95 gsx front wheel bearing, what do i need guys

[Hitmachine101]

Ok i searched in the Tech articles and couldnt find a write up so need some help from the guys who have done this before

Im away from my garage because im at school and a 3:30 hr trip isnt gonna happen because this wheel bearing is starting to sound badddd. Ive got a friend who s house is near by and hes a little less mechanically inclined then me but im sure we can still get the job done

Ok so heres my questions:
what size is the nut that holds the axel in ?(im going to need to buy it in all likelyhood and Id rather not make 2 trips to sears )

Hes got a bunch of sockets so getting the lower control arm and upper control arm out isnt an issue, either is getting the brake capilary off or the tie rod end
My abs doesnt work and its actually due to this passenger front area due to the last PO s ignorance, worse comes to worse ill cut the old abs sensor if i cant get it out, ( it doesnt work anyways ) any other things attached to this hub i should know about?

The axel should slide out ( im pray it does or im screwd ) because its been out within the last 10k miles by the PO

Other then that i should have the thing out on a bench and ready to swap the new hub (bearing and studs ) assembly in. Any surpises during this part guys? am i going to have to beat this old one out? im just going to buy the hub unit with the new bearing already in it, why try to just buy a new bearing and press in and out of the old hub SCREW THAT

Ill have a pickle fork just in case getting any of the control arms or tie rod ends off is a problem

any other hints/help and suggestions you guys can offer would be great, I hate being away from my garage, makes me ich at night but ya gotta do what ya gotta do

thanks for the responces ahead of time

 

[ramsack]

The wheel bearing unbolts from the knuckle, so all that will need to be taken off is the caliper, the axle, and unbolt the bearing from the knuckle.

 

[Hitmachine101]

The wheel bearing unbolts from the knuckle, so all that will need to be taken off is the caliper, the axle, and unbolt the bearing from the knuckle.

In theory that doesnt seem to bad, just hope the axle slids out
Id imagin to get that axle to slide out im gonna have to remove the control arms to give it enough room to move outward,, maybe not

anyone have that size on the axle nut? 33mm? smaller? just shooting in the dark here

 

[ramsack]

No idea on the axle nut size, but...you would be loosening the axle first, then once you unbolt the wheel bearing (and the caliper is off) then the bearing assembly will just slide out. There's no need to move the axle out of the way of anything, it just needs to loosen from the bearing.

 

[JusMX141]

In all likelihood, you're either going to need a BFH or a press to get the axle out of the hub.

While changing both front hubs on my buddy Jeff's '95 TSi AWD a couple summers ago, it took a Rosebud torch head and a 20-ton press to get the axles out of the old hubs.

 

[Hitmachine101]

In all likelihood, you're either going to need a BFH or a press to get the axle out of the hub.

While changing both front hubs on my buddy Jeff's '95 TSi AWD a couple summers ago, it took a Rosebud torch head and a 20-ton press to get the axles out of the old hubs.

the axle came out of this hub 10k miles ago, Im praying that the PO put some kind of oil on it or am simply wishing the rust accumilated over the past winter of driving hasnt set in yet

If i cant get it out then ill unbolt the bearing from the hub, pull the axle and the bearing out and buy a new axle to go with the new bearing, that will work right? im assuming the axle will slid through if it has to?

 

[JusMX141]

If i cant get it out then ill unbolt the bearing from the hub, pull the axle and the bearing out and buy a new axle to go with the new bearing, that will work right? im assuming the axle will slid through if it has to?

You have to get the axle out in order to remove the bolts from behind which hold the hub in; that's the main problem.

 

[Backinajiffy12]

Just did mine over the summer your gonna need a press took me 15min (easiest way to do it)

 

[2GFWDbeast]

i unbolt my wheel hub with out having to take anything about beside the tire off. I think there was like 5 14mm bolts.

 

[Talipse96]

If you do ever have an issue with the axle not just coming out. If you use a "BFH" you will mushroom the threads making it worse. Take the castle nut. That 32mm nut or howeve big it is and turn it around, make it almost flush to the axle and then hammer on it. You won't damage your threads that way. Good luck.

 

[Hitmachine101]

You have to get the axle out in order to remove the bolts from behind which hold the hub in; that's the main problem.

Ok thats what I was thinking, seemed pretty tight back there

i unbolt my wheel hub with out having to take anything about beside the tire off. I think there was like 5 14mm bolts.

