Outer Limits 4x4 Board

One of my front wheel bearings has crapped itself, and i've never changed em before in the vitara. Can anyone tell me the process and if there's anything special involved? Cause i vaguely remember reading something about having to have a special tool to change them in the vitara?? .....could be wrong though

You can get away with using a hammer & punch but a proper hub spanner is a damn sight easier.


Al

A very simple job just make sure ya do it right and get good bearings and grease.Go to a bearing joint to get them (much cheaper than auto shops even at trade price) and make sure they have a metal 'cage' not plastic. There are bearings with plastic 'cages' floating around auto shops and they don't last long...don't ask how i know this
Also the screws that hold the locking tab can be bl#%dy tight but the corect size screwy and a hammer (impact screw driver trick) makes easy work of them without any chance of rounding the heads..
And a hub spanner would be nice but you don't need one and shouldn't damage anything using unconventional methods...

antt wrote:One of my front wheel bearings has crapped itself, and i've never changed em before in the vitara. Can anyone tell me the process and if there's anything special involved? Cause i vaguely remember reading something about having to have a special tool to change them in the vitara?? .....could be wrong though

Is there anything of those damn Vits that doesn't break?


I haven't broke anything on my zook in 2 years!

much like grimbo, its pretty hard to break shiat when its parked on level concrete in the shed damo

antt wrote:much like grimbo, its pretty hard to break shiat when its parked on level concrete in the shed damo

The concrete isn't quite level, it's sloped to encourage water drainage.

Can't have my tyres getting damaged by sitting in puddles of water now can I

Found this guide on the net. Thought I'd paste it in here as this is in the bible, but doesn't tell you how to do the wheel bearings.

Raise the front of the car and put it on chassis stands
Remove the wheel
Unbolt the brake caliper and tie it upout of the way
Unbolt the caliper carrier off the back of the stub axle
Remove the brake disc (might need a bit of a tap to loosen it off the wheel studs)
Make sure the freewheel hubs are in the unlock position and mark the outer cover against the freewheel hub so it will go on the same position when you put it back together)
Remove the outer cover off the freewheel hub
Remove the freewheel hub off the wheel hub
Remove circlip off the stub axle
Remove small washer
Remove the lock washer (there will be a number of small phillips head screws that you need to undo and remove, before you round the heads out, use an impact driver to loosen them, or a steel shafted phillips head screwdriver and a hammer)
The bearing nut can be removed with a pin punch and hammer
Remove the flat washer that sits behind the bearing nut
Remove the wheel hub from the car
The outer side of the tapered roller wheel bearing should now fall out
To get the inner side tapered roller wheel bearing out you'll need to remove the two oil seals from the back of the hub (when you get a bearing kit you'll get two new seals to replace these ones) and remove the large circlip as well
Now the hard part, what's left is the outer race of the bearing. This needs to be pressed out of the hub and the new one pressed in. A friend at work had laid weld down on the face of the bearing and he was able to knock it out that way, but it may be easier for you to take both the hub and the new bearing into a garage or mechanical workshop and get them to do it for you. Up to you.
Reassembly is the reverse of the dissassembly with the following exception.
When you get to putting the bearing nut back on, do it up reasonably tight with the pin punch and hammer. Then put the wheel back on to the wheel studs and put a couple of wheel nuts on. Now spin the wheel a few times. If you can feel a rock in the bearings (by rocking the top and bottom of the tyre) then you'll need to keep tightening the wheel bearing nut. When it's done up, you should be able to spin the wheel and have it stop after a couple of revs. If it freewheels for a while, then it's probably still too loose.
Oh, and put a bit of extra grease in the new bearings before you put them in, not too much just a little bit more than what they come with.

Can someone tell me what I should be doing next?

I have removed everything I think I can. I couldn't manage to get the Disc off like the guide said above.

here is where I am up to, I can't see how I can pull anything more apart?



Cheers
Chris

Firstly , it looks like you have removed the circlip off the spine. If so put it back on.
Useing a pin punch or centre punch remove the lock nut ( that's the thing with holes in it ) by hitting it anticlockwise. I could be very tight or easy to remove. I had use a big ballpien hammer on mine and really hitting it hard. My other side was finger tight.
Remove the washer behind the nut and the hub should pull off by hand. There again one side of mine needed a gentle persuasion.
Once off,one side of the bearing will fall out , . To remove the other side, flip the hub on the bench with the rear seals facing up. Gently remove the inner seal with a flat bladed screw driver and the outter seal gently tap off with a hammer.You should see a large circlip.
Remove the circlip and the bearing will fall out
If your just regreasing leave the outter race.
If you want to change your bearings , then take your hub with the roller bearings to a workshop to remove the outter race. Get them to press the new one in as well. Just note the new bearing will already be greased, and shoudn't need any more. Ask the mechanic if your not sure while he's pressing them in.
When back at home ,put the circlip back in and don't forget to put the washer in first. Before you put the seals on, pack that area with grease .Put the new seals in ,tapping them gently in with a hammer . Place a bit timber on the seal so you don't damage it.
Before you put the hub back on clean thoughly the axle stub .Smear a bit of grease where the seals rest against, and a little over the stub.Place your hub back on.
Replce the thrust washer and then screw the lock nut on.
Tighten 150 foot pounds.
You should know the rest.
If you have an email address I can send you detailed photo's , just pm me.

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alright thanks I will get the nut off tonight

Hi eXc

Sent you some emails. hope they help.

Thanks!