Wheel bearings - Which tools?

Looking to replace the wheel bearings (front and rear) on my 996 C2. One rear and one front bearing is a bit grumpy, so I've decided to do them all whilst the car is stored this winter. I've read (and watched) various guides, but what's the recommend tools for the job? Sir tools B90 is mentioned quite a bit , however seems rather $$$$ (not sure if that kit it can do the front as well?). Do I need a press (or have a shop press the bearings in?). Keen to hear from some fellow DIY'ers who've done it. Thanks

Here's how I did that. 1) remove upright from car 2) use 20-ton press to press out the hub, which takes 1/2 the bearing with it. 3) remove the 4 bolts and the bearing retaining plate from the upright 4) heat the upright to about 200-250 degrees F 5) press out the remains of the bearing in the upright 6) using a bearing separator pull remains of the bearing off the hub 7) heat the now-empty upright to 200-250 F. 8) press the new bearing into the upright. Press only on the OUTER bearing shell 9) install the bearing retainer plate with loctite 242 on the screws 10) press the hub into the new bearing. Support the bearing on the INNER race only 11) reinstall and align If the bearings have never been off you will likely not be able to budge them with a small puller. My 20-ton press creaked and groaned before the bearings came out. Also heating the aluminum upright is key. I don't know how you can do that on the car.

I did the 2 fronts on mine last spring, using this as a basis : You Tube In reality it was a bit harder since my shocks were seized in the hub but the method definitely works. All tools from Amazon: Amazon Amazon Amazon Amazon I don't think you can go any cheaper than this to be honest

I had to make a custom device to push the axle out of the hub on the rear. (Axles pushed out easily on the front of my C4S). No way was a slide hammer going to work. I bent a 20 ton 3 jaw puller, stripped the threads, and pancaked an M14 nut I was using to protect the axle. Didn't budge. Nothing. Custom worked! 1 inch thick steel. M14 bolts into each of the lug holes. Put nuts on the backside to relieve pressure off the lug threads. Getting the radius/spacing to match the lug pattern just took care. M24 down the middle, with a nut, as a press. Got to buy a 36mm wrench. That was the worst part of the whole job. After making it, I saw that there is a special Porsche tool for pressing out the axle, referenced in the Bentley manual, that looks similar, and does the same thing! So I'm not crazy! Then I had to press out the hub from the bearing while in the knuckle. Again had to make a custom holder for the knuckle with a bolt to press the hub out. I'm sure with a hydraulic press stand it would be easier. Have pictures, but it's ugly. I used this set to get the half-bearing off of the hub: Amazon Amazon I used the Orion bearing press kit linked above (first link) to press in/out the bearing from the knuckle, and to press the hub back into the bearing. Advantage of my custom presses is that all removal was smooth and straight. No banging or hammering. Definitely took longer to make the tool than to use it though. Moral of the story: Videos of people using slide hammers or tapping things out easily are lying to you. I mean, that certainly happens sometimes, but not all the time! Hope for the best, plan for the worst. EDIT: Ha! Watched the video above. Having the stub axle fall out is comical compared to what I dealt with. Torch, penetrant, sledge, bent puller, crushed/stripped threads, nothing. And generally, my car has no rust. There was a little on the axle splines, which definitely made it worse, but nothing too bad once wire brushed.

I was not able to remove one of my rear axles from the hub. I ended up scrapping the upright, hub, axle assembly. It could not be separated. I heated it with oxyacetylene until the grease in the wheel bearing caught fire. I used a 50-ton press. No way. I feel your pain.

Take a look at the Astro Pneumatic 78825 set, it's been great with my 986 and 987 wheel bearings. -Eric 09 987.2 99 986

50 ton press? Nice. My calculations show that on my tool the x5 grade 8.8 M14 bolts would yield before the 1 grade 12.9 M24, at about 72 tons. I was fully prepared to go until something broke. I expect it was actually going to be my 1/2 inch breaker bar. But then I would have gotten to buy a 1-inch drive breaker bar!! Press tool, as per Bentley. Which I discovered only after my own invention.

see my solution here: https://rennlist.com/forums/996-foru...oval-tool.html

When I see these threads, I'm reminded how much I prefer swapping out wheel bearing hub assemblies (see pictured) instead the integral wheel bearings that are pressed into the carrier like Porsches. Wheel bearing hubs have simple bolts to remove and out she comes.

Quotes source post: 18387553

You clearly don't work on cars in the north east where the bolts have to be drilled out from behind, and then the "rusty bond" needs to be broken to get the hub bearing assembly separated (Audi and Volvo)...... I'll take the Porsches with the hub grappler and the monster Milwaukee impact any day....... Then again, I just moved to AZ, so hopefully those days are behind me...... -Eric 09 987.2 99 986

Quotes source post: 18387655

Be careful judging me for one photo. I currently own three Volvos and sold two recently to friends. Here's an XC60 that spent all of it's life in Pennsylvania. Just replacing the wheel bearing hub. Yea, the salt/sand mixture did a number on this car, but after removing the surface rust, she looked new again. Had to heat the bolt with some blaster and with an impact wrench, the bolts came out. Not for the faint of heart and definitely not as easy as southern cars, but still easier than the Porsche IMHO. Here's a picture before I started the job. That's the old dust shield laying on top of the new one. You can tell how much damage the winter salt/sand mixture ate into the part. Here's the hub after I installed the new dust shield and wheel bearing hub. This is after the rust was removed and before being cleaned up.

