W211 Wheel bearing change issues

[matthew k]

I used lucas and had a mare...

What went wrong?

 

[onefortheroad]

What went wrong?

I think I used too much grease . The hub didn't go up the shaft enough . I got a lot of faults as you know . I then tightened the nut up too much , the rest is history.. if I had to do it again I'd probably get it right .. 1st attempt and all that ..

 

[matthew k]

The hub seal has been changed for a genuine Mercedes version, all good functioning correctly. Cheers guy's, think I'll be giving Febi a miss in future.

 

[star]

Seen this so many times.

 

[matthew k]

Seen this so many times.

I believe you, and it's not like I wasn't warned!!! I just hope the bearing lasts the course.

 

[mioba]

2 choices . Buy a mb bearing kit with seal ... .

THAT

 

[mioba]

What about buying an aftermarket hub, and fitting the genuine seal?

NOT THAT

 

[matthew k]

What's done is done, Febi bearings/races into original hub with a Merc seal. TBH it only needs to last 15k max. I do less than 5k a year now, and soon these Euro 4/5 diesels are going to become obsolete IMO. Sad, but probably true

 

[matthew k]

Here's the old races, the outer made by NTN, the inner SKF. There's no MB markings so I presume they're aftermarket? The cars done 151,000, TBH, given that even something like a mk1/2 Mondeo can go 160,000 miles plus on a pair of front wheel bearings it seems this design is a bit rubbish? What's wrong with the sealed type that most other manufacturers use, the assembly looks really heavy too!

 

[LostKiwi]

It's not a rubbish design at all.
It's actually been in use for decades with very few issues. The advantage of this system is that it's cheap for parts and is adjustable for wear and uses off the shelf parts.
The sealed ones aren't as strong, are comparatively expensive and don't allow off the shelf components. They are however quicker and don't require any skill to fit.

 

[onefortheroad]

that table cloth is hard on the eyes

 

[matthew k]

that table cloth is hard on the eyes

Yeah, product living on my own!!

 

[matthew k]

It's not a rubbish design at all.
It's actually been in use for decades with very few issues. The advantage of this system is that it's cheap for parts and is adjustable for wear and uses off the shelf parts.
The sealed ones aren't as strong, are comparatively expensive and don't allow off the shelf components. They are however quicker and don't require any skill to fit.

Ok, it's just I've never had an issue with the sealed type. This design does have an industrial rugged look to it granted.

 

[onefortheroad]

garages were pressing in/out wheel bearings day in day out when i was in the trade for a while. youve just been lucky i guess.

 

[matthew k]

garages were pressing in/out wheel bearings day in day out when i was in the trade for a while. youve just been lucky i guess.

Yeah maybe you're right, and given that I always buy high mileage cars it's possible that they're mostly on their second set.

 

[EmilysDad]

I replaced just 1 sealed bearing at the front of my RWD Vauxahlls ..... 2 Senators were sold at around 180k miles on original bearings and 1 bearing was replaced at about 150k miles 9n my Omega. They might not require skill to fit, but they're pretty much fit & forget.