front wheel bearings

[fredo2121]

Hi i want to swap out the front bearings on my 89 festiva but reading thru the posts i have a few questions..
1. when removing the rotor to remove the wheel bearings do i simply remove the caliper or are their any other components to remove.
2. are both the inner and outer bearings on the rotor.
3. after removing bearings and cleaning and turning the rotor can i freeze the bearings to shrink them and heat the rotor to expand it so the bearings will slip in.
4. do i have to grease the bearings first making question 3 unlikely.

I want to know if this is all worth it or should i just take it to my mechanic which quoted me 160.00 for each side that includes parts, labor and turning of the rotors....

[mechanicaldj]

do you have an aspire or a festiva?


festivas you must press off the hub first before the rotor can be removed

the aspire, the rotor can be removed before servicing the bearings

[fredo2121]

i have a festiva....is pressing off the rotor a difficult task for a do-it your project.....does it require special tools???

[milehighbear]

Ok, don't know if this will help you but Sam 1956 came up with this, hope you can do it. I did it another way but this shows you that you have to drive the rotor off the spindle in order to get to bearings. I did it another way that i learned because we use to do it on later model cars back in 60's and 70's. You need a press to put them back on. If you can afford it, take spindle, rotor and bearings to mechanic and have them press them on. When you do take them apart, do not lose the spacer that goes between the bearings. If you need more help, pm me and i'll try to help you.

On-The-Fly Festiva Hub Separator: The Movie

http://s225.photobucket.com/albums/d...paratorvid.flv

And of course, some pics....

Ready for Blast off?

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/100_3369.jpg

V8Festiva giving it all he's got & Barbara moves to safety.

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/100_3371.jpg

Sam.1956's turn now

http://s225.photobucket.com/albums/d...t=100_3373.jpg

Dang! It actually worked!

http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...s/100_3375.jpg

__________________

[GenevaDirt]

I want to know if this is all worth it or should i just take it to my mechanic which quoted me 160.00 for each side that includes parts, labor and turning of the rotors....

Man...that sounds extreme to me...I would contact another mechanic and see what they say.

As far as doing it yourself, there are ways around everything. All a matter of what you have at your disposal and how mechanically inclined you are. Paying is the way to go for some....but that is a lot of money you are being quoted.

[Festarossa]

I'm having the same problem.. Getting those rotors to break loose from the hub is almost IMPOSSIBLE!! I wonder if Autozone or Napa will let you rent a press?? If not, how much does a press cost? Is that what it's called? "A press" or a Brake press? Are all "presses" universal or do I need to specify the year/make/model? Please advise.. Thanks.

[sam.1956]

V8Festiva and I bought a Harbor Freight 12 ton press for about $135 bucks, specifically to do our front wheel bearings (after we figured out that our Redneck Bearing Separator wouldn't do squat for pressing stuff BACK together!) The press works to both pop the hub apart and also back together. Suggest you also get the bearing/seal press kit (Harbor Freight) OR have a good selection of big sockets to use while pressing stuff together. BE CAREFUL with the press. 12 tons of pressure can ruin a bearing, seal or hub if you get things skewed around much. Also have some length of towing chain & some bolts for rigging up to pop stuff apart.

If in doubt, get help!

[Festarossa]

Well, I just figured out that there are 4 bolts holding the rotor and hub together. After removing the bolts, the rotor & hub came apart pretty easily. I had a harder time removing the hub & rotor off the half-shaft itself after removing the 29mm half-shaft nut. That took a while along with plenty of elbow grease & PB-Blaster. The bearings were just changed less than 1 year ago. I'm only replacing the rotors and pads since I have MEGA brake pedal pulsation!!

[mr badwrench]

I was quoted over $300 to do the front wheel bearings on my 93 Festiva. I've done it on an 89 a few years ago and with all I've got going on right now I thought I'd let someone else do it. Hmmm, maybe I'll tackle this one too.... I've got access to a press this time (I only had a humongus vise attached to an even more humongus steel table last time). I remember that I did a lot of head scratching and cursing (it took a lot of shampoo to get all that grease out afterward). I'm hoping I can remember just how it all worked (my memory is good, just really short). I seem to recall using a large bolt and washers to pull things back together and "preload". I'll let you know how it goes if I still have my sanity when I'm done.

[WmWatt]

Some of the videos are no longer available. It would help if there were photos or diagrams showing how the entire assembly fits together so people know what to expect. I'm about to start disassembling the spare front wheels I bought. Once I get them all apart I plan to lay everything out and take a photo or two showing all the parts. Once I get them all apart.

[festivaWES]

I'm gonna tell you how to do it wihtout a press:

Take the whole spindle off the vehicle, remove axle shaft, lower control arm, tie rod end, brakeline, strut.

Now that you have it off the vehicle remove the caliper 2 bolts, Use a seal puller, or a screwdiver, or anything for that matter to pull the inner wheel bearing seal. Next you'll see the bearing itself and the sleeve from the hub that it is pressed onto. Take a socket as big as the outside diamter of the hub, place it on top and hit it as if were a punch. I recomend using cheap sockets..not craftsman/snap-on/Mac.....

When i did mine i just place the spindle on my lap and hit it, you can use some block of wood or whatnot to lift the hub off the ground since that is the part you are wanting to remove.

After you have accomplished that easy task you can now seperate the spindle form the hub with the rotor attached to it. With the spindle set aside you have access to the bolts that hold the rotor on the hub. 14mm (4). Remove those, set the rotor side.

To remove the outer bearing you could use a vise and place the outer bearing in it clamping it down. Hitting the back of the hub again forcing the hub out of the center of the outer bearing.

If hubs have hotspots real bad replace them. If wear is minimal re-use. Buy new inner/outer bearings and seals. Clean spindle, hub with degreaser. Tose the hub into the freezer for the night freezing, contracting the metal. The next day take your bearings throw those in the oven..preheat to 200 let bearings stand in there for aleast 5 minutes to expand.

In the freezing time frame have your spindle clean painted and lube the center races where the wheel bearing sits with new grease. With the remaining parts from the oven/freezer re-assemble the hub, outter seal/dustcap, outter bearing, bearing spacer, spindle, inner bearing. Remember to pack the grease well in the bearings before re-assembly, wear gloves for inner/outer bearings.

Everything should slide right on with no pressing involved, let the assembly cool then install the inner wheel bearing seal.

I'm doing mine this week, I'll take pictures for referance.

[JPT]

I'm gonna tell you how to do it wihtout a press

...Everything should slide right on with no pressing involved, let the assembly cool then install the inner wheel bearing seal.

I'm doing mine this week, I'll take pictures for referance.

I'm looking forward to this. I'll be doing this to some Aspire pieces and I hope it works like you describe.

[TominMO]

Toss the hub into the freezer for the night freezing, contracting the metal. The next day take your bearings throw those in the oven..preheat to 200 let bearings stand in there for aleast 5 minutes to expand.

When I did my rear bearings, I did just the opposite. I froze the bearing race to compress it, and heated the brake drum to expand it. Would it be different for the front bearings?

[festivaWES]

Why would you contract something that has to slide over a hub? Doesn't make sense. Further more rear wheel bearings don't need to be pressed on. They slide right on anyways, and the stake nut holds it in place.