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by Jeremiah Haug
Introduction
I drive an 86 9kt, which just passed 260k. I had new tires put on (ones
with ACTUAL tread), and the mechanic informed me that my right rear
wheel bearing was half past dead. This explained the LOUD humming sound
that had been eminating from the rear of the car. I decided to put off
the repair until the day the wheel would not move at all. Then I took
action.
I was terrified at the idea of performing this operation on my own,
but being poor is a fantastic catalyst. I found the part on eeuroparts.com
for approximately $110. Discerning what I could from the Haynes
manual, I purchased a torque wrench and was on my way.
Tools required
- lug wrench (or spanner as its called in the UK)
- 7mm hex head (allen head) wrench that fits a ratchet
- 10mm deep welled socket
- 32mm socket
- Breaker bar
- Torque wrench
- 2 Pints of your favorite ale
Procedure
- Have the pint. You don't really need it, because this can be a quick
and relatively painless job, but a pint of your favorite ale makes
everything better.
- Read your instructions thoroughly. Twice.
- Loosen the lug nuts on the wheel.
- Jack the car so that the wheel is off the ground.
- Remove the roadwheel.
*the next steps are interchangeable (I think)*
- Remove the brake caliper and rotor. See here
for procedure.
- Pry the silver cap out of the hub, using a thin screwdriver or other
suitable implement and a light hammer.
- Now comes the part where I'm sure there's a better way to do this:
(aren't you glad you read the instructions first?) put the wheel back
on the hub, lower the car all the way down. Fit the 32mm socket over
the axle nut with the beaker bar and a long piece of steel or iron
pipe over the end (for leverage), and pull for all you're worth. Maybe
not that hard, but I'm not worth much, so that's what I had to do.
DO NOT REMOVE THE NUT COMPLETELY YET!!!! YOU NEED ONLY TO LOOSEN IT.
- Re-raise the car back up with the jack and re-remove the wheel.
- Finish turning the axle nut off, and the wheel hub will slide off
with just a slight bit of effort. Apparently the bearings can't be
replaced, so the whole hub needs to be. I'm sure its easier than tearing
the hub apart anyway.
- Slide the new hub into place, stuff some grease into the end, and
refit the axle nut.
- Refit the brake caliper first. Or the rotor. I don't remember. But
I know I did it wrong and had to take it apart again. By this time,
the first pint was wearing off, so I wasn't thinking clearly.
- Refit the roadwheel and lower the car. Then, with the car on the
ground, torque the axle nut to 300Nm (205lbft),
fit the grease cap into the hub and replace the hub cap. You're done!!
- Have another pint of your favorite ale in celebration of a job well
done.
Please refer any comments or questions regarding this article to
me at onesandzeroes01@gmail.com
or to Bill Jones, who runs Saab9000.com.
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