Im assuming your a 1g from your profile and that would be awesome but since the guy above worked on the same car as me im thinking hes correct in stating that the axels got to slide out before getting access to those bolts

If you do ever have an issue with the axle not just coming out. If you use a "BFH" you will mushroom the threads making it worse. Take the castle nut. That 32mm nut or howeve big it is and turn it around, make it almost flush to the axle and then hammer on it. You won't damage your threads that way. Good luck.

Yup was planning on doing such with the nut still on the axle
heat is great if you want to loosen things up, next time you guys have something stuck try heat and then candle wax, yes i said candle wax, best stuff in the world for breaking things free

Still would love a size on that axle nut guys, anyone know off the top of their head? i dont particullary want to play the "buy it, size it, then return it game" ha ha

 

[Burnett03]

i unbolt my wheel hub with out having to take anything about beside the tire off. I think there was like 5 14mm bolts.

Only the tire? Seems unlikely.. The axle needs to be removed along with the brakes.

 

[dsmtun3r98gst]

If you do ever have an issue with the axle not just coming out. If you use a "BFH" you will mushroom the threads making it worse. Take the castle nut. That 32mm nut or howeve big it is and turn it around, make it almost flush to the axle and then hammer on it. You won't damage your threads that way. Good luck.

Yup thats how we took out the hub when we did it on my car. Hitmachine101 just in case you don't want to buy an axle nut socket, you can rent them at any autozone from their loaner tools. You basically pay for them but when you bring it back they give you the full refund.

Just make sure you ask for the loaner axle nut socket not the ones for sale.

 

[MacDizzle]

Didn't do the wheel bearing last night but did change the axle on my tsi... Pretty much positive the axle has to come out at least a few inches to give access to the bolts for the hub. Doesn't nessessarily look like the control arms need to be disconected but I've never done the wheel bearing either. Juat the cv's

 

[talonesi95t]

i did both of my front bearings last summer. the axle nut is a 32mm. this is what i did.

took off axle nut
took off calpier
unbolted the top ball joint and slid the control arm off
pushed out axle ( had a buddy pull down on the control arm to free up room to push the axle back)
took off the four or five bolts on the inside of the bearing housing
sprayed the inside and out side of the bearing housing with wd-40(i just perfer that)
them i got a 1/2 extension about 6in long with a huge soket , just big enough to go around where the axle slips through. then hammer it out..

i did not have a press and i didnt feel like taking off the whole knuckle. my baerings had 130k miles on them and only took me 45 min to do each side from disassembly to assembling everying back together..

 

[Hitmachine101]

Yup thats how we took out the hub when we did it on my car. Hitmachine101 just in case you don't want to buy an axle nut socket, you can rent them at any autozone from their loaner tools. You basically pay for them but when you bring it back they give you the full refund.

Just make sure you ask for the loaner axle nut socket not the ones for sale.

Nice ok never knew they did that, thanks for the info

i did both of my front bearings last summer. the axle nut is a 32mm. this is what i did.

took off axle nut
took off calpier
unbolted the top ball joint and slid the control arm off
pushed out axle ( had a buddy pull down on the control arm to free up room to push the axle back)

OK thanks for the info, 32mm ill start there, probably will go to the advanced auto parking lot and will just remove the tire and size it out to make sure

 

[chuckstsi]

Working on mine right now. Stinking nut wont even come free. Sprayed it and heated it. May just have to cut if off tomorrow, then knowing my luck, the axle will be stuck as well.

Just did the r/r and after 12 tons and a BFH it still wouldnt come apart. This is starting to get old...

 

[Talipse96]

Working on mine right now. Stinking nut wont even come free. Sprayed it and heated it. May just have to cut if off tomorrow, then knowing my luck, the axle will be stuck as well.

Just did the r/r and after 12 tons and a BFH it still wouldnt come apart. This is starting to get old...

Have you tried an impact? If you did what size diameter is your fitting on it? 1/4" is't enough for most pneumatic tools to work at their max potenial. Try switching to 3/8" and see how big of a difference it makes. I bet you'll be suprised.

 

[Hitmachine101]

All i can do i pray i wont have these problems
Its been out before because the axle went bad and the PO had it replaced,
Could be a 30 min job
could be a 3hr job

thanks for all the info guys