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weird droning from driver side engine bay?

i ordered similar kits to this bearing puller/installer and hub puller/installer. this bearing puller even specifies for the contour so it must be doable without a shop press.

http://www.otctools.com/products/2006catalog/pg139-141AutoSpec.pdf

and i found this link for a gti which was helpful too using a similar kit for the vw.

http://www.gtishrine.com/wheelbearing.php

and these sites gave some info on press fit bearings like ours:

http://www.aa1car.com/library/2003/bf70348.htm

http://www.techshop-ets.com/ts1204/ts120408.htm
 
You can do it with a fair sized hammer, vise, and a punch. Wouldn't be very fun and would take longer but it can be done. The best way I have learned to test bearings is to get the wheel/wheels off the ground, put one hand on the strut and then spin the wheel with your other hand. You can actually feel the "rumble" or roughness in the strut.
 
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To answer a few questions brought up in this thread:

1. Outer tie rod ends typically fail first. The inners also go bad but not as often. To test the inner tie rod, disconnect the tie rod end from the knuckle and lift it up. The inner tie rod joint should be tight enough that it should support the weight of the entire rod, without it falling down. If both the inner and outer ends are bad, consider purchasing an entire rack and pinion unit.

2. The on-car bearing pullers do indeed remove the necessity of resetting the alignment, but they are a major PITA to use. Contours use sealed double row ball bearings- they do not not need to be opened or packed. In fact, you'll never know they even have grease as the bearing and both races are contained in one unit.

I think some of you are confusing the knuckle and hub. The knuckle is the big metal piece that bolts to the strut at the top and the ball joint at the bottom. The hub is the flanged piece with the wheel studs. Continuing to drive on a bad bearing can ruin the inside of the knuckle, and possibly the outside of the hub.

When installing a new bearing, the bearing is first pressed into the hole in the knuckle until it is seated, with force applied to the OUTER RACE. The two snap rings are then installed, and then, WHILE SUPPORTING THE INNER BEARING RACE, the hub is pressed into the bearing. If you fail to support the INNER RACE, the bearing becomes brinnelled and will fail in a short time. Simply put, you never want to transfer the pressing force through the balls of the bearing.
 
how will u know when the bearing has seated? with hub installer i ordered, it screws onto the axle threading and pulls the hub into the bearing so it seems it wont be stressing the ball bearings. the axle will be back in thru the bearing and then the hub goes on with the installer then attached on the outside of the hub thru the center to the axle threading, sorta like pressing a new wheel stud in, well sorta.

i'll give the inner tie rod test a shot and the wheel spin test. i mentioned i though it was bad cuz i saw in and out movement of the joint on the inner side at the steering gear when doing the 9-3 oclock test. i would think that joint shouldnt move
 
how will u know when the bearing has seated? with hub installer i ordered, it screws onto the axle threading and pulls the hub into the bearing so it seems it wont be stressing the ball bearings. the axle will be back in thru the bearing and then the hub goes on with the installer then attached on the outside of the hub thru the center to the axle threading, sorta like pressing a new wheel stud in, well sorta.

i'll give the inner tie rod test a shot and the wheel spin test. i mentioned i though it was bad cuz i saw in and out movement of the joint on the inner side at the steering gear when doing the 9-3 oclock test. i would think that joint shouldnt move

Our press tools where in a huge box that had assortments of washers, bolts and what looked like hollowed out sockets.... We used an impact to press them in and to press them out with the tools my uncle had from work. Although I don't remember pulling and reinstalling the outer snap ring... I do know the inner looked like it may have gone in just a tad more than it should have.... everything looks fine, we'll see if it lasts or not.... :yikes:
 
You can do it with a fair sized hammer, vise, and a punch.


absolutely do not install a wheel bearing in this manor :nonono:

this is 100% correct way of installing a wheel bearing, if you don't do it right its goign to fail within a year depending on how much driving you do ...

When installing a new bearing, the bearing is first pressed into the hole in the knuckle until it is seated, with force applied to the OUTER RACE. The two snap rings are then installed, and then, WHILE SUPPORTING THE INNER BEARING RACE, the hub is pressed into the bearing. If you fail to support the INNER RACE, the bearing becomes brinnelled and will fail in a short time. Simply put, you never want to transfer the pressing force through the balls of the bearing.


side note, early car had a inner and outer snap ring, later cars only have one, but I forget what side its on, I believe its the inner, as in the side facing the trans
 
how will u know when the bearing has seated? with hub installer i ordered, it screws onto the axle threading and pulls the hub into the bearing so it seems it wont be stressing the ball bearings. the axle will be back in thru the bearing and then the hub goes on with the installer then attached on the outside of the hub thru the center to the axle threading, sorta like pressing a new wheel stud in, well sorta.

It is much easier to see when the bearing is fully seated if you're using an arbor press. While pressing the bearing, the ram pressure should be low, and when the bearing seats, it will start to increase on the gauge. That's when you know to stop. With a puller/installer, it's not quite so cut and dry.
 
absolutely do not install a wheel bearing in this manor :nonono:

I agree not to do it that way, you should use the right tool for the right job. You just said
I dunno about a breaing puller ... these bearing have to be removed and installed with a hydraulic press ....
I read that as there is no other way to get them out, and I disagree. I always used a hub-shark when I was working with bearings... best tool imo.
 
You just said I read that as there is no other way to get them out, and I disagree. I always used a hub-shark when I was working with bearings... best tool imo.


never heard of this tool before. I still think that a press is the best way but this looks promissing if you don't have a press ...
 
i thought of that before checking the replies. my ford cd says to remove the inner and outer circlips so i kinda figured to press the bearing in til the grooves for both circlips are accessible, then the bearing should be in the middle between the grooves. if the clips dont go in, then something's wrong.

i found another vw howto with pics for the inner tie rods. i'm hoping to take pics this weekend of my inner tie rod install and the bearings with this tool if it works like its supposed to and maybe put together a howto
 
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