Comments on: How to Replace a 98 VW Golf Front Bearing http://panofish.net/how-to-replace-a-98-vw-golf-front-bearing/ DIY, Woodworking, CNC & Other Interesting Stuff Tue, 27 Jul 2010 05:08:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: philip http://panofish.net/how-to-replace-a-98-vw-golf-front-bearing/comment-page-1/#comment-1291 philip Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:00:31 +0000 http://panofish.net/?p=34#comment-1291 i have just attempted to change the bearing following this,, as i tried to pull the hub off withe the same puller as you used, it just pushed the driveshaft out the back?. is there a way to get round that??? also the bearings i have ordered do not come with the spline in the middle of it. do i have to get that pressed out then into the new one??? thanks very much i have just attempted to change the bearing following this,, as i tried to pull the hub off withe the same puller as you used, it just pushed the driveshaft out the back?. is there a way to get round that??? also the bearings i have ordered do not come with the spline in the middle of it. do i have to get that pressed out then into the new one??? thanks very much

]]> By: Alan Lilly http://panofish.net/how-to-replace-a-98-vw-golf-front-bearing/comment-page-1/#comment-1017 Alan Lilly Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:56:17 +0000 http://panofish.net/?p=34#comment-1017 Let me know if you have trouble removing the hub from the axle. My guess... it will not be a problem. Let me know if you have trouble removing the hub from the axle. My guess… it will not be a problem.

]]> By: Alexander V. http://panofish.net/how-to-replace-a-98-vw-golf-front-bearing/comment-page-1/#comment-1015 Alexander V. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:40:00 +0000 http://panofish.net/?p=34#comment-1015 Chances are, I'm gonna be replacing a bearing on my '01 VW Cabrio next weekend Chances are, I’m gonna be replacing a bearing on my ‘01 VW Cabrio next weekend

]]> By: Alan Lilly http://panofish.net/how-to-replace-a-98-vw-golf-front-bearing/comment-page-1/#comment-1012 Alan Lilly Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:28:20 +0000 http://panofish.net/?p=34#comment-1012 It is bothersome and therefore an engineering mistake by Volkswagen... because there is no other way to get the axle off the hub. In my case, the hub was removed from the axle and the knuckle at the same time. This caused the bearing to break apart and only half of the bearing came out. What vehicle do you have? Are you preparing to replace the bearings? It is bothersome and therefore an engineering mistake by Volkswagen… because there is no other way to get the axle off the hub. In my case, the hub was removed from the axle and the knuckle at the same time. This caused the bearing to break apart and only half of the bearing came out.

What vehicle do you have?
Are you preparing to replace the bearings?

]]> By: Alexander V. http://panofish.net/how-to-replace-a-98-vw-golf-front-bearing/comment-page-1/#comment-1011 Alexander V. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:13:33 +0000 http://panofish.net/?p=34#comment-1011 <blockquote cite="#commentbody-1010"> <strong><a href="#comment-1010" rel="nofollow">Alan Lilly</a> :</strong> The text next to the “hub puller image” in the shop manual says “Press drive axle out of wheel hub.” </blockquote> That's what I thought. You can use the puller like this to remove the axle from the hub, but you have to use it in another way or use something else to remove the hub from the knuckle. And of course using your puller or 3 jaw puller makes no difference. It's just using either of them to remove the hub from the knuckle by pushing the axle that bugs me.

Alan Lilly :
The text next to the “hub puller image” in the shop manual says “Press drive axle out of wheel hub.”

That’s what I thought. You can use the puller like this to remove the axle from the hub, but you have to use it in another way or use something else to remove the hub from the knuckle.

And of course using your puller or 3 jaw puller makes no difference. It’s just using either of them to remove the hub from the knuckle by pushing the axle that bugs me.

]]> By: Alan Lilly http://panofish.net/how-to-replace-a-98-vw-golf-front-bearing/comment-page-1/#comment-1010 Alan Lilly Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:57:21 +0000 http://panofish.net/?p=34#comment-1010 How is using the 3 jaw puller, different from using the hub puller? The mechanics are almost identical, except the jaw puller is hooked to the back of the hub and the hub puller is bolted to the hub puller. The text next to the "hub puller image" in the shop manual says "Press drive axle out of wheel hub." How is using the 3 jaw puller, different from using the hub puller? The mechanics are almost identical, except the jaw puller is hooked to the back of the hub and the hub puller is bolted to the hub puller.

The text next to the “hub puller image” in the shop manual says “Press drive axle out of wheel hub.”

