Wheel bearings! (1 Viewer)

dave newell

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I know several members have experienced wheel bearing failures on Ducatos (also applies to Boxers and Relays) and although I hadn't had to replace one for over a year prior to October last year it seems there is an epidemic of the buggers since then, a month or so ago we did seven in two days (all four on one vehicle and three on another). I'd just like to make an observation on the replacement of them.

If you hear a rumbling/droning noise that gets louder when turning one way and quieter on the other direction it is almost certainly a wheel bearing failing. If you hear something then get it checked as soon as possible!

The reason I say this is that it has become apparent to me that if not replaced soon enough the bearing will run hot and the drive flange will become very tight in the bearing. This not only increases the chance of total failure but it also makes replacement more troublesome.

I used to have a ten Tonne press in the workshop for wheel bearings but this year it has been of rapidly diminishing use. The last six front wheel bearings have needed massive force to remove the flange, ranging from 12 to near on 40 Tonnes! I kid you not folks, here's a photo of my new (four weeks old) 30 ton press in action, as you will see from the photo it is sitting at close to 30 tons pressure and the flange is being defiant. The flange finally gave in at 32.5 Tonnes and a few big hits with a large hammer.

Conversely if dealt with early enough it can take as little as six Tonnes to shift them.
30tonpress.jpg


D.
 

andy63

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Hi Dave I recently did a front wheel bearing on a mk7 transit.. when I asked the local garage to press it off the hub they told me that their press often couldn't remove them and advised cutting it off and grind the inner races until they split and could be pulled off.. They obviously need to invest in the sort of gear you have..
That's what I ended up doing rather reluctantly but it worked ..
Ta andy
 
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dave newell

dave newell

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The thing is most local garages don't do enough big stuff to warrant the outlay on a press bigger than ten tonnes, one small garage near to me uses a fly press more often than not. As it happens they came round yesterday afternoon to borrow my press to do a Ducato Maxi front wheel brg and that took 26 tonnes to get the flange out then 12 tonnes to press the bearing out of the hub carrier. The moral of this thread was more to highlight getting them done as soon as you notice the noise rather than leaving it till they're really bad. Some garages might not try so hard and just say its all scrap and you need a new flange, bearing and hub carrier at goodness knows what cost.

D.

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Jun 10, 2010
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Thanks for an interesting post.

In your experience is a particular variant/years that have more problems than others?

Jon
x250 based owner.
 
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dave newell

dave newell

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Thanks for an interesting post.

In your experience is a particular variant/years that have more problems than others?

Jon
x250 based owner.

Not done many X250s as yet but they're still relatively new and in fairness to Fiat/Peugeot/Citroen we really only see a small number of their vans so I'm not entirely convinced there's a major problem with the design.

D.
 

davejen

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It might NOT be the design, but a bad batch of bearings.........
Cheers, Dave(y)

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Feb 16, 2013
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We have a boxer based van that had a bearing replaced at 15000 according to the service history, anyway while we have had it , it had to be done again 25000, and when we got it out , it was a genuine one , well there used to be a guy posted on here , got a garage in Derbyshire somewhere, said you had to put genuine in at about £100 but as it was a weekend we could only get a cheap place one, around £30 so anyway back to the point it's now done 45000 so the cheapo as done nearly twice as many miles as the genuine ones, I know I'm tempting fate now but it is true.
But to your point we didn't have anything fancy to get it out so got it on the back of the jcb and got a ram on it , didn't stand that long, bang.
 

Wildman

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so I suppose a lump hammer and drift just won't cut it, hee hee
why not use a pipe freezing kit to shrink it so it drops out.
 
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dave newell

dave newell

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so I suppose a lump hammer and drift just won't cut it, hee hee
why not use a pipe freezing kit to shrink it so it drops out.

Not in my experience Roger but feel free to try it and prove me wrong :). No reason not to try a pipe freezing kit except I don't have one but do have a 30 ton press ;-)


D.

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