i had to do my wheel bearings what a pain!!

[Hot_Wheels]

so comeing back from ohiostiva the festiva rear wheels started squeeking i just figured it had to be the rear wheel bearings the car has 220+k and most of the stuff is orginal so i finally had time yesterday to take it apart what a nightmare!!! well first off i pull the wheel off and i see the drum is loose it wiggles from side to side and its about to fall off! ( i got lucky it made it the whole way home) so i get the hub nut off pull the drum off and the bearing is just eaten alive, metal every where and needle bearings oh my, and i see the outer bearing has seized it self onto the spindle i tried wacking it off heating it up everything finally went to the parts store and got a 3 jaw puller it did the trick! i had to sand some burs and scaring on the spindle from the bearing but i celaned it up nicely brake cleaned it and reasembled. the spindle seems ok but i think i want to get a new one the threads where kind of chewed up i think its fine for now i dont plan on doing any long trips but as soon as i get money im going to just do the aspire swap.

[IdealSociety]

in my first festiva i think i went through 3 sets of rear bearing before they finally stopped dying O.O

never did figure out why the 4th set never went to heck...

also never had any problems on the following 5 festivas and 2 aspire swaps! musta just been a bad apple that first one...

i definitly recommend the aspire swap, the bearings have a housing witha pin to keep the nut on, nice safety feature the festiva lacks...

[25Horseplay]

I have to do the rear ones on my red car this week. It has 84,000mis and they are junk.

[GenevaDirt]

Nahhhhhh...just junk the car...I will come over and get it this weekend!

[25Horseplay]

Nahhhhhh...just junk the car...I will come over and get it this weekend!

You are too willing..........................you do't even know what it looks like!

[GenevaDirt]

I don't care....it is a Festy!

[Mammabear]

Don't knock it ,If he's willing..

[mechanic_of_doom]

on my 89. I had to take the drums off to fix the stuck e-brake that had rusted up. and didnt realize the passengers side was left hadn thread...long story short. I had to search for a week to find a spindle in a junkyard worth using. and then the bolts that held it on were broken. so we had to improvize.

but in the end. the Ebrake worked great. Ebrake sliding. and 360 degree spins in the wet were so awesome.

[Sho_tyme_psi]

I have a brand new spindle from ford I would be willing to sell

[Hot_Wheels]

is it a pasanger side? what you looking to get for it?

[Sho_tyme_psi]

To be honest I dont remeber, I will dig it out and check this weekend when I get back to the shop. I would do $30 shipped think that was what I gave for it.

[Sho_tyme_psi]

looked in my inbox and I actually got it from freshtiva. Maybe he can chime in if he remembers

[25Horseplay]

Just be glad its not front wheel bearings!

[gdawgs]

One of the reasons rear bearings tend to go out often for some people is that they over tighten the spindle nut.

[IdealSociety]

yeah i think thats what i did on mine...

then i finally read the book and seen the break in procedures and whatnot... turning the drum as you tighten to the correct torque if i remember right? i havent done those in a couple years.