Forester rear wheel bearing - can't get the outer casing out - help!

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 7:45 pm

G'day all.

On a mission for a mate - replacing a rear wheel bearing on a 2002 foz. We've got the wheel hub out, all the seals out but can't get the bearing's outer casing to move.

The circlip is removed so there's nothing there to physically hold it in other than the friction of the casing on the hub.

I need to know the best way to move it. We've left it overnight with a G clamp setup with a pot load of force on it hoping it might pop. Once it's moved it'll be easy to get it out the rest of the way.

If we can't get a good idea tonight the hub assembly comes off the car and we find a local joint with a press that can help us out. I really don't want to do this if it can be avoided - I don't want to massively mess with the wheel alignment.

Any tips or tricks appreciated.

Cheers

Bennie

alang · Post by **alang** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 8:41 pm

have you looked at the manual for this some bearing cages need pressing out or cutting off/split to remove

http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/Forester/

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 8:54 pm

alang wrote:have you looked at the manual for this some bearing cages need pressing out or cutting off/split to remove

http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/Forester/

I couldn't access that link.

We've got a web print off of a manual about it. And yes it does say to use a press to get the bearing cage out, but with that said, there have been many things in the manual that says you need a press or a professional to do that I've been able to do without both. I was hoping it'd be the same with this.

Cheers

Bennie

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 11:20 pm

Anyone else got any ideas I should try or that you know you've tried that worked?

Cheers

Bennie

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 8:18 am

Ah well, off comes the whole thing to go to a shop that will hopefully be able to do the job for us...

Cheers

Bennie

Post by **Alex** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 9:14 am

you need a press Bennie. Unfortunately it isnt a l-series. I think the newer subis are made to a finer tolerance.

I had to press my front wheel bearing out when my liberty shat one.

do you have a bottle jack? maybe you could backyard your own press somehow.

alex

alang · Post by **alang** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 11:01 am

this is what you need to do it on the car if you know someone that can make up one even better

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQLge25p ... creen&NR=1

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 2:40 pm

Alex wrote:you need a press Bennie. Unfortunately it isnt a l-series. I think the newer subis are made to a finer tolerance.

In the words of Dave: "yeah no shit!" We removed the rear end and took it to the local mechanic that had some free time. $30 later and we had the old casing out and the new one pressed in with the bearings fitted. It was a good thing that we didn't leave to then put the bearings in and replace the hub at my mates joint - it turned out that the new bearings couldn't be fitted to the inner side with the casing installed - we had to push it out and replace it with the bearing installed as well. The new after market bearing was the roller bearing type, the old one a ball bearing unit which could be removed and replaced with the casing installed.

Very frustrating! But a bit of time and $30 later we were sorted. The install was a piece of piss!

alang wrote:this is what you need to do it on the car if you know someone that can make up one even better

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQLge25p ... creen&NR=1

Thanks alang - we got the hub and it's bearing mounting shaft out easily, it was the outer casing for the bearings that was being the PITA!

Got it out in the end! Gave the press a run for it's money for a little bit!

Cheers

Bennie

Venom · Post by **Venom** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 5:00 pm

I've always taken the hubs to a shop with a new bearing in a box to be fitted, i fkn hate getting grease everywhere and to me $30 is worth making it someone elses mess

Smokey · Post by **Smokey** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 6:25 pm

$30 ur kidding thats great. I was charged $70 by a local joint to press in some inner bushes on the L Control arms. Arms were out and part supplied...

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 8:13 pm

Venom wrote:I've always taken the hubs to a shop with a new bearing in a box to be fitted, i fkn hate getting grease everywhere and to me $30 is worth making it someone elses mess

Well, we still did all the grease thing... But the press made it super easy. I also found out today that dad's keen to make one

But if you want to use it you'll be waiting a few years...

Smokey wrote:$30 ur kidding thats great. I was charged $70 by a local joint to press in some inner bushes on the L Control arms. Arms were out and part supplied...

Yeah we were there while he did it - bit of a group effort actually. Good fella too which made things a pot load easier!

Cheers

Bennie