I think we've scared off the original poster. He hasn't been back since his question... ...and without supervision, the thread has strayed into extensive pictures of Volvos. I could post pictures of the work I've done on my Mazda!

Nice thing about the hub bearing assembly is that you can't forget to put the bearing "holder" plate with the four bolts on before pressing the hub back in.........

Quotes source posts: 18387699, 18387700

Let me guess... A miata!? Absolutely brotha!

Quotes source post: 18387704

Nothing so exciting; just a Mazda 3 as my daily driver. (But I do have a custom tune that really increased the low end power band, aftermarket lighter wheels with zero scrub radius, and it's manual transmission!!)

I would not want to be a mechanic in the north east, when i see a car that came from up there I do the "finger X" and avoid it like the Plague.. Southern Cars are so nice to work on and last sooooo long.....

I don�t remember seeing anyone mention a torque wrench that can do 340 ft-lbs, but you�ll need that too I believe.

Quotes source post: 18388505

Or, for the DIY method, weigh yourself and calculate how far out you need to stand on a breaker bar. It'll be really close. I used a jack stand to support the socket extension perfectly parallel to the ground while on the axle nut, stood on a stool, and gently applied my weight until it was fully on the breaker bar. No bouncing. Had to get off and reset the socket several times in order to keep the bar as parallel to the ground as possible. Keep your foot centered on the tape, and have something to hold for balance (but don't support weight with arms). e.g. if you weigh 200lbs, then put some tape on a breaker bar at 20.4 inches from the center of the head. (340ft-lb/200lb = 1.7ft *12in/ft = 20.4inches)

True.

Quotes source post: 18388636

In order for you old folks to avoid breaking a hip using this method, I recommend renting a proper torque wrench that can handle high torque values. 👍🏼😎

Have you priced a 400ft lb torque wrench lately, 250 is a cheap one.. and I need it once a decade.. Bugs and Jeeps have been done with breaker bars since the 50's its why I own a 36" long 3/4 breaker bar. I ground marks in it for where to put my foot for each torque value.. Wrapping the handle with anti skid tape doesn't hurt..

That's why he suggested renting as opposed to buying. I find both your 'live torque wrench' and the heads-up suggestion equally helpful and valuable!

I understand the math about standing on the breaker bar but I did this when I replaced my wheel bearings. I wasn't confident so I went to my local Ford Truck dealer and asked if I could rent a torque wrench or pay them to check the torque. They loaned me their mega torque wrench to use in the parking lot. At 340 ft-lbs I got about another 30 degrees of rotation from where I "thought" was 340. Just my experience and solution to the torque wrench issue.

This is all good. So how did you know your bearings were toast?

Quotes source post: 18394656

I my case it was the pop i heard leaving the track at watkins glen. I got real lucky because the shaft snaped too. Only real good way to tell is to spread the pads and spin the hub by hand. It should be very smooth. Also grab the wheel and rock it left to right and up and down. It should have zero play. If it does its either the bearing or a suspension part. Obviously the spindle was toast.

Actually, I thought the rears were bad but turned out to be the tires making the rumble. On the front, I didn't know they were bad but I spun the wheel and heard a rumble.

Quotes source post: 18387699

LOL. I'm back. Thanks for the host of replies! I'll read through them all properly and see what's best for me. Appreciate the replies (not the Volvo hub pics )

Quotes source post: 18394656

Lots of road noise, but when I spin the hub, you can hear the bearing grumble. It sounds very dry.

I just replaced a front bearing and it was not too difficult. I spent maybe 4 hours or so. The video in post #3 is great - you dont have to remove the carrier unless you want to. I will note that I used a chain to hold the spring as opposed to a nylon strap though. I used the Astro Pneumatic Kit 78825 to press the bearing which worked flawlessly. I froze the bearing and got the carrier up to about 130 degrees with a space heater. Appreciate the insight here.

It looks like that spindle was cracked for quite awhile (as indicated by rusted cracked area at bottom). You�re lucky it didn�t let go on the track/at high speed�! Disaster averted 😃👍🙏

Just coming back to this! I did the front wheel bearings this weekend. Loads of snow here in the North, so I've been skiing rather than tinkering with the 996. Anyway, after reading a few threads, watching a few YT clips and looking at the Bentley manual I tackled the job. Everything came apart easily and the bearings pushed out and pulled in easily. Specific tools i used were a bearing puller kit (I bought the Orion 23pc kit from Amazon) and a slider hammer kit. Only took me a few hours all in to do both sides, including remove the full hub assembly. It's cold here, so I gently warmed the hub assembly.

When it comes to enhancing wheel performance, consider upgrading to Ceramic Bearings . Their low friction properties can make a noticeable difference in your driving experience. I recently got mine from Bearing Online Store, a reputable supplier and part of one of the largest independent bearing stockists in the UK. The difference in smoothness and reduced maintenance is striking. Plus, they are known for their durability. If you're seeking improved wheel bearing performance, Ceramic Bearings are definitely worth the investment. Check out Bearing Online Store for options that can suit your needs. Your ride will thank you for it!

Quotes source post: 18995582

I know I'm answering an advertisement, but FYI for any future readers, this linked store doesn't have anything remotely appropriate in size, not to mention any information about load ratings, etc. The bearing from my C4S measures: 44mm Bore, 85mm OD, 47mm width, Inner bore has a ~1.5mm radius chamfer on each side which is needed to fit against the axle shaft or stub. In case it needs to be said, please don't use my measurements to try to source a 3rd party bearing. These are press fit, which means they have tolerances in the 10s of microns, and I did not measure to that level of precision.