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Rear wheel bearing Defender


white90

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Not quite so straight forward as it seems - there is no flexi hose, so the caliper has to be removed. One of the caliper retaining bolts is also very close to the spring, so I suppose the spring should either be removed, or a good fit spanner used to undo it. The caliper bolts are very tight, so I had to use a socket. Method to replace the inner and outer bearing, plus the associated seal is as follows:-

Slacken the wheel nuts and the drive flange bolts, then raise and support the axle.

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The drive flange and driveshaft can be removed as a single item, but there's clunk that needs looking for, and it's fairly common for the driveshaft/flange splines to wear.

Prize off the end cap:-

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Undo the 5x17mm head bolts, remove the circlip, and then remove the drive flange. The driveshaft will then just pull out of the axle tube.

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The splines inside the flange and the driveshaft are both badly worn, so new items will be fitted at the same time.

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With the flange out of the way the wheel bearing retaining nuts can be seen. This is just old grease that's gone hard, and the smell of it indicates that it's been subjected to excessive heat.

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The caliper has to be removed, so clean around the pipe connection, and then undo it with a 11mm spanner, and block the end of the pipe to prevent the brake fluid from emptying the rear brake system completely. If the brake pipe is in poor condition you may consider replacing it at the same time, it goes across the back axle as is easy to get at.

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The caliper is held the axle by 2 x 13mm 12-point bolts that are very tight and locktited in place. The lower one is easy to get at, and a good fitting socket will remove it. The top bolt is in a narrow gap between the spring and caliper. I would imagine that the spring should be removed or maybe a good-fitting spanner will undo it. I would rather use a socket, and if you knock a chisel in between the lower spring coils, then the gap becomes wide enough for a socket bar to fit through the spring.

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The two caliper bolts - they are very tight.

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Lever the caliper off the disc and rest it out of the way and upright, so that the fluid doesn't drain out of it.

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Bend back the lockwasher with a blunt chisel/old scredriver.

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Using the right sze box spanner - undo the outer nut.

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If the washer is in reasonably good condition it can be flattened and re-used. A new one is just a few pence.

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The second nut can now be removed.

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Lever out the oil seal and the bearing race will drop out.

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Using a suitable drift - knock each bearing track out from either side of the hub.

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Place the new track in the hub and using an old track - knock it in until it's seated correctly.

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Apply a thick layer of grease to the new track

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Also work grease into the new bearing race.

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The inner and outer bearings are the same, but keep them seperate from each other.

Also clean and then grease the stub axle, including the land at the back.

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Carefully slide the hub back on the stub axle, replace the spacer

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Replace the first nut and tighten by whichever method you prefer (by torque figure, or by feel)

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The tab washer and then the outer nut. Bend one side outwards to lock the outer nut, and then inwards on the opposite side to lock the inner nut. If you are re-using the old tab washer, use a different part of it for the two bends than was used originally.

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New driveshaft and flange fitted.

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Replace the caliper - don't forget to use thread lock on the bolts and tighten them correctly, bleed the brake, replace the road wheel, and that's the job completed.

The owner of the vehicle knew the bearing was shot and continued to drive. Fortunately he got away with it - normally the bearing heats up and rapidly destroys itself - sometimes friction welding the inner track of the bearing to the stub axle. If you suspect the bearing is worn, then replace it as soon as possible.

Les.

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