Member Since: 21 Nov 2022
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 17
Rear wheel bearing replacement help
I'm after some mechanical advice regarding the replacement of the rear wheel bearings in my Disco 4 2010.
I started the job (in a proper garage with all the tools you could wish for) but was defeated when I tried to remove the brake cable from the hub. The plastic nut just did not budge no matter what I tried and I was just causing damage to it.
I don't want to go down the destructive route and then have to replace the cable with new, so my question is (I thought of this whilst sat on the loo the other night - I do my best thinking there!) can the bearings be replaced with the handbrake cable attached?
I thought of pulling the outer hub with a slide hammer (that should come right out - in theory - I already loosened the prop shaft, so I know that isn't stuck), then work on the hub and use a bearing remover (the kind with the sleeves and threaded rod) to pull the remaining bearing parts.
Putting new bearing back in should be easier as I can press that onto the outer hub (the part that has the wheel studs on) then use the puller set again to press the two together.
Any advice or comments from anyone who's actually tried this method would be greatly received!
21st Nov 2022 11:05 am
john watson
Member Since: 10 Nov 2011
Location: lanark
Posts: 957
Take a hair drier to the plastic nut. Get liable and it should move!Once you have defeated the idiots any job is half done. Pity there are so many idiots to defeat.
21st Nov 2022 11:15 am
john watson
Member Since: 10 Nov 2011
Location: lanark
Posts: 957
I meant “pliable”. Sorry finger trouble.Once you have defeated the idiots any job is half done. Pity there are so many idiots to defeat.
21st Nov 2022 11:16 am
johnthomas
Member Since: 21 Nov 2022
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 17
Thanks for the quick reply John...what a rubbish design that nut is! I will try the heat treatment and hope that breaks the seal/rusty thread, though I have noticed I am rarely that lucky with this car!
21st Nov 2022 11:30 am
rrhool
Member Since: 28 Aug 2014
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 4400
As John says, heat and a bit of WD40. Keep wiggling the cable, heat and wet.Richard
D3 SE 2007. Triumph 2.5Pi 1973. Ferguson TEA20 1948.
Discovery 2 4.0 ES 2001- Gone
Discovery 1 300Tdi ES '95 - Gone
Range Rover Classic '79 - Gone
21st Nov 2022 11:37 am
johnthomas
Member Since: 21 Nov 2022
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 17
can I expect the 'nut' to unscrew eventually or will it more likely just pull off with the heat/WD40/wiggling method?
Hopefully it will go back on much easier once it's all cleaned up?
21st Nov 2022 11:47 am
john watson
Member Since: 10 Nov 2011
Location: lanark
Posts: 957
It should! Screw off but it doesn’t matter how it comes off as long as it comes off. Since the car is getting on a bit would suggest you check the drop link, the upper and lower mounting bushes on the hub and the rubber gaiter on the universal joint on the Panhard rod . You will need to bed in the shoes on re assembly , details on here and I would recommend getting the suspension alignment checked by someone with Hunter equipment. These car can cost an arm and leg to maintain. Have been through this the last year and after the suspension alignment check it drives like a dream. It’s a 15 year old D3. Good luck.Once you have defeated the idiots any job is half done. Pity there are so many idiots to defeat.
21st Nov 2022 12:18 pm
johnthomas
Member Since: 21 Nov 2022
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 17
Yeah, I had to replace all my front suspension bushes with poly last year, made a big difference to the handling...though it was a pig of a job to get the old rubber bushes out, so i'm not looking forward to doing the same on the rear!
Thankfully I have an indipendant LR specialist garage just down the road to get the alignment done properly.
21st Nov 2022 12:24 pm
johnthomas
Member Since: 21 Nov 2022
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 17
So, long overdue, but an update and closure to this thread.
I had to admit defeat and put the car into an independent LR specialist in my area to do the rear wheel bearing replacement.
I just could not get the wheel bearing out with a slide puller (wheel hub attached to the car, as I decided to leave the handbrake cable connected).
It wasn't cheap, but to their credit, they did manage to get the hubs off without trashing the brake cables.
All done now, full wheel alignment and the car sounds nice and quiet out on the road again.
7th Aug 2023 8:28 am
disco chris
Member Since: 25 Apr 2022
Location: London
Posts: 245
Hi John,
Out of interest what did the garage charge you to do the rear bearings? I had a range of quotes, from £50 per side cash labour, to £400+ VAT per side
Cheers,
Chris
7th Aug 2023 8:47 am
johnthomas
Member Since: 21 Nov 2022
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 17
Chris,
Not sure this is going to help as the garage in question is in the Netherlands! But, it was 1200 euro all in. Per wheel, the labour charges were 350 for one and 450 for the other due to the time it took to get the hubs off (brake cables were problematic), this included pressing the bearings out and back in then reassembly plus the full wheel alignment afterwards (this was 150)
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