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If you car is quite loud with road noise, you may have a wheel bearing issue.
The rears are so easy to do it's almost insulting the car to not do them. That said a noisy bearing can be perfectly safe for many many miles so it's (usually) more about user comfort than safety.
REAR WHEEL HUB/BEARING
Jack up and support the car and remove the wheels. Do both sides as a new hub is only £30 and comes complete with a new nut and end cover.
The domed centre cover is removed with a screwdriver you can hit with a hammer or a blunt cold chisel.
With a drum brake model, remove the drum leaving shoes in place. If it's a disc brake you have to remove the caliper before you can remove the brake disc.
You now need a 600mm breaker bar and 32mm socket to remove the centre nut. One that's off the hub will slide off the spindle. If there is a spacer under the hub DO NOT LOSE IT and remember to keep the thick washer from under the retaining nut.
Fitting the new hub is just a case of reassembling everything. The centre nut has to be done to some humungous torque of 280Nm. This is impossible without a special torque wrench. I set mine to max and then used the breaker bar to turn it a little more. I can't suggest this is "correct" but I've done a few wheel bearings and never had any issues with wheel retaining nuts. In all honesty I would be more worried about over tightening than under-tightening.
The fronts are a bigger issue. You will need a wheel bearing fitting kit. They cost about £40 from eBay or special order from Euro Car Parts.
FRONT HUB BEARING
This time you must loosen the centre nut. BEFORE you remove the brake as the brake is needed to lock the wheel while you loosen the nut. You can do the job with the brake removed but will need a strong flat bar drilled 12mm to accept a wheel nut. This is used as a lever to stop the hub turning.
The nut is 36mm often only available as an impact socket. It may not sit all the way over the nut but should be enough to get it loose.
Now remove the hub carrier. This is the bottom ball joint pinch bolt, strut clamp (two bolts) and track rod end (rod end separator tool needed).
In my case one of the strut clamp bolts were extremely tight so I ended up using the angle grinder and slitting disc. Go across the nut at 45 degrees about 80% through. The nut will now split and the bolt comes out. You will need a pair of new bolts from Fiat. However, they are metric fine high tensile so should be available from a fasteners factors.
Dont forget the ABS sensor. This is retained by a socket cap screw. You may need a sharp screwdriver to carefully lever the sensor out of its housing. It can be a very tight fit. Use copper paste when reassembling.
The drive shaft is splined into the hub so should slide off the CV joint. While finally taking out the hub carrier, be careful to not dislodge the driveshaft CV joints.
You now have a hub seemingly welded into the carrier how the heck do I remove this!!!
The chances are the outer bearing inner race will come away with the splined centre hub and the other one will fall out. More later on that. This is where your bearing removal tool comes in. Use the appropriate spacer washers and centre screw to force the bearing outer race out of the hub carrier. You will need the bearing inner for the tool to press against. Make sure the screw is VERY well lubricated. I used copper grease.
You "can" hammer the bearing race out but it needs considerable force so not the best option. Ideally use a press.
NOTE there is a circlip retaining the bearing. It slips out with a suitable screwdriver. No special pliers needed.
Once its all apart, clean up the hub carrier, paying special attention to any damage to the bore where the wheel bearing fits. A past bodge job can put burrs into the bore. These will need to be cleaned up. Don't forget to clean the ABS sensor hole. Smear on some copper grease.
As hinted earlier, the hub centre will probably have half of the inner bearing stuck in place. You have three options -
(1) Use a special wedge tool to remove the bearing
(2) Buy a new hub centre (not expensive to be fair)
(3) Split the old bearing race and slide it off.
To split the race use an angle grinder and slitting disc to cut a slot across the bearing race. It will be a diagonal cut. DO NOT GO TOO DEEP or you'll cut the hub centre. When you have a slot, use the cold chisel to crack the bearing race. You need a good solid bench vice and a firm blow. The race now slides off easily.
Now its time to fit the new bearing.
I heated the carrier in the oven to 180C and chilled the bearing to -20 in the freezer, but the fit is so tight it probably made little difference. However it did allow me to get the bearing half way in without getting it misaligned. The special bearing tool will now allow you to wind it into place. It's also worth applying some light oil to the hub carrier bore. Every little helps.
DO NOT USE FORES ON THE INNER RACE as this will damage the tracks and balls. use a suitable tube or flanged washer to bear ONLY on the outer race.
The bearing has to be fitted with the magnetic (ABS) ring towards the inside. This is the dark side of the bearing and may come away complete with the inner race. If it does come loose keep it clean and put it aside. Same with the other end bearing.
When done, refit the circlip.
Fitting the splined hub centre is also done with the bearing tool just press it into place.
TIP - if the bearing inners come loose hold the carrier vertical and fit the bearings from below. This seems to let the balls slip into the race more easily. Make sure you get them the right way around!!! Dark coloured seal goes to the inside where the ABS pick ups sits.
Rebuilding the hub is just - well - a rebuild job. In my case the strut clamp bolts were recoverable. I was able to re-use them but you would be advised to get new bolts.
