Wheel bearings are hard
 

I've got the tool hooked up, and dang it is hard. I've been down there all day getting to this point so I am going to take a break until tomorrow.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1460249645.jpg

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1460249856.jpg

If anybody sees anything I missed, holler ;) or if it is just hard, tell me to suck it up. I may go get a 22mm(or whatever size, I have to refresh my memory) 1/2 drive socket so I can use my big breaker bar.

Steve,
I am really sorry for you... I replaced my bearings a few months ago and still sore....

First, the tool that you are using is not the right one, to get the spindle out with the inner bearing race you will need to borrow (Autozone or Kragen) a 5lb sledge hammer, the smaller won't do it, you also need the adapter that bolts into the wheel studs.

I had to borrow from Autozone the sledge hammer and also a puller (adapter) and use them together as the holes on the sledge hammer are too close together and you need to space them so the hub comes straight.

Once you separate the bearing, you will need a dremel to cutb a slot on the inner race so you can split them.

Good luck, (and I am feel for you)

Another approach might be to use my original lug bolts and use them to press out the hub.

I think the tool I am using is right, I just need to rest up a little and get back to it tomorrow.

O'Reilly has the slide hammer/puller thingy if I get to desperate.

I saw a video, otc hub grappler, for use with an impact gun ;)

Be sure to lube the the threads on your tool, Steve, and also lube the washer. Moly cv joint grease (the dark gray/black stuff) works great as an extreme-pressure grease for this sort of application. Also, if the threads are dirty with old grease, you could try cleaning them and re-greasing.

I wonder if spraying some penetrating fluid in the gearing race crack might help.

I've done wheel bearings on other cars but not yet on the Porsche. And, yes, getting more torque with a longer lever/breaker bar could also make it go much easier.

If worst comes to worst, I suppose you could also remove the hub(s) from the car, and take it to a shop with a hydraulic press.

Hope this helps, and best of luck!

I lubed the tool with a little redline CV-2 grease. I am hoping not to have to remove the carrier but at this point only the strut is holding it up ;) I don't want to disconnect the ebrake ;)

Ok... Thought. Maybe my backing plate is too big and I am trying to pull out the hub and bearing together which is a no go since there is a plate capturing the bearing in front? Looking at the directions again I saw where it looked like the big nut on the end was used by itself with no backing plate to draw the hub out. I'm headed back to the internet to watch video and reread the various sources and instructions again...

ST_B90_Instructions

No backing plate for hub extraction... Doh...

Go to page six, the anchor isn't working for some reason...

LOL!
i was about to tell you that. as i was going over my pics and re-sizing them, i noticed i did not use the plate. use the method as described in page one.

not the best pic, but clearly without the plate. use only part#2

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1460258181.jpg

No wonder it was so hard for me, glad I stopped ;)

Steve, hopefully the video works, it shows my son helping me with the sledge hammer on the last bearing as my back took a vacation...

https://www.facebook.com/gilles.deprevoisin.3/videos/10207381200081047/

i updated my old thread, so have a look and don't hesitate to give me a call if needed.
just don't forget the retaining plate :eek:

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1460289026.jpg

Much easier now that the tool is correctly configured, you can see the ball bearings peeking out.

I think I have to remove one of tge wheel studs to finish the extraction, I need to anyway to adjust the parking brake when I put it all back together.

I'm stopping for now because we are going to church now, for my cousin's granddaughter baby dedication.

Meir,
I also forgot the retaining plate and had to remove the brand new bearing with the sledge hammer...

Then I installed the bearings with the magnetic strip outside and had to remove them again.. to make a long story short I had to buy seven bearings to replace the four corners... "famous wrong moves"

It was was bear of a job (for me anyway..) not technical, just plain hard.. I am glad it's over

Magnetic strip, Gilles do you have a 987? I wasn't aware we had a strip. Is that why we are to install the number side facing the hub? I though the teeth on the axle did all the speed/abs/tc sensing.

Great thread, I know I'm eventually due for this and wishing I wasn't.

Just curious. Why is it that the rear bearings are always changed and not the front?

Steve.
Don't remove any wheel studs. Spin the hub or position the horseshoe sideways to get clearance.
Anyway, it looks like you are few threads away.

