Front Wheel Bearing - Diy Job?

[TIMH]

Hi All

 

I think one of my front wheel bearings is on it's way out, car is a 99 S1.

 

I'm fairly handy with spanners and used to do all the servicing on my old cars before the company cars came along, my problem is that I have no confidence in the local main dealer and Horizon are over 80 miles away and by the noise it's making I'm not prepared to risk the wheel falling off when I'm on the motorway!

 

My questions are........

 

1. Is it easy to do?

2. Any special tools required?

3. How long to do?

4. There is a non lotus "motorsport" specialist down the road, do I just take it there?

 

Advice please

 

Ta

 

Tim.

[niallf]

Think the only complicated things are needing a press to press out the bearing and long pole/breaker bar to get the hub nut loose**.

Useful thread here... Linky

 

Niall

 

** not done it though !

[Martin R]

You will need a 3/4 inch breaker bar and a suitable socket. Also a means to stop the hub turning as you undo the nut. Ive seen scaffolding poles used as they are tight. Also a oven to heat the hub up and a press to get the bearing in. Not that hard but not really DIY unless you have the stuff to do it HTH.

[jhall89]

Just doing the job myself on my 2000 S1; no play but nasty grinding noise! - removing hubs is straightforward but I have taken them to my local specialist to press out old bearings and fit new. Hardest part was getting brake dust plate plate off the hub to get access to lower plinth bolts - they are secured with 3mm allen heads - and allen bolt heads securing steering arms get filled with crap and need cleaning out before you try and remove.

 

On reassembly you must remember to use loctite on steering arms and caliper bolts and torque up to 45NM - apparently easy to overtighten and strip hub threads if you don't use a torque wrench! Also need to coat adjoining surfaces between alloy hubs and steel parts with stuff to prevent corrosion - I use copperslip.

 

Am picking up this PM - will let you know how much this evening

[jhall89]

Picked up from Paul Matty this PM and job was £127 - 1hrs labour plus bearings X2. Seems good value as Lotus Dealer charges £420+ for the front end!

[Elise+Imp]

I did both front bearings on my car last year. nothing tricky about the general spanner work (if you're used to it) but make a note of where suspension shims go. If you don't have access to a press then get a garage to press out / in the bearings. I didn't and struggled a little getting the old bearings out, but the new ones went in fine with just a 5" bench vice as everything was nice and clean.

 

Cheers

Brian