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Date:         Thu, 5 May 2011 13:01:04 -0700
Reply-To:     Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject:      Re: Brake Job Front and Back 85 2wd vanagon. Wheel bearing
              question.
Comments: To: T Collins <tonycollin@GMAIL.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

lol, I recommend avoiding buying parts in advance, but rather take things apart, find out *exactly* what you need, then get those. then do the work.

the front wheel bearings are not likely to need replacing. I suppose the worst that could happen if you get them in advance, assuming they provide you with the right ones........is that you won't need them, and then you'll return them.

Personally, I do not like to make someone get out the parts, do the paperwork......... for my convenience, so I'll have them in case I need them....... then I return the parts. That's a complete waste of a parts person's time.. Parts people even have a term for this .....they even sometimes jokingly say 'it's not a new parts rental service' .

the rear bearings are a big job ... not something you'll undertake casually while doing a rear brake job.

the outer rear wheel bearing 'just wears' ..........steadily. It's under a lot of load. I have never seen one actually fail, but I have seen them just get more worn and looser as the miles build up.

what I do is with the rear wheels off the ground, tires still on, parking brake off, wiggle the rear wheels up-down and see how much play there is. if the top of the wheel moves in and out about 1/8th inch ..that's fairly common, normal even.

if it's much more than that .. then you start thinking about the rear wheel bearings being due on that side.

I have heard of them failing ...even the housing being ruined ( but for that to happen someone would have had to drive it with bad rear wheel bearings for like 2 years , or more ....it's impossible to imagine to me. ) .. All I have ever personally seen is .. they just get more and more play/looseness, and eventually you know it's time to do them.

unlike the front wheel bearings, there is no adjustment involved with the rear wheel bearings, they are either ok, or they are not.

the IDEAL cycle to fix something on a vanagon or car is .. Note the symptoms you wish to work on. Park the van where it can sit while it is apart. Take things apart, find out what you need. Get those parts. Then do the work carefully.

that will produce the best result, getting only the parts you need, and the 'right' parts ( take the old ones with for matching if going to a parts store ) .

here's another 'rule' ..learned from experience.. *as soon as you get the parts* .........*check that they are the right ones, that they match.*

it is guaranteed that if you wait until Sunday afternoon to do the work, and you didn't make sure you really truly had the correct matching parts. ...one of them will be wrong........ so always check immediately, at the very first opportunity, that the parts you got are the right ones.

Scott www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message ----- From: "T Collins" <tonycollin@GMAIL.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2011 11:58 AM Subject: Brake Job Front and Back 85 2wd vanagon. Wheel bearing question.

> Hey List, > > I think I made a stupid mistake. I bought both rotor sets, drums, brake > shoes, pads and retainer hardware too..... > I should have bought bearing kits front and back too right? > > What do folks recommend? I see all sort of bearings and kits and the > prices > range significantly! > > Thanks, > Tony > > -- > 82 Scirocco "Rodolfo" > 85 Vanagon "El Guapo" > http://groups.google.com/group/wash-co-vws2<http://groups.google.com/group/wash-co-vws2?lnk=gcimh> > (new)


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