I guess it has to do with the fact that this is the driving Axle, and the tires are much bigger. Don't know about you, but I just love going hard into a corner :dance:
I can just imagine what the poor bearings have to go thru every time I'm doing that :D:D:D

This us defenetly a jub, the require a lot of patients and attention to details.
I thing that the fact it also requires physical effort, makes you loos it when you get tired.
Add to that the lack of detailed instructions online, and the chance of making a mistake is pretty high.
Next time, I definetly need to make a video.

Steve, yes I have an 07 Cayman S (a Boxter w/roof..lol)

The first time I installed the rear bearings the PSM freaked out and JFP kindly asked "did you installed the bearing with the magnetic sensor facing the right way..?"

One side of the bearing has a magnetic strip that the sensor uses for the ABS, and Pelican sells you a gizmo for it, but someone on the forum recommended to use a thin metal strip and I used a small engineers ruler (the kind they give away at the trade shows) and is very easy to find which side is the magnetic one.

Please note that you should remove the sensor before removing the bearing because is very easy to break and it costs about $100...

Good luck with your project, it will be a nice workout...

Good point, I will remove the sensor, it is still on, I would hate to break it...

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1460318209.jpg

Bearing 1 installed... With the retainer plate loosely on so I don't forget ;)

Now to pull the inner race off the hub.

Good job Steve.
You can tighten the plate if you wish, as it doesn't need to be removed for the rest of the process. :cheers:

I was too lazy to go upstairs and look up the torque spec so I left it loose ;)

Edit: 37nm/27 ft/lbs for those that may come upon this thread at a later date... :)

Question :

What year did the boxster come out with lug studs? My 01s uses bolts I think....

Sent from my LG-D852 using Tapatalk

I can't lie, I like to test how fast I can go into a corner without breaking the rear end loose ;)

By the way, great job Steve! always good seeing another boxster owner DIY.:cheers:

None :) I added these studs, I used these:

M14x1.5 ACS Race Series Studs — Track-Studs.com

I used the 65 MM ones. I may get the 80s - the 65mm is perfect for the Boxster S twist wheels, but on the Carrera twist wheels for Boxster, the lugs are more deeply recessed and it is a little more finicky to get the lug nut started... Once I get it started, using the socket by hand, then I zip them the rest of the way on using my battery powered impact gun. There are plenty of threads left over, it is just getting the nut started is a little finicky. But not to the point of shelling out extra money to get 10 new studs for the backs... :)

It does make it a little more convenient when I am taking wheels on and off all the time.

That vendor runs free shipping specials from time to time on rennlist, if you search for his threads and look at the recent ones you will find it, user name ApexComp. Unsure if there is one going on now.

I love it! Without the DIY I would probably go broke... But now if I do a job like this, even though the parts may be pricy, think about how much $$$ I am saving :)

This is great! Since I have 92k on clock I expect this job is in the near future. I am wondering where one would rent the SIR tool, at $660 It is too pricey to use once and throw into my tool kit!

I was lucky borrowed from a friend (and I can't speak for him) but now that I have done one, I bet I could use the harbor freight kit or one of the bearing kits from the tool loaner program from some auto part stores. There is also a guy selling a tool that does 944 bearings for around $100 that I think could do the fronts of an "S" and all 4 corners of a base.

http://www.arnnworx.com/BearingTool1.htm

I'll post some links tomorrow and more info as it is hard to type on my phone.

I never did get the inner race off the hub so my son took it to a friend that runs a shop and he pulled it off for me ;) he's going to do the other 3 later this week ;)

Steve,

I cut a diagonal slot on the inner bearing race with a dremel tool (got the idea from a picture I saw here), and afterwards it's very easy to remove it from the hub..

BTW you are right, I bought a HF puller kit and it has all the sizes you need (for about $100)

Shoot me a PM when you will need the tool.

So far here is a list of possible ways/tools to remove and replace our wheel bearings:

These all have some things in common:

• You can do the backs leaving the wheel carrier on the car if your tool is portable
• You have to remove the front wheel carrier from the strut since the strut blocks access to the back of the stub axle - I haven't gotten to these yet so I can't confirm this with first-hand knowledge.
• You have to use something to get the inner bearing race off the hub after you pull it. Maybe this? Bearing Separator and Puller Set Also see Mier's thread below. And Gilles has a method for cutting it off as well.

