W126 Rear Hub Replacement.
 

I screwed up big time. While installing 20mm H&R spacers in the rear to fit the 16" wheels from a R129, I managed to strip one of the holes and one is borderline stripped. Not sure how this happened, as I put them in by hand, it looks like the 20mm H&R bolts are pretty soft.

Anyway I have a new project this week :( I found a hub in the JY, what would be the best and easiest approach; just replace the hub and while I'm at it replace the bearings and handbrake shoes as well or replace the entire assembly including the trailing arm. Or I can see if I can repair the thread?


Looking at this write up, this doesn't looks like an easy job...

https://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/206875-replacing-rear-wheel-bearings-w123-w126.html

I think replacing the complete assembly would be easier , replacing the bearings alone is not that easy , physically tough . Since the rear wheel bearings last forever , a clean used assembly would do it .

Try thread repair first such as TimeSert, do check their torque limits.

Complete assembly replacement second and bearing replacement a very distant third.

Thanks for the response. I think I got lucky, was able to clean the threads with a tap and torque the bolts to spec. Hopefully tapping the tread did not jeopardize safety with the 20mm spacers.

That was the route I was going for.

For general infomation:
He did not highlight it, but he messed the job up a bit. On the inside end of the hub were the threaded lock nut goes is thin. He used the brass drift in the list of tools and ended up flaring the threaded part outwards and larger. He apparels stopped before that got too bad, but that part of the instructions should have been changed or deleted.

Like 10 years ago a new hub was $350 and as you said about the job being a lot of work doing it in a junkyard would be a job to extract an old hub. You want no passivity to damage it.

During a driving issue I cracked one of my rear trailing arms, so I had to replace it with a used one. The only hitch was in shipment the Sheetmetal backing plate got bent up. Zero issues in use after it was installed.

I did salvage the hub off of what was left of the arm. Which was harder without it being minted on the vehicle. I used the method where you use an old brake rotor and use that to get beat on with 2-pound hammer and that got it off, but it damages the bearings.

Member Stretch is the only one I know of who got a bunch of wood together and set up a way to pull the hub out. That may have preserved the bearings. He has pics in his thread on that.

The stripped threads in the hub could have been replaced with Helicoils or another type of thread repair. The issue there is drilling the hole straight in. To get it straight you it is good to have some sort of drill guide.

You likely need to remove the parking brake shoes or just be sure not damage anything when the drill bit goes through the other side.

It is not a job for a 1/4-inch drill motor.

Another takes on the job.

PeachPartsWiki: Replacing the Rear Wheel Bearings

I'm always up for a challenge, but this ain't a job I want to do.

I did pull the whole arm hub for a 420 sel.it wasn't that hard of a job turned out perfect

Good to know. I got lucky, was fortunate to be able to repair the thread. The H&R extended lug bolts I received were tapered instead of the round Mercedes bolts. I think that might have caused the damage.