubs.
The rears are a bit more involved. You will need a press to change them. If you don't have access to one, it may be easier to take the axles out and take them to a bearing place to have them removed and pressed on, they should only charge you $10-$15 per axle.

[DANNY8]

I bought some new front wheel bearings for my VK the other day. Cost about $24 for both sets. And yeah like Abba said they ain't prepacked.

I rekon for the fronts u can just use a big ass socket, or a round piece of steel that fits over the top of the bearing cone in the rotor, then bang it out. And same again to put the new ones in.

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

Getting it out has to be done through the opposite side of the rotor. You need to hit it out from the back. The cone sits up against a seat in the rotor and this has two slots in it where you can get a punch or a chisel and knock it out. Putting it in you can do with a socket or a piece of pipe. I grind the outside of the old one down a bit and use that. Also a piece of exhaust pipe is good to do the inside one because not many people have a socket big enough to do that one.

[Wrayza]

If the original bearing cups are ok, with no signs of pitting then save yourself the trouble and just change the bearings over.

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

I wouldn't recommend that. Even a slight discoloration indicates wear, new bearings in old cones will result in faster wear and possible failure.

[immortality]

never run a different outer race then the one the bearing is supplied with, especially with used bearings

[DANNY8]

Wat about if the outer race is new?

My DBA rotors came with outer race's already pressed in.

Just had a look and they're the same bearings as I have bought. The ones I bought are NSK and the ones already pressed in are NSK....so would that be ok use the ones already pressed in?