Front wheel bearing swap

[foxxinabox at wideopenwest.com (foxxinabox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)]

> Gotta come out of lurk mode again for this one. So the front pass 
> side wheel bearing decided to go from woah woah to click click. I've 
> got a replacement bearing and hub (figured wouldn't hurt) along with 
> a new drivers tie rod coming on Friday. The problem is that my car 
> is about 90 mi from my tools at my folk's house. So reading my 
> Bentley I know what needs to be done. Just wondering if its possible 
> to get the bearing out without all the specialty press tools in the 
> manual? I have access to a press but not a ton of press accessories 
> and I think I've got all the hand tools to get it all apart.

  You will need a wheel bearing press to get the old bearing out and the new
one in. If not your hub carrier is shot. You can have this done at a shop or
Harbor Freight makes the press kit for about $80 (see wheel bearing adapters)
which utilizes hand tools. FWIW, the press kit will pay for itself fairly
quickly insofar that you can do it on the car and avoid have a new alignment.
OTOH, you're replacing a tie rod so that's a mute point. Also, from the sounds
you're describing, you may want to check your CV joint. I've replaced a dozen
bearings but have never heard one click, only rumble really loud.
  I don't have the Bentley with me at work but this is what I remember having
to do to replaced the wheel bearing with the Harbor Freight tool:

1) Break the axle nut loose (28mm, IIRC) and remove. You will likely need
someone in the car on the brake and a 4'-6' lever on the end of a breaker bar
if you don't have air tools. I have broken two breaker bars on these.

2) Remove the wheel.

3) Remove the caliper from the carrier and hang off the spring with a piece of
wire (so you don't have to bleed the brakes by taking the hose off).

4) Remove the bolt for the ball joint and pop loose. The carrier should now
move enough to slip the axle out, even with the tie rod still connected. Since
you're replacing the tie rod, you should remove it before you undo the ball joint.

5) Run two long bolts through opposite holes in the wheel hub and tighten at
roughly the same time (two complete turns on one, two complete turns on the
other). Take a lug bolt to a hardware store so you get the correct size and
thread. IIRC, I use subframe bolts from an A3 for this. Use some sort of
backing plate so you don't ruin your dust plate. I personally use two old
railroad spikes. 

6) Likely part of the bearing will come off still attached to the hub. This
will need to be removed with an air hammer or heat and a dremel tool. Be
careful not to cut or damage the hub. This shouldn't be a problem if you're
replacing the hub at the same time.

7) Remove the circlips from BOTH the back and the front of the carrier. You
will need a good set of pliers to do this as the cheap ones will break. You
should use a lubricant or penetrating fluid to help with this.

8) Find the correct circular spacer to fit over the end of the carrier and
it's corresponding plate. Locate the correct size adapter for your bearing
(you can match this up with a new bearing). Slide a washer over the end of the
long bolt, followed by the plate and the spacer, put all that through the old
bearing and carrier, and slide on the bearing adapter, the second washer, and
the long nut. Tighten all snug and go to town AFTER making sure everything is
aligned properly. It WILL take some effort to break the old bearing loose. The
whole contraption will sort of fall apart when the bearing finally falls into
the spacer.

9) Wipe out any crud in the carrier and clean up the circlips. Place the outer
circlip back into place and remove the old bearing from the tool.

10) Hand press the new bearing into place on the inside of the carrier and
reassemble the tool and mentioned in step 8. I usually apply a very thin layer
of axle grease to the inside of the carrier to help pressing it back in.
Slowly tighten the bearing into place. There will be good resistance when it
begins to press against the outer circlip. Remove the tool and reinstall the
inner circlip.

11) Flip the tool around and insert it from the inside of the carrier sticking
 out. Place the hub on the bolt and tighten the nut to drive the hub into
place. You may need to remove the spacer to do this. This is a fairly easy
press and you will feel resistance when it gets in place.

12) Reassembly is the reverse of disassembly. Just make sure you tighten down
that axle nut.