W210 ('99 E430) Rear Wheel Bearing Replacement
 

Can someone give me the real scoop on this operation? I've perused the threads for a while, and it's not totally clear. I see three ways of doing it:

1. Replace bearing without removing the wheel carrier. This requires a special tool for pulling the hub, and one for extracting the bearing. No one has the special tool shown in the MB manual, and the SIR tools model is apparently not ready for double-row bearings.

2. Remove wheel carrier and have the bearing and wheel-flange pressed in and out. Can all machine shops do this, or will some not be able to handle the MB hub? Need a wheel alignment after installation.

3. Replace the wheel carrier and bearing as an assembly. Presumably this is ridculously expensive, but with MB dealers charging $80+ for the job it might be a viable route.

Thanks in advance.

Tom

Special tools required are OVER $1000. from MB!

Go with number 2, any reputable machine shop should be able to press flange in & out without any problems.

Minor Correction
 

MB dealers are charging $800+, not $80+.

Are you sure it's the rear wheel bearing? Seems awfully quick for it to go bad.

Len

I didn't think it was the wheel bearing but
 

It was diagnosed as that with chassis ears by a transmission shop. It's basically just a loud, wheel-speed related growl/whine/drone.
I've had bearings go before, and the noise varied with turning. This doesn't, so I figured it was diff/tranny. But when a tranny shop gives it back and volunteers not to work on it, then I figure they were upfront about the diagnosis.

How many miles on your car? My 300TE had a bad right rear bearing when I bought it used at 130K mi. You should be able to "feel" and hear a bad rear bearing by jacking up the rear of the car (use stands of course), remove the wheels and releasing the rear brake pads from each brake disc so the axle assembly can turn freely. Reinstall the wheels and pull out and push in at the top and bottom of the wheel to feel for play. There really shouldn't be any discernible play. Then rotate the wheel and listen for noise and feel for roughness (again there shouldn't be any). By the way, I drove my car for a long time before replacing my bearing (your results may differ). Do you have a bench press? It is not a terribly difficult job to do (but it does take a couple of hours the first time around) if you have the correct size sockets/adapters to push out the old bearing and insert the new but you will damage the brake backing plate without a horseshoe-shaped adapter to serve as a backer for pressing out the old bearing. Mark

90K miles
 

:1blank:

I haven't found anything that the MB dealer only charges $80 except for maybe washing the windows.

What about the "Hub Tamer"?
 

I have seen where it works on similar bearing/hub setups (e.g., Audi). Anybody know if it works on the MB?

http://www.google.com/search?q=Hub+Tamer&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

Better descrip[tion of the hub tamer
 

The end of the story was that I had an indie (Autobahn Automotive in Lakewood, NJ) do the job, who did a fine job. If I had seen this, though, I might have done it myself.

More data
 

Thanks for finding these handy videos

Rear Wheel Bearing Removal With No Special Tools BMW 325i
Rear Wheel Bearing Removal With No Special Tools BMW 325i - YouTube

Rear Wheel Bearing Installation With No Special Tools BMW 325i
Rear Wheel Bearing Installation With No Special Tools BMW 325i - YouTube

The videos are good but installation of the bearing needs to be made from the outer race, not the inner race as shown for the final part of the installation. The video cautions against using too much force on the inner race but in reality no force should be applied to this area during installation. One needs to find a socket, galvnized pipe fitting or the like to push directly on the outer race. The old bearing can also be used but you may need to grind down the outer race a little to permit the old bearing to clear the hub for easy removal. Just a warning. Mark

Bad wheel bearings will make noise long before the any roughness or play is felt.

I always use a heavy duty slide hammer to remove the flange. The bearing comes out with a removal tool but it's to expensive for a one time deal.

I've also used a slide hammer on many Mercedes with a single row bearings, that was the "former' special tool, which changed when guys were probably hurting themselves when double-row bearings became common, even on 124 wagons, man that was a BEAR of a job to get the flange off. So the new special tool is (or at least was, "back in my day") sort of a hydraulic ram to "press" the flange off, even includes an atapter to take the inner race off the flange. Sort of time consuming, but hey what price do you put on your shoulders, elbows, and wrists? When I did it all of these would ache that night, NOT worth it.

Last time I did a rear bearing was on a 85 325e BMW I was restoring, flange popped right off with my slide hammer, easy peasey. Nice video though, but the slide hammer I think was faster and not really hard to do. Single row is gravy.


Gilly

Unfortunately
 

no Matter How Many Cookies I leave by the Fireplace,That Rotten Old Elf will
not bring me one of these:

Apparently, EVEN He thinks it's overpriced.

B90 Sir Tools - W201 190E Hub Removal - YouTube

(Am I suffering MORE video illusions? Is this guy using a Torque Wrench as a Ratchet?)

It sure looks like a torque wrench to me, the pin holding it together down by the head, and it also looks like a knurled handle. But was always sort of blurry when you could see the handle. In a few shots that would show it for sure, the kids glove was over the dial area.
With a single row like a 201 I would recommend a slide hammer as easier to hook up (just use the wheel bolts) and way faster, and easier on your torque wrench;)

Hopefully it's an old torque wrench retired from its calibrated duties.