Hey all, I thought I'd share this.

I was able to do a front wheel bearing without the $200 tool. it

does involve removing the bearing carrier from the car, so alignment will be affected.

i did this on both my Corrado VR6 and A2 16V jetta. It's the exact same bearing for '88 and up so the procedures are very similar. I've included notes for where the procedures vary. I'm not sure but I'd bet the G60 is more like the 16V since it's suspension is more A2-like.

Special tools needed:

bearing race tool (different sized discs used to push out or install

a bearing race) usually you can get away with using a socket, but even

my largest doesn't fit the large outer bearing shell. Pepboys rents

this tool but I bought the whole kit for $50.

large and small gear puller

tie rod removal tool.

30mm 12 point socket (for axle nut)

small metal chisel

sledge hammer (small enough to use with one hand)

a bench vice really helps

lock ring pliers

impact screw driver for screw holding brake rotor in place

With car still on the ground, loosen the big axle nut. this took my

longest socket wrench plus a metal tube for better leverage. take off

the wheel, jack up car. remove brake caliper (hang caliper with wire

from spring), rotor.

Unbolt the two camber bolts, and the three bolts for the ball joint.

if you pop the tie rod with the correct tool, the proper tool to pop the

ball joint will help but I still haven't found it. On my 16V i found the tie rod tool liked to expand as I tightened. it wouldn't stay put. i put a c-clamp around it, and then the joint easily came apart. The dimensions of the tie rod mounting ear of the knuckle must be different cause I didn't have this problem on my Corrado.

Now you can pull the bearing carrier off the car.

with the spring pliers remove the lock ring. This was hard until i

used the right attachment to my spring clip pliers. On my 16V there are two spring clips and they were very rusted in there. With the help of a small drift punch and a screw driver, I was able to free up the spring clips from the rust. (you won't see the 2nd clip until the hub is removed, see below. The G60 may have two clips)

The next procedure is done with the hub facing the ground. Take the

large puller and put one leg under the mounting ear for the brake

caliper. I was able to put the other leg under the mounting ear for

the ABS sensor (be sure to first remove the sensor). Place the right

size socket or bearing race disc on the center of the hub. Since the two ears i was using aren't at the same height I took a nut i had laying around to but between the one mounting ear and the arm of the gear puller. The bolt of the bearing puller with then push the hub out. I placed a large washer in the center of my socket.

The hub will come out, leaving one race on the hub and the bearing

shell in the bearing carrier sometimes called the steering knuckle.

if you're reusing the hub, you'll need to remove the race. I used a

chisel to move the race up a bit. My small gear puller couldn't grip

the race until I did this. Then pull the race off with the gear

puller similar to the previous step.

For the bearing shell, you need the right sized bearing race disc or

socket. a 36 mm socket might work, but I didn't try it. The shell

only

comes out one way (on a Corrado VR6). there's a lip which it butts up against, so it has to come out the other way. The race disc or socket will sit in the bearing shell, pushing against one of the inner races. To tap this thing out took some pretty big blows from the hammer.

Now you can tap a new bearing into the steering knuckle. You must tap it in against the outer shell of the bearing, not the inner races. You either need the right sized race tool or you can grind down the old bearing shell so it has a slightly smaller diameter. make sure you get it properly lined up. The first time I tapped the bearing in it went in crooked. or as my grandfather used to say, cock-eyed.

It may help to heat the knuckle up with a torch so the metal expands. You can also put the bearing in the freezer for a couple hours. Cold makes things shrink. (he he, get your mind out of the gutter!) heat makes them expand. Once the bearing is in against the lip or spring clip, reinstall the other clip.

Next the hub goes back. if you look, there are two inner races to the bearing. These can move independant. So if you start tapping the hub in, you'll drive the outer one out and mess it up. To get around this, i placed the assembly on top of my vice and placed the correct sized bearing race discs underneath to hold the races in place. Now tap away. This was the easiest part.

Finally you can reinstall the assembly on the car. If you're good you didn't screw up the toe too much when reinstalling the ball joint. You can usually get the camber pretty close by eyeballing it. If you've already scheduled an alignment just put the assemly to zero camber. that way if you already have toe out you won't chrew up your tires too bad. i want new tires soon anyway so I don't care if I prematurely chew them up. :-)

when you go to tighten the axle nut try to put as much torque on it as possible. Jump on the damn wrench if you can. You want as much torque as possible otherwise you'll just be doing this job again in a few months or a year when the bearing fails again.

good luck!

JohnE

92 Corrado VR6

90 Jetta GLI