Wheel Bearing Diagnosis and Replacement DIY - 1994 VW Jetta

[@nextdoorguy7706]

just came across this video, perfect execution all round, 100% by the book, would be recommended as a reference, surprised me as to why it has not got a million views yet

[@WorseThanChiggers]

Thanks for the kind comments. I really appreciate it. Very rarely do a I see a VW Mk3 of any kind on the road anymore. So, it's understandable that there is a small yet enthusiastic audience. I really miss that special old car. I bought mine new in 1994 and sold it when it was 24 years old to a VW collector. It's nice to know that it now lives a sheltered life with others of its kind.

[@douglaswells2739]

I've watched a few vids of this procedure but yours is by far the best. Well lit, shot, narrated. I also agree the 27 mm socket to pound out the hub is a nice trick.

[@FED_RAGE]

This is the best video I have seen for replacing VW wheel bearings. Thank You.

[@klubstompers]

Thanks for the info on the hub bearing. Instead of putting the car in 3rd to tighten the CV bolts, put a flat head screw driver through the brake caliper into the vents of the rotor, then you can remove screw driver and spin freely, so you can work from the same spot to tighten all 6 bolts.

[@WorseThanChiggers]

Thanks, that's a very good tip!

[@MrTotozintle]

To the 8 people who dislike this video. what is wrong with you This is one of the best diy videos I seen Great job two thumps up !!!!!!

[@WorseThanChiggers]

Thanks for the kind comments. I really appreciate it.

[@adamlosnegard8606]

Great video. I'm doing my 96 jetta this week and have the confidence now to do it.

[@WorseThanChiggers]

Thanks for the kind comments. I really appreciate it! Please come back here next week and let us know how your experience compared to mine. I'm always interested in how things differ, both challenges and successes.

[@adamlosnegard8606]

So far the right side is ready for the bearing that will be here wednesday. Although I used a slide hammer to get the hub out instead of your method of using a socket to beat it out. I want to do the passenger bearing also but need to find the tool you used for removing the ball joint.

[@adamlosnegard8606]

Like you, I'm trying not to have an alignment done. So need to research more on the passenger side.

[@joseboquitasdelacoronilla7648]

excellent presentation, one of the best informative videos I found, not to mention including the pounds of torqued that is required. safety, and well spoken to understand it.

[@masonpugh3637]

I love that tool don't matter if it came from harbor freight or where it is a great tool slow easy and accurate great video

[@robertweir9034]

Since I picked your accord Honda rear brake job apart, I just wanted to say this is a most excellent thorough video. Thank you for sharing. It's good to see someone making use of some of the Harbor freight tools and also someone who does not abuse their tools. Correct me if I'm wrong but, watching some of your videos, it appears you are from Texas. If that is the case, I can see why you don't have rust problems and things come apart so easily.

[@WorseThanChiggers]

Thanks for your kind words and insight. I really appreciate it. We have plenty of rust problems here in Virginia from the road salts over winter. I keep my personal cars garaged which makes a huge difference. The Accord in the other video spent all of its life outdoors in the harsh conditions of Washington, DC, before we bought it.

[@robertweir9034]

@@WorseThanChiggers Virginia. Wow. I have a 2003 Buick Lasebre from Virginia. No rust. Love working on it. I have been watching your other videos. Very impressive.

[@joe90bloggs49]

Great Video & Commentary, and Great Procedure. Your technique for hammering the hub out from the back of the knuckle is one I shall attempt - this avoids having to use a sliding hammer tool. Keep up the great work!

[@vwivancc]

Wow. Excellent material. You are the first one that do not damage the hub with the cutter.

[@WorseThanChiggers]

Surgical precision. :)

[@vwivancc]

Yes, I think so!

[@RAA12586]

Thank god you have well taken care of car, just taking the axel nut on my same year and model car has been a nightmare, had to drill through my axel nut and still trying to fight it even after it started spinning, but now I have the axel threads messed up so have to completely destroy the nut off. This is very helpful though.

