Mk4 wheel bearings

[MechEngg]

Re: Mk4 wheel bearings

I just ordered a mk4 wheel bearing kit etc so that i can do it next weekend. I had extremely bad vibrations from 100-120 km/h and it went away with heavy loading and is not a drivetrain issue so my best guess was bearings, plus they need to be changed soon anyways with the stiffened roads, 35 series tires and 15mm spacers.

Let me know what they find out on your car and if not just get two bearings and ill let ya borrow the changing kit.

[Khyron]

Re: Mk4 wheel bearings

Would it be possible to mistake dying wheel bearings for tire noise? I'm at 160K on original bearings and I swear my wheels are a lot noiser than I remember (but they are also wearing, so who knows)

[blackradon]

Re: Mk4 wheel bearings

Let me know what they find out on your car and if not just get two bearings and ill let ya borrow the changing kit.

What does this kit have with it? I'm doing mine too. Maybe rent it out too me to for a weekend when you guys are done with it? Just a thought.

[Natty54]

Re: Mk4 wheel bearings

For those of you changing your bearings. PM me for a good price!

[Talluer]

Re: Mk4 wheel bearings

The shake got WAY worse today going to and from school, she goes in on Monday. Let's hope it makes it through the weekend before something blows up.

[Benjamin]

Re: Mk4 wheel bearings

Check your wheel bolts and the main 30 mm 12 point axle nut and make sure they are all tight. Loosing a wheel on the deerfoot will probably mean the end of the car and maybe you depending on how it goes down.
In terms of wheel bearings its all in the tools that you use. I have done wheel bearings removing the hub and getting it pressed in. It works, but you have to get an alignment after which is another $100-200 on top. If your alignment is already out then you might as well go this way.
If you have $500 kicking around you could buy the tool mentioned above that allows you to do the job without removing the hub. Saves the alignment and makes the job way easier, but of course you paid for it. The rental tools are universal and should work, but won't work or fit as well as the VW/Audi specific tool.
Have fun, the job is not crazy hard, but corroded bolts can make the day a lot worse real quick.

Benjamin

[MechEngg]

Re: Mk4 wheel bearings

Every bolt in my subframe/suspension assembly has already been swapped out this summer with the projects i have been up to so i know my way around there easily. The axles have been out and about more times than i care to think haha. But i am definitely willing to lend out the kit to someone if they want to do this themselves. The bearing kits are decently cheap (dont want to put a price for specific reasons) and that is basically all you need, plus the kit and a slide hammer for removing the hubs.

Regardless i feel confident that i can replace them, the first job i ever did on my car was the timing belt haha

[Talluer]

Re: Mk4 wheel bearings

It was the inner tie rod, had it replaced and an alignment done. They screwed up the first alignment and my steering wheel was turned, they re did it and now the car slowly drifts to the right. How picky should I be about alignments? Should I take it back in?

Oh and I have a steering wheel vibration at around 100-120kmh. I'm going to remount the wheels tomorrow, I'm thinking they might not be centered but thats hard to do when the spacers are hubcentric.

[Natty54]

Re: Mk4 wheel bearings

If it was my car I would take it back. That just gets annoying.

As for the vibration. When was the last time you balanced the wheels?

[Talluer]

Re: Mk4 wheel bearings

If it was my car I would take it back. That just gets annoying.

As for the vibration. When was the last time you balanced the wheels?

When they were mounted last year, they are winters on steelies.

[Natty54]

Re: Mk4 wheel bearings

They could need to be balanced, or another good possibility is that the shop missed something and there is still something causing play.

the tires themselves could be causing an issue if they are aggressive, damaged or if a rim is bent

[nismodrifter]

Re: Mk4 wheel bearings

Did my driver front yesterday. Rented the slide hammer + bearing puller/presser tool from Canadian Tire (costs nothing, keep it for 3 days).

Job was a pain in the buttocks. The slide hammer did work, but took about 200+ hits along with intermittent use of that bearing puller tool. Once I had the hub out I was able to nicely WD40 the outer race and get that out in about 30mins with the slide hammer. On the hub I grinded a nice line into the inner race, and then smacked it with a chisel...this cracked the inner race and it came off in a second.

Reinstall was also a pain. I put the new bearing in a freezer for a couple hours and then began heating the hub. Hub was nice and toasty so I put a good coat of grease on the bearing and got ready for install. It got 99% in very easily but I still could not see the groove for the C-ring. Pulled out the bearing presser and with some muscle it finally sat proper and the job could continue.

Total time = Approx 10hrs. fark. not fun.

[onepointeightdub]

Re: Mk4 wheel bearings

sounds like the kind of work I'd rather pay a shop to do..

[TheDiggler]

Re: Mk4 wheel bearings

Keep in mind that they just went through an ownership change.

I'd say take it to tunedub.

Are you referring to Chris or is there a new new owner now? Chris is has been great to deal with when I was there a couple times.

[Stonewall]

Re: Mk4 wheel bearings

[QUOTE=nismodrifter;249907Total time = Approx 10hrs. fark. not fun.[/QUOTE] Ouch you should have had the kit I had, no slide hammering at all and I had it done in a couple hours.