SIR Wheel Bearing tool to borrow/rent in Baltimore?
 

I recently purchased a 2003 Porsche Boxster S with 64k on it and I have to replace a rear wheel bearing. I know the best tool for the job is the SIRB90-P2 Hub/Bearing Extractor and Installer Kit, but i do not want to pay $300 after shipping to own a tool i will (hopefully) only use once. Is there anyone in the Baltimore area (Reisterstown specifically) that can let me borrow/rent it for a few hours to get this job done? I have been searching everywhere and my only option seems to be that I have to buy it outright. I would love to be able to avoid this if i can. My only other option is to pull out the whole wheel carrier and take it to my local porsche mechanic and have him extract it and install a new one and I would really like to avoid this as well b/c it adds extra work on my end that could be avoided if i had the right tool. And my mechanic is reluctant to letting me or anyone borrow his bearing extractor/installer; which i cant blame him for.

On another note, this site is great. It has saved me soo much time and money so far. If not for this site, I probably would still be trying to pull the axles out that I had to rebuild a few weeks ago!

Well, one bit of advice:

If you do wind up having to buy the tool, you might as well spend the extra $20 per bearing, and replace all 4 at the same time. Then you can sell the tool and not ever need to have it kicking around again.

BC.

I have thought of that, and it is a good idea. But I come from the school of thought that says "if it ain't broke don't fix it." the other bearings are fine so I wasnt going to mess with them. I just dont have the time to fix something that isnt broken. If it comes down to it, I am going to pull the whole wheel carrier and have my mechanic pull it and press in the new one.

Where are you getting bearings for $20 each!?! The rear bearings on an 03 S are different from a non-S and cost about $10 more. Everywhere I have looked has fronts for around $40 and rears for around $50.

Do you have an "Advanced Auto Parts" in your area? They lend out a lot of car mechanics tools including wheel bearing tools... of course you leave a credit card number as a security deposit but its usually free of charge.

In the spring we borrowed a pair from them in use when we replaced my entire suspension and upgraded the brakes.

Just my .02

Good luck!

I have a 2000 boxster that needed a bearing replaced. After looking into what it took to do it, I just took it to a shop down in silver springs and had them do it. It seemed way too involved for me to do.

Good luck though.

I actually havean Advance Auto less than a mile from my house, but I checked what they had last night and I wasnt confident it would work to get the bearing out. All they seemed to have was a clutch bearing puller and a wheel hub puller (which i guess i could use to get the hub off).

I have used their rental tools before on my old trailblazer with pretty good success. It is a great program they have going for essentially "borrowing" tools no one in a position similar to mine really wants to buy.

I know you said you used their tools to upgrade your suspension, but did you use some of their tools to do the rear wheel bearings? If so, do you happen to remember what tools specifically you rented; i.e. part number, name, etc, to get the bearing out and press back in?

Thanks!

If you are going to do it your self...
 

Check out the write up I did when I did mine a ways back, its on the boxster wiki...


http://boxster.wikia.com/wiki/Wheel_Bearing_Change


Steve

For the love of me, I can't remember which ones I got. I did replace the bearings, it was a PITA, but me and my father managed to do it.

Im going to go wrack my brain some more and see if I can remember anything.