[@benjaminturrano6485]

Great job. Patient and clear mechanic explanations. Thank you! Will be a perfect reference when I tackle my sons 97 Jetta GL 2.0

[@WorseThanChiggers]

Thanks! I really appreciate the comments. Good luck when yours and let us know how your experience compares. The 2 liter cars may be slightly different.

[@67697140]

Nice video, thank you I just changed the left hand side front wheel bearing on a 1998 VW Golf after performing the same diagnose you did in the beginning of the video. Only to discover that it is the right hand side bearing that makes the noise, just like you did in the end of your video :-)

[@pedrochavez2372]

It is just the perfect video on how to do it once and right, amazing 👍🏽 I will be doing this on my 96 jetta 2.0L thanks for sharing

[@WorseThanChiggers]

Thanks for the kind comments. I really appreciate it.

[@mannoqamar]

That's one professionally perfect how-to video. Enjoyed and learnt every second of it. Thank you.

[@WorseThanChiggers]

Thanks for the kind comments. I really appreciate it.

[@williambritcliffe2211]

Nice video, very similar suspension arrangement to my 05 VW Bora in the UK.

[@Smittyschannel]

Watched a handful of videos before I did mine yesterday- guess I shoulda watched this one too; woulda saved a few steps!

[@EWOverland]

Excellent work procedure, the best that I have seen.

[@vwivancc]

Beautiful garage and place for living! Regards from Mexico.

[@williamtsol636]

Great video ! Always learn a lot from these ! Job done the right way and footage was excellent ! Thanks !!

[@ozzstars_cars]

Nicely done video. full of good details on the repair

[@masonpugh3637]

P That's a great video that's a nice snap ring pliers but I'm going to take my drive axle out without taking it from the flange Mark Mark 4 thanks my friend

[@Shahinc0]

Thank you for amazing video.

[@maveric0738]

Great job. This will give me reference to my MKIV VW. Now for those that have AWD, what can be used for the rear wheel bearings?

[@servinanthony4]

Great video

[@raymorales4718]

Great presentation like a boss!!

[@Policia1942]

Very good video

[@jeanguzman20]

Alrigth, excelent video, im in the middle of the same job, both sides, and i am replacing the wheel hub too, have somebody ever encountered with the issue of the wheel hub touching the spindle and not allowing the wheel to turn?

[@mikelaure23]

Yup. I have this problem. The hub will travel back far enough until it binds with the spindle and won't move. Did you find a way to address this?

[@rodjc123]

Great vid thanks for sharing .

[@captainstress]

Nice video. Question: Did you have to remove the caliper and caliper bracket separately or could you have taken it off in one piece by just removing the bracket's screws first?

[@WorseThanChiggers]

They definitely come off separately.

[@arturomurillo5703]

Great job my friend I like it how do you do it

[@brianwilliams4562]

would be cool if you had links for all the tools used in vid

[@DonBMW]

What kind or brand of ratchet is that. I see you use in in all your videos and seems to be a very trusted tool of yours? You should do a review on it.

[@WorseThanChiggers]

Thanks for the question. It's nothing fancy but I like it a lot. It's just the 1/2" ratchet that came with my Harbor Freight 301 piece Mechanic's Tool Set. www.harborfreight.com/search?q=301%20piece%20tool%20set

[@DonBMW]

@@WorseThanChiggers Awesome! I do like me some HF. Just finished watching your Tacoma Head Gasket series. Will probably tackle that job later this year. Keep up the great work. Your clear explanations, editing and detail are top notch.

[@WorseThanChiggers]

Thanks for the kind comments. I really appreciate it.

[@joelcr250]

good stuff

[@alfbittner6489]

Very well explained, would this be the same process for a Golf mk3 VR6 or different to Jetta. Thanks.

[@WorseThanChiggers]

I'm pretty sure they have the same suspension setup and the procedure should be identical.

