Explain the rear hub assembly to me

[Stainless]

I'm trying to save time by not taking the other side apart just to compare how things are supposed to be. With that said, I am suspecting that the driver side rear hub bearing is bad. I have the hub carrier removed, and when I spin the outboard shaft in the bearing by hand, it has a lot of slop and it sounds like it is grinding.

I have to replace the whole hub carrier anyway due to damage, so I'm planning on replacing the bearing with a new one anyway, but I am planning on reusing the outboard shaft.

My question is, how does the outboard shaft come out of the bearing? Is the bearing pressed into the hub assembly and then the outboard shaft pressed into the bearing? I am a newb when it comes to DeLorean bearings, so pardon my ignorance. There's just zero information about this in the workshop manual. Let me know if there is a writeup on hub bearing replacement or if you know how to get the outboard shaft out of the bearing. Thanks.

[tgraham]

The bearing is pressed into the hub carrier, then the outer shaft is pressed into the bearing (be sure you grip against the inner race for the last part or else you'll quickly ruin a perfectly good bearing).

To remove the old one (off the car, at least), you'll have to secure the carrier and press the drive shaft out. Every time I've done this, the bearing separates, leaving the outer race still in the hub carrier (easy enough with the drive shaft out of the way, just press it out too), the inner race still pressed onto the drive shaft (chisel it off or cut it off - just be careful), and small metal balls all over the place.

I think the pros do this with the carrier still in the car...

Travis

[Stainless]

That's exactly what I needed to know. Thanks for the reply. I not one of the fortunate owners of a press and i don't think a vice will work for the reinstall. Any decent shop should be able to install the new bearings & outer shaft, correct?

[Stainless]

I got a new bearing last week from DMC and since I don't have a press, I took the hub carrier, bearing, and outer shaft to the Goodyear shop down the street. What a bunch of morons! I don't know how they can consider themselves mechanics.

They took the parts after I showed them how they need to be pressed together. A half hour later, they came out of the shop with everything pressed together... only for me to point out to them that they pressed in the outer shaft BACKWARDS. I asked them how I was supposed to attach the hub and tire to it when the splines were facing the wrong way.

Anyway, they destroyed the bearing when they tried to correct their error (of course.) Now I have a new bearing on its way, and the shop said they would press it in for free. This was a great reminder to me why I don't like people working on my car besides myself. I mean wow. Just wow.

[DMCMW Dave]

If you have to take it somewhere, take it to a BMW shop. They use the same design and it will be very familiar to them. Not the same parts though. . .



I got a new bearing last week from DMC and since I don't have a press, I took the hub carrier, bearing, and outer shaft to the Goodyear shop down the street. What a bunch of morons! I don't know how they can consider themselves mechanics.

They took the parts after I showed them how they need to be pressed together. A half hour later, they came out of the shop with everything pressed together... only for me to point out to them that they pressed in the outer shaft BACKWARDS. I asked them how I was supposed to attach the hub and tire to it when the splines were facing the wrong way.

Anyway, they destroyed the bearing when they tried to correct their error (of course.) Now I have a new bearing on its way, and the shop said they would press it in for free. This was a great reminder to me why I don't like people working on my car besides myself. I mean wow. Just wow.

[David T]

Nice of them to offer to press it together again for free. They should pay for the bearing they had to destroy. I would not go back to that shop even for free. If they press it together the wrong way they can crack the hub and/or damage the bearing. If you can't be there and watch what they are doing find a place that will let you. Most auto parts stores can do this and if you are friendly (and bring doughnuts) they might even let you do it yourself. Pressing on a bearing the wrong way will damage it and you won't know it for a while till it starts making noise.
David Teitelbaum

[Stainless]

I plan on returning to the same place to have them do it correctly this time. They were going to charge me at least $40 to press in the bearing, and since a new bearing was only $26, I'll still come out ahead... unless they do indeed break the carrier or the bearing again...

[tgraham]

unless they do indeed break the carrier...

You definitely do NOT want that to happen. Especially the RH one.

Travis