Rear wheel bearing replacement, home edition.
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AudiWorld Super User
Joined: Dec 2000
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Rear wheel bearing replacement, home edition.
Much easier than I expected. This was the first time I've used a hand tool (other than a press) to do a bearing swap.
Yea, the inner bearing was just a little spalled...and yes, it was deafening at highway speeds. :P<ul><li><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/absolut27t/A6RearWheelBearing">Google pics (and vids)</a></li></ul>
Yea, the inner bearing was just a little spalled...and yes, it was deafening at highway speeds. :P<ul><li><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/absolut27t/A6RearWheelBearing">Google pics (and vids)</a></li></ul>
AudiWorld Super User
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Gardnerville, NV
Never seen one that bad! Looked like you had a broken ball retainer on one side, cause or...
result? It must have been screaming at you for a long time, as just a tad of race Brinelling makes a huge rumble. Brinelling is normally caused by lack of lubricant, how many miles? Bearing manufacturers use just enough of a cheap grease that the bearing will last for 100 to 150K, sells more bearings.
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AudiWorld Super User
Joined: Dec 2000
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Retainer was cheap plastic, crumbled upon disassembly...
Had 125k miles, was really making noise for over a month (~1600 miles). The ***** and outer race were hammered, but the inner race was severely spalled (see photos). The minimal amount of grease on the inner (failed) bearing was dark brown while the outer was nice and clean/clear. The original was an SPK while the replacement was an *** (tee-hee).
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AudiWorld Super User
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Gardnerville, NV
Plastic ball separators are normally better than the old riveted steel ones. Apparently that row...
that side of the bearing overheated enough to damage its separator and the hardened grease. Rear bearings seldom fail, relative to fronts. Yours probably had some manufacturing defect to initiate such damage.