[@alfbittner6489]

How is that car do you still have it. I watched another video and this guy did all the same except with a press and a plasma cutter to remove the race from the hub. The only thing he did different was when he torqued up the main nut to195FP he backed the nut off 180* then torqued it back up to 50FP. Anyway it's been a year if you got no noise you did good. Thanks for your reply and taking the time to video this procedure.

[@WorseThanChiggers]

I do still have my Jetta and I drive it often. The front end continues to feel good with no noise. I don't have a press or a plasma cutter. So, I used more basic tools that the average person might have to do the job. I followed the procedure in my factory service manual to properly torque the drive axle nut. Perhaps the procedure is different for whatever car that guy was working on.

[@StopTeoriomSpiskowym]

if inside part of bearing is damaged this means that someone dismantled the bearing in half during assembly.

[@hacks5093]

Do I need to remove the Axel Completely? 😣

[@WorseThanChiggers]

You don't necessarily have to remove the axle if you can manage to bend the U joint enough to get it out of the hub. I found that I could only do that on one side. The easiest way to do it is to remove the two bolts from below that hold the knuckle to the lower control arm. Then you can easily swing the suspension out and away from the axle while leaving the axle attached to the transmission. However, that method requires you to get a front-end alignment when its all back together and I chose to avoid that time and expense.

[@hacks5093]

worsethanchiggers aw man.... I guess I'll have to remove the Axel and see if I can buy brand new ones too since it's greasing all over the place and Alignement shops won't align anything with grease on suspension/steering parts So I think lll just do what you did in the video lol

[@WorseThanChiggers]

It is not usually recommended, but if you're doing it yourself rather than paying for someone else's labor, you could save some money and just buy new boots rather than new or rebuilt axles. You're removing the axles anyway. So, just repack the u-joints with clean grease and install new boots. This of course assumes that your u-joints are still good and did not get contaminated while your existing boots were torn.

[@hacks5093]

worsethanchiggers I think the did get contaminated. The previous owner did a lot of stupid and I mean really stupid things on the car. I've had it over a year now. But it's been a pretty darn reliable car. I just hope I can do the when job right my self cuz I'm trying to save money cx

[@nesarbarakzaie8563]

Bravo , you are really expert ...thanks for your supper Video 📹

[@WorseThanChiggers]

Thanks for the kind comments. I really appreciate it.

[@javiercancinoescamilla5552]

Always better to replace both sides, you never know,

[@WorseThanChiggers]

Not really. It's not like changing brakes.

[@noreltucker4567]

Godamn'...! Tight vid Bra!

[@ruibasilio1059]

You don't need to remove the trasmission from the gear box to remove the hub!!

[@TheRealAaronWitchey]

Harbor Freight has a press for sale too. Also, You're making your life too hard trying to get that bearing race off. Simply flip it over and take a torch to it, heating it up in just one spot and watch it fall down. When it does this, lift up the hub and let it fall the rest of the way off. Easy breezy.

[@WorseThanChiggers]

I was under the assumption that you needed something better than the typical propane torch to get it hot enough. I don't have an acetylene set up.

[@Jaksu74]

same project to my passat b4 1995. sad that my car has seen russian roads 400.000 kilometers so everything will be rust and tears ))

[@gplusgplus2286]

But why remove the axle from the transmission side? Absolutely no need, otherwise good video. Try to buy good bearing brands eg SKF, Timken, FAG, or NTN instead of the generic brand you got.

[@WorseThanChiggers]

There are often multiple ways of performing a repair job. You could certainly remove the axle from the wheel hub if you first separated the steering knuckle from the lower control arm. Otherwise, the suspension components won't swing away far enough to pull the axle out from the hub. However, I found that while using that method, the axle wouldn't drop down enough to be out of the way to conveniently work on the bearing. You may also want to avoid disturbing the bolts that attach the ball joint to the lower control arm. Otherwise, you're guaranteeing that you'll need to follow up and get a front end alignment.

[@gplusgplus2286]

@@WorseThanChiggers yes. Thanks for replying!