Wheel hub - anyone need any?

[TT Tim]

Hi,

This is just speculative at the moment but, as I'm rebuilding the suspension on my car I'm thinking about replacing the wheel hubs, as you can't change the bearing alone.

The best price in the UK seems to be around £120 from some suppliers, but I have a cost around £70-75 delivered from Florida for a US made hub assembly.

I'm thinking that if we need a few then I may be able to get the shipping costs down, as, at the moment the shipping is 2/3 the cost of the hub!

As I said at the start, this is just an idea, but I'd be like to know if there's any interest.

Tim

[trackcar]

there was a guy selling them on ebay .. an order from tvr that was never paid for .. he might still be around somewhere? 70 odd quid sounds a bargain though

[Olly]

Tim, these were all supposed to be replaced under a factory recall in 1999/2000 (from memory), so you may find some dealers have spare ones knocking around in their store room ?
(if your car has been done, there should be a stickers next to the VIN plate in teh engine bay)

May well be like looking for that infamous rocking horse sh1t though !

[longbow]

I think you're mistaking the uprights for the wheel bearing assembly....... as far as I am aware, there have never been any recalls for the bearings.

[TT Tim]

Hi windsor,

Happy New Year. Quick question, how did you get the hubs out of the upright? I'm horrified at the quality of the materials that TVR have used and don't want to damage the aluminium upright, most metals seem to be more like Plasticine that steel.

Tim

[Ireland]

Excuse my stupidity but why can't the bearing be changed?

I've never opened this bit of my car so I really don't know what's in there.

[TT Tim]

I'll post some pics tomorrow, but basically the outer case acts as the race with two sets of caged ball bearings in the center.

Apparently I shouldn't have taken it apart. D'oh!

Tim

[longbow]

Hey Tim, Happy New Year! Finally started the strip I see. Yes, when I did the wheel bearings the first one all seemed to fall apart in a big mess and I thought I couldn't be bothered even trying to rebuild them. Also, they come as complete assemblies new.

I was really unlucky with bearings - I had to pay full whack, nearly £600, and then a week later some sod put 4 new ones on ebay that sold for around £25 for the lot!!!!

The bearing assemblies are held in place with 3 large (8mm I think) bolts, hex head, that are recessed in the inner face of the uprights. You'll need a long extension hex to get into them past the bearing itself, but be very careful not to round them off!!

If you have a look through my rebuild pages, you should be able to see the bolts in the hub photos. The upright castings adid ppear quite brittle.

Edited by longbow on Wednesday 2nd January 23:45

[Olly]

longbow said:

I think you're mistaking the uprights for the wheel bearing assembly....... as far as I am aware, there have never been any recalls for the bearings.

Oops - my bad !

[TT Tim]

longbow said:

Hey Tim, Happy New Year! Finally started the strip I see. Yes, when I did the wheel bearings the first one all seemed to fall apart in a big mess and I thought I couldn't be bothered even trying to rebuild them. Also, they come as complete assemblies new.

I was really unlucky with bearings - I had to pay full whack, nearly £600, and then a week later some sod put 4 new ones on ebay that sold for around £25 for the lot!!!!

The bearing assemblies are held in place with 3 large (8mm I think) bolts, hex head, that are recessed in the inner face of the uprights. You'll need a long extension hex to get into them past the bearing itself, but be very careful not to round them off!!

If you have a look through my rebuild pages, you should be able to see the bolts in the hub photos. The upright castings adid ppear quite brittle.

Edited by longbow on Wednesday 2nd January 23:45

Ta mate, I assume that it's just a large copper hammer to 'drive' the hubs out of the uprights? I have the 3 hex bolts out. Your uprights look different to mine.

Also, the hubs themselves, they are standard Jeep items aren't they? I've done my research but it would be good to hear from someone who's actually changed them themselves.

Thanks again

Tim

[longbow]

Yes Tim, they are Jeep items. Sorry, I see what you are asking now - yes, after you've removed the three bolts you may need to tap them out with a mallet - but there is nothing else holding them in other than the bolts. A liberal spray of WD40 might help!!

[TT Tim]

Thanks Windsor

Tim

[cymtriks]

Olly said:

Tim, these were all supposed to be replaced under a factory recall in 1999/2000 (from memory), so you may find some dealers have spare ones knocking around in their store room ?
(if your car has been done, there should be a stickers next to the VIN plate in teh engine bay)

May well be like looking for that infamous rocking horse sh1t though !

I'm sure I heard this to. There was a thread about a fatal accident(can't find it as the search facility only goes back 2 years!) due to internal corrosion IIRC.

[Ireland]

One of the other Irish Cerb owners (a regular lurker but not a regular poster on here) mentioned to me that he'd changed one of the bearings on his.

Next time I meet him I'll ask him about it (or Seanie, are you reading here and fancy doing a bit of posting?).

[julian64]

TT, sorry, might be out of kilter here, but if this is something your in the middle of don't use a copper hammer. I have a ten tonne press, and a set of bearing drifts sitting on a bench in my garage. You are welcome of an evening to pop down and use it.

[TT Tim]

Thanks Julian, yes I am in the middle of it, have the front stripped and have just got back with a 41mm socket to take the rears apart.

May well take you up on your very kind offer. Thanks.

Tim

[julian64]

Any time, just email me on my profile.

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/images/library/produc...

In the time I've had it, its been the only thing I've ever used to get an old bearing out or a new bearing back in without it looking like its been damaged.