e30 rear wheel bearing

I have a rear wheel bearing failing on my '91 318is. I normally do my own
maintenance but reading the procedure in my Bentley manual makes it sound
like I will have to rent a puller to get the axle out, remove the trailing
arm from the body to get the old bearing out, and that I would still be at
some risk of ruining the new bearing if I don't have a press to do the
installation. So I'm looking for guidance from someone who has done this
job at home. TIA for any experience out there.

"Jack" > wrote in message
news:hDFOg.73$W13.66@trnddc05...
>I have a rear wheel bearing failing on my '91 318is. I normally do my own
>maintenance but reading the procedure in my Bentley manual makes it sound
>like I will have to rent a puller to get the axle out, remove the trailing
>arm from the body to get the old bearing out, and that I would still be at
>some risk of ruining the new bearing if I don't have a press to do the
>installation. So I'm looking for guidance from someone who has done this
>job at home. TIA for any experience out there.
>

Did the front on my car a couple of weeks ago and it was a piece of cake. I
rented a puller from autozone, and bought a *very* special tool to press the
bearing back in. A piece of 1 1/2" (or perhaps 1 1/4") pipe and a hammer.
Pulled the old one off with very little more than my fingers for a wrench on
the puller, tapped the new one on with my special tool... if the rears are
the same, then... but if not, then...

Matt

The rears are a little more difficult but if you follow the guide
they're not that bad. I used a Haynes manual and about had a heart
attack when it told me to put the new bearing in by using a large
socket and beating it in with the inner race. Worked like a charm
though and the new bearing seems to have survived...

On Fri, 15 Sep 2006 22:20:41 GMT, "M Warren" >
wrote:

>
>"Jack" > wrote in message
>news:hDFOg.73$W13.66@trnddc05...
>>I have a rear wheel bearing failing on my '91 318is. I normally do my own
>>maintenance but reading the procedure in my Bentley manual makes it sound
>>like I will have to rent a puller to get the axle out, remove the trailing
>>arm from the body to get the old bearing out, and that I would still be at
>>some risk of ruining the new bearing if I don't have a press to do the
>>installation. So I'm looking for guidance from someone who has done this
>>job at home. TIA for any experience out there.
>>
>
>Did the front on my car a couple of weeks ago and it was a piece of cake. I
>rented a puller from autozone, and bought a *very* special tool to press the
>bearing back in. A piece of 1 1/2" (or perhaps 1 1/4") pipe and a hammer.
>Pulled the old one off with very little more than my fingers for a wrench on
>the puller, tapped the new one on with my special tool... if the rears are
>the same, then... but if not, then...
>
>Matt
>

Thanks for the Haynes reference Psycho.
I forgot I have a Haynes manual as well and I see it recommends pulling the
hub into the bearing inner race using a threaded rod, nuts and washers.
This was the part of the job that seemed high risk to me as I thought it
required hammering the hub into the inner race (forgot the hub is hollow).
So I'll scedule the job for next weekend as I guess I'm still too tight to
pay someone $250 labor to work on my car if I think I can do it myself.
Thanks again.

"Psycho" > wrote in message
...
> The rears are a little more difficult but if you follow the guide
> they're not that bad. I used a Haynes manual and about had a heart
> attack when it told me to put the new bearing in by using a large
> socket and beating it in with the inner race. Worked like a charm
> though and the new bearing seems to have survived...
>
> On Fri, 15 Sep 2006 22:20:41 GMT, "M Warren" >
> wrote:
>
>>
>>"Jack" > wrote in message
>>news:hDFOg.73$W13.66@trnddc05...
>>>I have a rear wheel bearing failing on my '91 318is. I normally do my
>>>own
>>>maintenance but reading the procedure in my Bentley manual makes it sound
>>>like I will have to rent a puller to get the axle out, remove the
>>>trailing
>>>arm from the body to get the old bearing out, and that I would still be
>>>at
>>>some risk of ruining the new bearing if I don't have a press to do the
>>>installation. So I'm looking for guidance from someone who has done this
>>>job at home. TIA for any experience out there.
>>>
>>
>>Did the front on my car a couple of weeks ago and it was a piece of cake.
>>I
>>rented a puller from autozone, and bought a *very* special tool to press
>>the
>>bearing back in. A piece of 1 1/2" (or perhaps 1 1/4") pipe and a hammer.
>>Pulled the old one off with very little more than my fingers for a wrench
>>on
>>the puller, tapped the new one on with my special tool... if the rears are
>>the same, then... but if not, then...
>>
>>Matt
>>

Jack wrote:
> Thanks for the Haynes reference Psycho.
> I forgot I have a Haynes manual as well and I see it recommends pulling the
> hub into the bearing inner race using a threaded rod, nuts and washers.
> This was the part of the job that seemed high risk to me as I thought it
> required hammering the hub into the inner race (forgot the hub is hollow).
> So I'll scedule the job for next weekend as I guess I'm still too tight to
> pay someone $250 labor to work on my car if I think I can do it myself.

Good for you! You can relax about the threaded rod trick. It has been
used for many, many years. I think that the first time I saw it
described in print was in one of Carroll Smith's books -- maybe "Prepare
to Win" -- some years ago.

Ed