is it easy to change rear wheel bearings?

[cpfcvr6 6]

got an advisory on mot on my vr6 rear bearing.

are they easy to change? any special tools i need? how long am i looking at for both sides? thanking you and happy new year. :-)

[Vw_owner 1]

its easy, if replaceing the discs you can just use a punch and socket to seat the new bearing race into the disc, {the disc houses the bearing} if you want to use your old disc's you might need a puller to remove the old race, you could tighten the old bearing up to remove play , but the other day my friends rear bearing blew out on him and his had no signs of wear it just went, so weather you want to tighten it or repalce yours as preventative maintenance is up to you ... if you get new discs get new abs rings aswell, your old ones might not come off in one peice..

[cpfcvr6 6]

so do i need to tighten a new bearing up or will it be pre-done?

[Vw_owner 1]

yes you will have to adjust them , there taper roller bearings , unlike the ones fitted to the front which are sealed cartridge bearings and take more abuse , those need a bearing press to be fitted, , take off the rear wheel and you will see the cotter pin and the center nut, thats how the adjustment is made,

[Vw_owner 1]

[cpfcvr6 6]

ok fella, so you press the new bearings into the disk, fit the disk back onto the shaft and adjust them that way.

just one thing how do you know when they are adjusted correctly? thanks.

[Vw_owner 1]

its exaclty the same as this

yea just adjust it until the play { wobble} has gone and tigten it up abit more and then back off to where it was , you want it to have no play but you dont want it overtight , its got to be just right, , fit the wheel and shake it and spin it and keep checking , drive it for abit and re check it,

and same here

well atleast from watching them videos i now know i dont need a puller to remove the races from original discs

[cpfcvr6 6]

thanks buddy, just one thing, you adjust it by tightening that nut that the pin goes through right?

[Vw_owner 1]

yep theres only one nut so not much can go wrong aslong as its not over tightend , the cotter pin goes through the axle which locks a castle style washer which then locks the nut from moveing from its set position, it will all make sense if you look at it and do it,

[cpfcvr6 6]

got the bearings, take it i need to use a lot of bearing grease with them?

[cpfcvr6 6]

bearing grease?

[Vw_owner 1]

yea slap it in there, lots of it although dont over pack it, mine came with the grease in sachets

[cpfcvr6 6]

cool that plastic cover you get in the bearing pack, i take it you press the big bearing in, put grease in it then the plastic cover on top from what i can guess?

[Vw_owner 1]

yea grease it all up , press that seal in, wack it on ,

[cpfcvr6 6]

top man, think theres only one way the bearings go in by the looks of it, will compare with old ones, sorry for questions im just very cautious!

done engines and gearboxes in past but never bearings on the rear!!

[Vw_owner 1]

haha you should be fine then, its prety self explanatory once you look at all the peices,

[Antihero1981 8]

remember to put the bearings in the right way , lol i had to re do mine as i got them in wrong way. Pack out with a good grease