]]> By: Alexander V. http://panofish.net/how-to-replace-a-98-vw-golf-front-bearing/comment-page-1/#comment-1009 Alexander V. Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:28:32 +0000 http://panofish.net/?p=34#comment-1009 <blockquote cite="#commentbody-1007"> <strong><a href="#comment-1007" rel="nofollow">Alan Lilly</a> :</strong> The first link uses a gear puller in the same manner as the hub puller that I used. <a href="http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=250295" rel="nofollow">http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=250295</a> </blockquote> Not quite. They use 3 jaw puller to push the axle from the hub, then use slide hammer to remove hub from the knuckle. Are you sure that in that shop manual the tool is not used only to remove the axle from the hub?

Alan Lilly :
The first link uses a gear puller in the same manner as the hub puller that I used.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=250295

Not quite. They use 3 jaw puller to push the axle from the hub, then use slide hammer to remove hub from the knuckle.
Are you sure that in that shop manual the tool is not used only to remove the axle from the hub?

]]> By: Alan Lilly http://panofish.net/how-to-replace-a-98-vw-golf-front-bearing/comment-page-1/#comment-1007 Alan Lilly Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:11:49 +0000 http://panofish.net/?p=34#comment-1007 The first link uses a gear puller in the same manner as the hub puller that I used. http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=250295 The second and third links are not a PLUS SUSPENSION. The axle/hub splines are not compressed and do not require much force to remove the hub from the axle unless there is some sticking due to rust (they used penetrant and a hammer!). The tools referenced in these posts are for removing and pressing the bearings. http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=269674 http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1722551 It is important to know whether your vehicle has a PLUS SUSPENSION. My 98 VW GOLF GTI is a "special edition" model which came with this. If it were a standard suspension... I wouldn't need to use a hub puller. I could have easily removed the entire knuckle with the bearing and hub in one piece. Then, I could use my 6-ton press to remove the hub and the bearings. Trust me ... you will not be able to remove the hub on a VW with PLUS SUSPENSION without a hub puller. AND you will not be able to reinstall the hub without the axle puller tool (see photos above). I don't know how many VW's have a PLUS SUSPENSION, but I guess it is not as common. The intent of the compressed splines was to completely eliminate backlash. The first link uses a gear puller in the same manner as the hub puller that I used.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=250295

The second and third links are not a PLUS SUSPENSION. The axle/hub splines are not compressed and do not require much force to remove the hub from the axle unless there is some sticking due to rust (they used penetrant and a hammer!). The tools referenced in these posts are for removing and pressing the bearings.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=269674
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1722551

It is important to know whether your vehicle has a PLUS SUSPENSION. My 98 VW GOLF GTI is a “special edition” model which came with this. If it were a standard suspension… I wouldn’t need to use a hub puller. I could have easily removed the entire knuckle with the bearing and hub in one piece. Then, I could use my 6-ton press to remove the hub and the bearings.

Trust me … you will not be able to remove the hub on a VW with PLUS SUSPENSION without a hub puller. AND you will not be able to reinstall the hub without the axle puller tool (see photos above).

I don’t know how many VW’s have a PLUS SUSPENSION, but I guess it is not as common. The intent of the compressed splines was to completely eliminate backlash.

]]> By: Alexander V. http://panofish.net/how-to-replace-a-98-vw-golf-front-bearing/comment-page-1/#comment-1006 Alexander V. Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:33:06 +0000 http://panofish.net/?p=34#comment-1006 Well there are plenty of methods on the internets. http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=250295 http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=269674 http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1722551 Well there are plenty of methods on the internets.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=250295

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=269674

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1722551

]]> By: Alan Lilly http://panofish.net/how-to-replace-a-98-vw-golf-front-bearing/comment-page-1/#comment-1005 Alan Lilly Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:24:22 +0000 http://panofish.net/?p=34#comment-1005 Yes, that image is from the shop manual under the hub removal section. Agreed the image is slightly misleading, because the caliper must be removed first, however, the rotor can be left in place (or not) while using the hub removal tool. The hub is only connected to the knuckle through the bearing. This is an important point. You can not remove the hub on this 98 VW Golf (WITH PLUS SUSPENSION) without destroying the bearings. This was not a problem for me since I was replacing the bad bearings anyway. In the above images you can see the hub has compressed splines in the middle... which mate to the splines on the axle. This Volkswagen hub design is different from most other cars. Are you suggesting an alternative way to remove the hub? This is the only method provided in the official VW shop manual. Yes, that image is from the shop manual under the hub removal section. Agreed the image is slightly misleading, because the caliper must be removed first, however, the rotor can be left in place (or not) while using the hub removal tool. The hub is only connected to the knuckle through the bearing. This is an important point. You can not remove the hub on this 98 VW Golf (WITH PLUS SUSPENSION) without destroying the bearings. This was not a problem for me since I was replacing the bad bearings anyway. In the above images you can see the hub has compressed splines in the middle… which mate to the splines on the axle. This Volkswagen hub design is different from most other cars. Are you suggesting an alternative way to remove the hub? This is the only method provided in the official VW shop manual.

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