| Re: Pumpkin swap/u-joints/wheel bearings/suspension junk (PICS!) |
Subject: Re: Pumpkin swap/u-joints/wheel bearings/suspension junk (PICS!) by Matatk on 2009/4/26 3:25:12 Well, I had a few hours after dinner to tinker so I decided to tackle the wheel bearings. I ordered a set of NOS bearings from corvette recycling and got the new washers from the dealer. I used the steps in the FSM, but to be honest with you I didn't think it was the best method, so I modified it a bit. This was due to trial and error. I will post my procedure below. Also note that since I already have my half shafts removed along with other suspension components, some things will not really apply to you if only doing wheel bearings and nothing else (ie, the wheel bearings will not rotate if the shaft is attached and in gear). First step is to remove the wheel (obviously). Since I already have the car jacked up, wheels off, much of the suspension removed I was ahead of the game. FSM also said you have to unfasten the spring to do this job, which is probably correct, but mine was already off so I can't really comment with 100% accuracy. Here's a shot of what you should be looking at:  FSM says to remove the sensor on the rear of the brake first, which I did, but found it was easier to remove this after the brake caliper and rotor due to space constraints only. Once the caliper is removed, make sure to support it so it's not hanging from the brakeline. Two shots below:   FSM then says to remove the three torx head bolts (T55) securing in the wheel bearing. Well, this is a bad idea because then when you try to remove the spindle nut later the whole thing just moves. Instead of doing this, loosen all three slightly (break the seal, mine were rusty on the exposed end) and completely remove the bottom one. This will allow you to put some sort of block in the wheel bearing to keep it from rotating.  You can orientate the wheel bearing so the holes in the front line up with the mounting holes and use that to secure it.  Whatever you do, do not use the torx head bolt in the hole to prevent the wheel bearing from turning. I tried this thinking it was a good idea. Bad move!  As you can see, the bolt began to bend when I was applying pressure to it. I was able to bend it back with a vice and a hammer (with a socket slipped over the bolt to protect the threads). Looking for something strong to use (wasn't sure if a screwdriver would be enough) I found an extra weight stack pin from my weightlifting equipment. Seems like a perfect fit!  Next, remove the cotter pin, spindle nut retainer, and spindle nut. The spindle nut itself uses a 36 mm socket for removal. And it's a bear. I tried a combination of pb blaster and sheer strength along with a breaker bar. No go. I tried heating the nut and that was the magic ticket. You can then carefully pry/wiggle the bearing off. Here you can see the spindle along with the infamous "clicking" washer.  Old bearing I removed:  New bearing ready to go in:  First, I put some anti-seize on the new washer (the lip should point towards you as you're placing it on) and on the spindle itself. I don't know if this is necessary or even a good idea, but I did it. FSM says nothing about anti-seize. Somebody please tell me if it's bad  (Edit - if you've only read this far, it's bad. Don't do it!)I then slipped on the new bearing and began screwing in two of the T55 torx bolts. I reinserted the weightlifting pin and put that spindle nut on as hard as I could with the breaker bar. I don't have a 200 ft-lb torque wrench, so I don't know exactly how much I put on there, but it was a lot. Original FSM calls for slightly less than that, but more recent internet postings say 200. The torx bolts should be 66 ft-lbs. End result once all was tightened up and the spindle nut retainer replaced, cotter pin inserted. I also forgot to mention there is a washer behind the spindle nut, don't forget to replace that. Here you can see how much the weightlifting pin was bent out of shape, so it's a lot of force being put on that spindle nut (and it's actually worse from another angle):  Altogether this took me about 2 1/2 hours. This is also a good time to inspect your read calipers, rotors, and pads. I decided I need new pads, so add that to the list! Thanks for checking out the pics, comments welcome. Matthew |
