I messed up my wheel bearing bad. What should I do differently?

[TGehl15]

I’ll keep this brief because of the video I’ll link:

I installed my e30 rear hub into the bearing with brute force. Hammer and wood. I had just assumed this wouldn’t harm such a beefy bearing. I finished pounding and grabbed on to the hub and the hub moved. It doesn’t just have a little play. The thing rocks side to side. I’m pretty positive this isn’t normal.

Here’s a video I put on YouTube to show how bad it is:
https://youtu.be/5n4FQjNjhCE

What do you all think did it? Was it just the lateral adjustment with the hammer? I just don’t want to make the same mistake again. I’m not going to have a good time taking it back apart to replace my new bearing with a new bearing. Hopefully someone learns from this I guess??

[mbonder]

Use proper bearing tools. This pushes the bearing in straight, regardless of how carefully you did it with a hammer and wood you most likely deformed the bearing, which is why your hub isn't sitting tight in the bearing.

[95BMWIC]

I think your ok.

A little play will happen. (Yes I know.. I watched the video)

Install the axle - tighten to spec - you should be fine.

[hotdish]

That looks like almost as much play as the one I had to replace last year. The issue with how you put it in is more that it loaded the rollers in a way that they aren't designed for. The press tool for this forces the hub against the inner bearing race so that the rollers aren't strained. It also pushes the outer race against the trailing arm so that doesn't happen. Harbor freight has a set pretty cheap; it's basically just a threaded rod with nuts and plates.

Couple other tips: freeze the bearing before install, and freeze the hub before install to shrink them a little and make them go in easier. Put anti seize on the axle splines.

Tightening the axle on there might squeeze the two parts of the inner race together and get rid of the wobble, you might want to try that before ordering a new one.

[OMGE30]

Looks like I'm putting my new bearings into the freezer by the pizza and taters.

[superj]

That's what I would do with my air cooled VW crank shafts and then put the Bronze seal in the oven so it dropped right in place during build up.


You can make your beating puller with some all thread and large washers too. All available from your local hardware store