The rears are so easy to do it's almost insulting the car to not do them. That said a noisy bearing can be perfectly safe for many many miles so it's (usually) more about user comfort than safety.
REAR WHEEL HUB/BEARING
Jack up and support the car and remove the wheels. Do both sides as a new hub is only £30 and comes complete with a new nut and end cover.
The domed centre cover is removed with a screwdriver you can hit with a hammer or a blunt cold chisel.
With a drum brake model, remove the drum leaving shoes in place. If it's a disc brake you have to remove the caliper before you can remove the brake disc.
You now need a 600mm breaker bar and 32mm socket to remove the centre nut. One that's off the hub will slide off the spindle. If there is a spacer under the hub DO NOT LOSE IT and remember to keep the thick washer from under the retaining nut.
Fitting the new hub is just a case of reassembling everything. The centre nut has to be done to some humungous torque of 280Nm. This is impossible without a special torque wrench. I set mine to max and then used the breaker bar to turn it a little more. I can't suggest this is "correct" but I've done a few wheel bearings and never had any issues with wheel retaining nuts. In all honesty I would be more worried about over tightening than under-tightening.
The fronts are a bigger issue. You will need a wheel bearing fitting kit. They cost about £40 from eBay or special order from Euro Car Parts.
FRONT HUB BEARING
This time you must loosen the centre nut. BEFORE you remove the brake as the brake is needed to lock the wheel while you loosen the nut. You can do the job with the brake removed but will need a strong flat bar drilled 12mm to accept a wheel nut. This is used as a lever to stop the hub turning.
The nut is 36mm often only available as an impact socket. It may not sit all the way over the nut but should be enough to get it loose.
Now remove the hub carrier. This is the bottom ball joint pinch bolt, strut clamp (two bolts) and track rod end (rod end separator tool needed).
In my case one of the strut clamp bolts were extremely tight so I ended up using the angle grinder and slitting disc. Go across the nut at 45 degrees about 80% through. The nut will now split and the bolt comes out. You will need a pair of new bolts from Fiat. However, they are metric fine high tensile so should be available from a fasteners factors.
Dont forget the ABS sensor. This is retained by a socket cap screw. You may need a sharp screwdriver to carefully lever the sensor out of its housing. It can be a very tight fit. Use copper paste when reassembling.
The drive shaft is splined into the hub so should slide off the CV joint. While finally taking out the hub carrier, be careful to not dislodge the driveshaft CV joints.
You now have a hub seemingly welded into the carrier how the heck do I remove this!!!
The chances are the outer bearing inner race will come away with the splined centre hub and the other one will fall out. More later on that. This is where your bearing removal tool comes in. Use the appropriate spacer washers and centre screw to force the bearing outer race out of the hub carrier. You will need the bearing inner for the tool to press against. Make sure the screw is VERY well lubricated. I used copper grease.
You "can" hammer the bearing race out but it needs considerable force so not the best option. Ideally use a press.
NOTE there is a circlip retaining the bearing. It slips out with a suitable screwdriver. No special pliers needed.
Once its all apart, clean up the hub carrier, paying special attention to any damage to the bore where the wheel bearing fits. A past bodge job can put burrs into the bore. These will need to be cleaned up. Don't forget to clean the ABS sensor hole. Smear on some copper grease.
As hinted earlier, the hub centre will probably have half of the inner bearing stuck in place. You have three options -
(1) Use a special wedge tool to remove the bearing
(2) Buy a new hub centre (not expensive to be fair)
(3) Split the old bearing race and slide it off.
To split the race use an angle grinder and slitting disc to cut a slot across the bearing race. It will be a diagonal cut. DO NOT GO TOO DEEP or you'll cut the hub centre. When you have a slot, use the cold chisel to crack the bearing race. You need a good solid bench vice and a firm blow. The race now slides off easily.
Now its time to fit the new bearing.
I heated the carrier in the oven to 180C and chilled the bearing to -20 in the freezer, but the fit is so tight it probably made little difference. However it did allow me to get the bearing half way in without getting it misaligned. The special bearing tool will now allow you to wind it into place. It's also worth applying some light oil to the hub carrier bore. Every little helps.
DO NOT USE FORES ON THE INNER RACE as this will damage the tracks and balls. use a suitable tube or flanged washer to bear ONLY on the outer race.
The bearing has to be fitted with the magnetic (ABS) ring towards the inside. This is the dark side of the bearing and may come away complete with the inner race. If it does come loose keep it clean and put it aside. Same with the other end bearing.
When done, refit the circlip.
Fitting the splined hub centre is also done with the bearing tool just press it into place.
TIP - if the bearing inners come loose hold the carrier vertical and fit the bearings from below. This seems to let the balls slip into the race more easily. Make sure you get them the right way around!!! Dark coloured seal goes to the inside where the ABS pick ups sits.
Rebuilding the hub is just - well - a rebuild job. In my case the strut clamp bolts were recoverable. I was able to re-use them but you would be advised to get new bolts.
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