SIR B90-P

• Can pull the hub
• Can pull the old bearing
• Can press the new bearing
• Can press the hub

See Mier's excellent thread: http://986forum.com/forums/performance-technical-chat/59852-rear-wheel-bearing.html

Hydraulic shop press

• All wheel carriers must come off the car
• Hassle disconnecting the ebrake cable from inside
• Can press out the hub
• Can press out the old bearing
• Can press the new bearing
• Can press the hub

See Timco's excellent thread: http://986forum.com/forums/performance-technical-chat/43638-wheel-bearing-tutorial-us-simple-guys.html

Harbor Freight FWD Bearing service kit - ~$119
FWD Front Wheel Bearing Adapters

• You have to do something else to pull the hub. One was is to get some long bolts that match the lug bolts and use 3 of them to press back on the carrier and pull the hub. See this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4PK1jXhppE
• Can pull the old bearing
• Can press the new bearing
• Can press the hub

OTC Grappler: https://www.otctools.com/products/otc-hub-grappler%E2%84%A2
Looks pretty cool :) Can do all the stuff the SIR tool can do. And supposedly supports impact guns.

Edit: looks like you can buy just the puller for a little over $100 and use it in conjunction with something like the HF wheel bearing kit, see how this guy does it in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ-5UGr3DMk

Arnnworks 944 Bearing hub tool: ~$98 Bearing Tool

• You have to do something else to pull the hub. One way is to get some long bolts that match the lug bolts and use 3 of them to press back on the carrier and pull the hub. See this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4PK1jXhppE
• Can pull the old bearing
• Can press the new bearing
• Can press the hub

Does it work on the Boxster? On their compatibility chart it seems to say it works on the rears but it list the fronts of a 2001 996 as well. It only has 1 size insertion disc which I bet is sized to the fronts on an S and to all 4 corners on a base.

Edit: I emailed Bruce to see what size the pressing adapter plate is. Also it looks like his tool uses a 944 axle nut washer for the smallest size adapter for backing the inner race when pressing in the hub, that would have to be sourced from somewhere

Edit 2: Got replay from Bruce, sounds like the tool would work for both base and S bearing, the installation plate is 78mm, slightly larger than our fronts, but since that bearing is mounted flush to the wheel carrier, sounds like that would be no problem.

I think the base Boxster has the same bearing at all 4 corners. Here is a link (I don't recommend this brand for Boxster wheel bearings, heard nothing but bad, but it does include size specs)

ELECTRONIC CATALOG - LOOKUP BY APPLICATION

Using a 2000 as an example
Front: 412.90000 OD 75mm ID 42mm Width 37mm
Rear base: same as front
Rear S: 412.90003 OD 80mm ID 42mm Width 42mm

So the rear S bearing is 5mm larger OD and 5mm wider.

Pulling the bearing and pulling pressing the hub would share the same size adapters. Only with pressing in the bearing, you might need a slightly larger adapter to press the outer race of the S rear bearing. However, the Sir B90-P tool I am using appears to use the same adapter for pressing both front and rear (I haven't done the fronts yet). And the HF FWD kit doesn't list the adapters. Possibly a large heavy dury washer in front of a smaller adapter could work?

Maybe we can make a new thread and folks that have done their wheel bearings can add on to it?

Thanks Meir!

Chatted with Bruce at arnnworx and it sounds like his $98 tool would work to extract and install both fronts and backs for a base or S boxster. More details to come. He can also cut a different size extraction or insertion plate for an extra $20 - I'm going to see if he can just make a kit for the Boxster, maybe one of us can test it for him? Not me since mine will already be installed by then :)

He is the MAN!

Wow Steve.
That's what I call homework :D
Brilliant post, with a lot of valuable information.
I never got to do the fronts, but I'm sure I will need to somtime in the future.

Does his tool make it easier than it would be with the sir tool?

It would be roughly the same as the SIR tool with one major difference - the SIR tool can pull the hub, the Arnnworx tool cannot pull the hub, you would have to find a way to do that, such as a slide hammer or using bolts threaded through the hub to press on the wheel carrier and push the hub back out.

So I guess the big question is, is the sir tool worth the extra cost for that feature?