L Series Wheel Bearings

dommie13 · Post by **dommie13** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 3:59 pm

Hey

My brother has a 1991 L Series Wagon and we have been told ages ago that the rear wheel bearings had gone, we had the passenger side replaced by a mechanic and he didn't want to do the other side because it was too big of a job apparently.

We have been quoted by The Subaru Shop in Brendale and they are a rip off.

Just wondering how big of a job it is? Could we DIY it?

Thanks

,Dom.

stamp_licker · Post by **stamp_licker** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 4:21 pm

Yes you can diy.Big job not really.The hardest part is getting the old race out and undoing the nut that holds the axle in .It is easier ,but not necessary,to remove the rear arm to work on it.The subaru shop gave me a tip once for doing it yourself.It involvled using the axle as a drift and old bearings to get the race out.Of course a press would work too.

whitepc · Post by **whitepc** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 4:26 pm

i just had the wheel bearings done on my 1984 MY wagon. we took off the wheel bearing housing which was a bit of effort, but only took about 2 hours with simple tools. then i took that to a mechanic, and he did it for $100. then we put it all back together.

as far as i know, if you dont have a pin press, then its not easy to replace the actual bearings.

whitepc

BlackMale · Post by **BlackMale** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 6:28 pm

dommie13 wrote:We have been quoted by The Subaru Shop in Brendale and they are a rip off.

You should be mindful of what you say about other mechanics… especially Subaru ones on a Subaru forum!!!

If you think that they are expensive then that your opinion (which you are entitled to) however may I suggest you consult a few other workshops, compare prices, then offer us a more informed opinion as apposed to grossly incorrect sweeping statements.

Yes, as outlined above, you can do this job yourself however you should have already noticed that it could be considered “a labor intensive job” hence the higher price.

Good luck with the DIY

Subafury · Post by **Subafury** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 6:54 pm

when my bearing died whilst driving i had to remove the trailing arm and got the bearing done professionallly-- i think about $140 i paid for that. then the weekend after i did the other side myself with help from mechanic matatak- in the same way.

Post by **Alex** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:04 pm

dommie13 wrote:we had the passenger side replaced by a mechanic and he didn't want to do the other side because it was too big of a job apparently.

BlackMale wrote:You should be mindful of what you say about other mechanics… especially Subaru ones on a Subaru forum!!!

If you think that they are expensive then that your opinion (which you are entitled to) however may I suggest you consult a few other workshops, compare prices, then offer us a more informed opinion as apposed to grossly incorrect sweeping statements.

it is an informed opinion because he's had the other side done already!

ffs Craig. Give him a fair go! A totally uncalled-for rant!

Its true though, subaru mechy's are a rip off, especially at the dealerships. They dont want to deal with older subi's.

subybrumby · Post by **subybrumby** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:08 pm

I have just completed both rear sides of a brumby. I did a stub axle exchange from another vehicle. It is a fairly big job and I was able to do one on the car but had to take the other trailing arm off because it was stubborn. If I did it again I would prefer to have a press for the bearings and a decent tool made to remove the locking ring that holds the bearings in. The locking ring is made from a soft alloy and is easily damaged. I was lucky because I had two spare locking rings from the donor car.

I cheated a bit and cleaned and repacked the bearings because they were in good order, and replaced the seals (They were 60 odd bucks from subaru) I would get cheaper generic seals from elsewhere next time. I also installed new brake pads and new rebooted and serviced axles.

You need to have probably (My opinion only) good clean area to work in, reasonable tools and equipment and reasonable mechanical knowledge. Some of my posts are on the forum. Do a search under rear bearing Good luck with the DIY, and there are plenty of guys here to help you through it.

Work your way through it and don't rush.

Matatak · Post by **Matatak** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:09 pm

Who needs a press??

subybrumby · Post by **subybrumby** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:20 pm

Yea I know, It just would be easier!!! for me anyway..I'm a sook

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:20 pm

if the guy did one side why can't he do the other?
the front bearings are not difficult to replace, the rears are a bit harder.

grab a workshop manual and give it a go, it's really not hard. No special tools required. be prepared to get dirty!

Matatak · Post by **Matatak** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:24 pm

the press would only be used for the Tapered shells for the roller bearings correct? (ive only helped with one or 2 now so going off memory)

its much easier to just hammer them in with a decent punch

also wouldnt reccomend having a crack at rear wheel bearings if you havent done servicing before.

subybrumby · Post by **subybrumby** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:40 pm

Well , I tapped lightly on one stub axle and the whole assembly came out with the axle, bearings, shells and spacers all intact. I thought this is my lucky day, but the other side was different. The shell on the outside has to be driven all the way through the hub and can be easily scratched or damaged. Because I was only going to repack, I left the shells there if they didn't want to move. But the bearings themselves are in effect pressed onto the shaft. They will move if positioned into a vice on wood blocks and no stress is placed on the bearings. When reinstalling and positioning the bearing, you can in effect use the hub and castle nut, and the rear locking ring to press it all together. I have replaced trailer bearings and other types of vehicle bearings and used punches and the old outer shells as drifts to reinstall new bearings. I'm know it can be done but I just feel that if you can get your hands on some equipment or access to a press, than it would be much easier with less chance of damage to components.

tex · Post by **tex** » Fri Aug 29, 2008 3:44 pm

I'm wondering if anyone else has looked into the difference between the MY and liberty rear wheel bearings and if its possible to make the later model bearings fit into the rear trailing arms.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sat Aug 30, 2008 9:50 am

i cheated and bought used rear arm with used bearing - stll happy ( i didn't have to even try this task)

dommie13 · Post by **dommie13** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 10:22 am

steptoe wrote:i cheated and bought used rear arm with used bearing - stll happy ( i didn't have to even try this task)

Hey,

Where did you pick them up? and What did you pay for them? I think my brother has talked to a few subaru mechanics so it shouldn't be that hard.

,Dom.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 9:49 pm

Any pick a part/U pull it/general wreckers that have subi's available - problem is that the bearings may be in the same condition as your own...

I'll be doing mine soon. We'll most likely be using dad's wood splitter as the press with some fittings made up for the task at hand...

Cheers

Bennie