Legacy wheel bearings
Discussion
I need at least one rear wheel bearing for a MY05 Legacy 3-litre Rn so I'm going to buy two for safety's sake (I tow so I want peace of mind). My favourite Subaru dealer can supply me with genuine Subaru parts but they're hideously expensive. They said they could supply after market wheel bearings too but there are none in stock and, to be honest, they're not what I'd call "cheap" anyway.
My car isn't worth a lot, although it's good and I've spent more than its value on it over the past 6 months in an effort at giving it some more years yet. Worthwhile IMO but there's a line...
So Ebay... In the US someone is selling NEW after market wheel bearings which, according to his auction, will fit my car for about £100 FOR TWO INCLUDING DELIVERY.
Seems too good to be true but there's a pic included. My only reservation is it states w/o ABS but I can't believe such a Legacy exists in any market anyway. Can anyone confirm please?
Many thanks.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-2-REAR-2005-2009-Sub...
My car isn't worth a lot, although it's good and I've spent more than its value on it over the past 6 months in an effort at giving it some more years yet. Worthwhile IMO but there's a line...
So Ebay... In the US someone is selling NEW after market wheel bearings which, according to his auction, will fit my car for about £100 FOR TWO INCLUDING DELIVERY.
Seems too good to be true but there's a pic included. My only reservation is it states w/o ABS but I can't believe such a Legacy exists in any market anyway. Can anyone confirm please?
Many thanks.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-2-REAR-2005-2009-Sub...
Crazysteve said:
Try your local autofactors, between £40- £65 ish for one bearing kit.
Plenty of bearings listed on fleabay.
Subaru will pull your pants down, if your handy with the spanners it will take 1 -2 hours per side.
Did my fozzy last year, a 55 plate for £55.
At that price, I would have a go myself.Plenty of bearings listed on fleabay.
Subaru will pull your pants down, if your handy with the spanners it will take 1 -2 hours per side.
Did my fozzy last year, a 55 plate for £55.
I'm not even sure who/where my local autofactors are however when I searched for the right part on Ebay, the one I linked to was one of a very few and easily the best advert. Others only sold genuine Subaru parts for ~£160 each side (delivered). This guy is selling them *delivered* from the US for ~£100 for TWO.
The pictures on the other Ebay ads look the same as the one from the US. I think I'm going to take a punt at it. I'll let you know how it works out when I'm crying over something clearly the wrong size later.
Edited by Watchman on Friday 13th July 14:52
As for the abs you should be able to fit the abs ring off your hubs, be careful when undoing the cap studs.
I changed a rear hub on my old ladys imprezza last year(hub( bearing had spun on the hub), found a earlier imprezza at our local scrappy but without abs, it all fitted ok.
If you go for the bearing change, you do not need a press.
I had a large soft punch and a small blow gun to heat the hub up to knock the old bearing out.
Same again for the inner part of the bearing which will still be on the hub.
Make sure the inside of the drive shaft that sits on the dust seal has been cleaned, if left rough it will shred the new seal and the bearing will not last long.
One other thing, i put the new bearing in the freezer a few hours before.
Heat the hub up with the blow torch and the bearing will drop right in, maybe a couple of light taps with a soft punch to seat it. I also had a clean damp wrag to wrap around the hub as soon as it was in to soak the exess heat away, so the grease does not melt.
have fun!!
I changed a rear hub on my old ladys imprezza last year(hub( bearing had spun on the hub), found a earlier imprezza at our local scrappy but without abs, it all fitted ok.
If you go for the bearing change, you do not need a press.
I had a large soft punch and a small blow gun to heat the hub up to knock the old bearing out.
Same again for the inner part of the bearing which will still be on the hub.
Make sure the inside of the drive shaft that sits on the dust seal has been cleaned, if left rough it will shred the new seal and the bearing will not last long.
One other thing, i put the new bearing in the freezer a few hours before.
Heat the hub up with the blow torch and the bearing will drop right in, maybe a couple of light taps with a soft punch to seat it. I also had a clean damp wrag to wrap around the hub as soon as it was in to soak the exess heat away, so the grease does not melt.
have fun!!
Hi - thanks for the tips but the Legacy's wheel bearings are all incorporated into the hubs since the generation 4 model (around 2003). This ought to make the job relatively simple as long as there is an incorporated magnetic ring for the ABS sensor.
I guess I'll see when it turns up.
I guess I'll see when it turns up.
Hi all,
I ordered the wheel bearings/hubs off the DetroitAxle seller on Ebay - he has a good reputation from other forums and has delivered them to my door for £102 (plus import charges of another £20 which is nothing to do with him).
They appear to be the real deal and it beggars belief how he can get them to me from the US for about 1/3rd of the price that suppliers in the UK can sell them for.
However, I am still none-the-wiser as to whether they have the ABS encoders built-in. I thought I might spin them around in my hand and see if they react to a magnet but they are made entirely of steel so they're magnetic all over. Test 1 = fail then.
I guess I'll have to fit them and see. Hopefully have time this weekend.
Pics:
I ordered the wheel bearings/hubs off the DetroitAxle seller on Ebay - he has a good reputation from other forums and has delivered them to my door for £102 (plus import charges of another £20 which is nothing to do with him).
They appear to be the real deal and it beggars belief how he can get them to me from the US for about 1/3rd of the price that suppliers in the UK can sell them for.
However, I am still none-the-wiser as to whether they have the ABS encoders built-in. I thought I might spin them around in my hand and see if they react to a magnet but they are made entirely of steel so they're magnetic all over. Test 1 = fail then.
I guess I'll have to fit them and see. Hopefully have time this weekend.
Pics:
Your magnet test might still work of you have a rectangle magnet so you get North Pole at one end and South pole at the other. You might feel a push from the internal magnets if there are any, and if they are strong enough.
Alternatively get some iron filings or drill into a block of steel so you get fine swarf. Sprinkle it over the hub and see if any of it magically sticks to the hub.
Alternatively get some iron filings or drill into a block of steel so you get fine swarf. Sprinkle it over the hub and see if any of it magically sticks to the hub.
I've just downloaded a PDF which says:
CAUTION:
• Be careful not to damage the magnetic encoder.
• Do not get closer the tool which charged magnetism to magnetic encorder.
Which suggests I shouldn't arsed about with it at all.
Oops.
I'll install one this weekend and see if the ABS objects. If it doesn't, I'll do the other.
CAUTION:
• Be careful not to damage the magnetic encoder.
• Do not get closer the tool which charged magnetism to magnetic encorder.
Which suggests I shouldn't arsed about with it at all.
Oops.
I'll install one this weekend and see if the ABS objects. If it doesn't, I'll do the other.
Managed to replace one today before the rain stopped me. The noise from the rear right has definitely gone because I can now hear the noise from the rear left.
There are no ABS warnings. I removed the ABS sensor before removing the hub in accordance with the instructions PDF I found.
The old hub "grinds" as you turn it by hand. Wonder how long it would have lasted for before exploding or something else catestrophic?
There are no ABS warnings. I removed the ABS sensor before removing the hub in accordance with the instructions PDF I found.
The old hub "grinds" as you turn it by hand. Wonder how long it would have lasted for before exploding or something else catestrophic?
ScoobieWRX said:
Doesn't bare thinking about, especially when one of your wheels starts to overtake you 
I *think* these fail "safe", i.e. the hub body holds the spinny-part captive in the event of a total bearing failure.I *think*. Don't want to think too far outside of this because I yet have one to do.
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