front wheel bearing replacement

[rjf123]

I need to replace the front wheel bearings on my 99 996. I have the shop manual, and I understand how to press them out, but what is unclear in the manual are the steps necessary to remove the wheel carrier. Can you shed some light on this, or point me to a good reference?

[ar38070]

I need to replace the front wheel bearings on my 99 996. I have the shop manual, and I understand how to press them out, but what is unclear in the manual are the steps necessary to remove the wheel carrier. Can you shed some light on this, or point me to a good reference?

Briefly,

1) Take off the wheel

2) Take off the Brake caliper and rotor, disconnect the ABS sensor

3) Disconnect the sway bar

4) Using the correct tool, pop the two ball joints, one for steering arm, one for the control arm

5) Lift the wheel carrier off of the ball joints, you will have to compress the spring/strut to do this

6) Either slide the wheel carrier off of the strut or undo the 3 nuts holding the top of the strut to the body and take the wheel carrier/strut assembly off of the car

ed

[rjf123]

I need to replace the front wheel bearings on my 99 996. I have the shop manual, and I understand how to press them out, but what is unclear in the manual are the steps necessary to remove the wheel carrier. Can you shed some light on this, or point me to a good reference?

Briefly,

1) Take off the wheel

2) Take off the Brake caliper and rotor, disconnect the ABS sensor

3) Disconnect the sway bar

4) Using the correct tool, pop the two ball joints, one for steering arm, one for the control arm

5) Lift the wheel carrier off of the ball joints, you will have to compress the spring/strut to do this

6) Either slide the wheel carrier off of the strut or undo the 3 nuts holding the top of the strut to the body and take the wheel carrier/strut assembly off of the car

ed

Thanks Ed,

Tell me this. I have a press we were going to use to push the bearing in and out. The shop manual show a "tool" which looks to be only a series of appropriate sized pipes. Is it critical to use this tool or can I use sockets and such to subsititute? If it is critical, is this tool available? The B90 bearing puller sold by Sirtools, I'm told, will not work on the front bearings.

Ross

[ar38070]

Thanks Ed,

Tell me this. I have a press we were going to use to push the bearing in and out. The shop manual show a "tool" which looks to be only a series of appropriate sized pipes. Is it critical to use this tool or can I use sockets and such to subsititute? If it is critical, is this tool available? The B90 bearing puller sold by Sirtools, I'm told, will not work on the front bearings.

Ross

You can order the Porsche tools from the dealer.

I have the B90 and it works fine. However if you only buy the Porsche kit (as opposed to the master kit) you do not get all of the pieces that you need (you also have to buy the hub extractor bracket and an adapter plate). The B90-P can put the bearing in but without the extractor bracket you cannot take it out.

You do not need them however. Without the tools the tricky part is that when you put the wheel carrier in the press it is a little tricky getting it level so that when you use a socket or piece of pipe to push out the hub and then the wheel bearing everything is square. It is hard to get level as the surface of the wheel carrier is not flat so that when you support the wheel carrier you need different size supports. It is kind of hard to describe but you will see what I mean once you have the wheel carrier in your hands and you try to support in on the press.

You will also need a bearing or pulley puller/separator as when you first push out the wheel hub the inner bearing race retainer will separate from the bearing and will still be attached to the wheel hub.

When you start this put the new bearing in the freezer and when you reassemble heat the wheel carrier with a torch and reinserting the bearing will go easier.

ed

[9nine6]

I need to replace the front wheel bearings on my 99 996. I have the shop manual, and I understand how to press them out, but what is unclear in the manual are the steps necessary to remove the wheel carrier. Can you shed some light on this, or point me to a good reference?

FWIW I just went through the same thing for the left front, It was a PIA for the first time. I asked the same questions, and got little help.

YOU do not have to remove wheel carrier, therefore no alignment is necessary

The SIR porsche I'm told will work if you get the porsche one WITH the attachments.

Check out the OTC Hubtamer kit, which I used, heat the wheel nut, freeze the bearing, Hub and Axel on the install. I did not heat the wheel carrier, not necessary and I felt there was too much mass to heat.

BTW try an get someone the help you that has replaced wheel bearings before, don't have to be experienced on the 996.

Key to the whole thing is to remove the top bolt on the front droplink, and push down on the wheel carrier so the axel will clear the back. It will make sense when you get into it.

\Good luck

Roy S