replacing wheel bearings

[markcorinna]

HI, I am about to take on the task of replacing front wheel bearings on my VT.
Does anyone have advice on how to do this or a link to step by step instructions?
thank you
Mark

[accentstencil]

You can't replace the front wheel bearings like you can in earlier moodels. You will need to buy the complete hub assembly and they are quite expensive, so unless the bearings are definitely gone don't bother wasting money. Unlike the older commodores where you can replace the bearings for about $20 just for the hell of it.

[Ripcell]

they are around 300 for the 2, i had to do mine not long ago

[spirto]

your best bet is to get second hand or e-gay...
to replace them is easy enough.

now I don't know how much detail you need so just go with the flow.

1. Loosen wheel nuts
2. Jack up car
3. Put a safety jack or bricks under chasis to support
4. Remove wheel
5. Remove Brake calipar
6. Remove floating disc rotor
7. spin wheel, so that you can see more of the back of the king pin.
8. if it has abs, remove the little abs probe, small 8 mm socket (from memory)
9. remove the 4 alan key bolts, if they are stubborn(as they have loctite) give them a tap with a hammer it will loosen the threads, (careful not to damage the head of the bolt, so a block of wood or brass hammer is the go.)
10. to fit reverse the order.

hope this helps.
if your in Adelaide I have one or two spare here.
pm' me if interested, I can send them over for a good price.

[jazza15]

your best bet is to get second hand or e-gay...
to replace them is easy enough.

Don't get them second hand, i've bought 3 second hand units from 3 different places, all of which have failed. I don't know if it's because they sit there for a while before they are sold (they cease) or the mere process of taking them off 1 car, where they were settled into and putting them onto a different car. Just don't do it, you will be immediately or eventually (very soon) disapointed.

There are 3 hex bolts. I use an extension bar on mine, don't do this if you have a cheap set of allan keys as they will most likely break as they did for my cheap set.
On a series 2 (6/99 onwards) it is an oval shaped plug that clips in. All I know about the series 1 plug (prior to 6/99) is that it is round.

Good luck, I will be replacing my hubs with new ones soon/one day...

[Gunna Do]

What sort of K's have your cars done when the front bearings were shot?

[markcorinna]

Thank you for all your advice. I got some new SKF's for half price at Repco as they were dropping this brand. My car has done 170,000k's and makes a rough noise from the wheel constantly when I am driving. I had been putting it off but sounds like its a pretty straight forward job.

Another problem I have is the car makes a growling sound (coming from engine) when the car is parked on a slope. Our drive has a slope on it and if I start the car up on it, it makes a growling sound, and on the flat there is no noise. (????)

[accentstencil]

Some tyres can be very loud and sound like a wheel bearing noise so you might want to check that out first.
The growling noise could be a vibration due to worn (sagging) or broken engine mounts causing the sump to hit the crossmember when parked on a slope.

[Spargo]

^^^ Spot on

Get your tyres checked out first before shelling out for new hubs.

[dynoryder]

your best bet is to get second hand or e-gay...
to replace them is easy enough.

now I don't know how much detail you need so just go with the flow.

1. Loosen wheel nuts
2. Jack up car
3. Put a safety jack or bricks under chasis to support
4. Remove wheel
5. Remove Brake calipar
6. Remove floating disc rotor
7. spin wheel, so that you can see more of the back of the king pin.
8. if it has abs, remove the little abs probe, small 8 mm socket (from memory)
9. remove the 4 alan key bolts, if they are stubborn(as they have loctite) give them a tap with a hammer it will loosen the threads, (careful not to damage the head of the bolt, so a block of wood or brass hammer is the go.)
10. to fit reverse the order.

hope this helps.
if your in Adelaide I have one or two spare here.
pm' me if interested, I can send them over for a good price.

it is not the king pin it is the knuckle

the abs is a clip on type for this modle el au ba ect have the 8mm bolt

there are only three allen head bolts (need to put locktight back on when retighting)



edit: when spining hubs try to feel for little notches commy bearings of this type are hard to dignose even for the pros

[markcorinna]

Well, I have started removing the bearings and I am up to the alan key bolts. Does anyone know what size alan key is needed for the bolt? I tried 10mm (too small), and 12mm (too big). I am guessing either 11mm or some imperial size.