I replaced wheel bearing on Subaru dime at 100k then at 190k again . Not sure if pat but a Subaru specialist who knew parts. I sold with 240k no more failures.
Replace Bearings in Pairs?
- Thread starter gathermewool
- Start date
AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2024
I always do both as a mechanic that is what I have always found is best considering last time I replaced just one bearing the car came back two weeks later and the other side was bad and in the end the customer ended up paying more for doing one each time then if she would have done both together like I recommended. I have also been told if it has two or more do them all. But it’s really a matter of opinion usually.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
I googled for any recalls and nothing about bearing coverage being extended came up. I guess rule number 8 applies here: “it never hurts to ask”
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
Why did two bearings cost more? I guess you could charge half an hour more for raising and lowering the vehicle another time, but none of the work done for one side helps do the other side, right? Unless you mean that you would have offered a discount to perform both at the same time.
In my case, I’ll be attempting to do it myself. Even if I pay my trusted mechanic, he says there’s no savings doing both at the same time - it’s double the cost of doing one.
AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2024
Yes at my shop they will take off on the labor some if you get a pair of something changed like we were going to do both at the same time for about $580 it costed her almost $700 getting each side done separate if I was the boss I would of agreed to do it so it would of added up the same but she got charged for two separate times so didn’t get a break on the labor. So in the long run it was cheaper to do both by about $100
I wondered the other day when I brought In I two wheels off my Jeep to get them balanced. I was charged their standard price. I asked, “you didn’t lift the car and remove/replace the wheels...I did half the work“. They said, sorry, same price”.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
What would you guys recommend as the "best" socket for this job? 6-point seems obvious, but I don't know much about brands. Prices for a 32mm 1/2 drive range pretty widely, but all are relatively cheap, I guess.
Just a basic deep 6 point 1/2” drive. They are typically impact but for home use I assume you’ll be cranking on it by hand so impact isn’t necessary. The axle nut sockets I began with came in a set from a store we used to have similar to harbor freight and they haven’t let me down. I upgraded down the road, but only for lower profile / less thick socket walls, not because my cheap ones were letting me down.
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- Feb 27, 2019
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But what about people who do the water pump when doing timing belts?
That is a risk-benefit analysis that depends upon model, age and perhaps some other factors. For most TB setups, doing the water pump is like 5 minutes more work, on top of a what, 5 hour job on average? for an item that all too often doesn't make it to the second timing belt job. Ergo, the risk-benefit ratio works out for replacing.
Now there are some engines which may well be able to routinely do the WP at every other TB. Once that pattern is shown, by all means, do that for that engine model. However, there is a well-established pattern for many TB motors that they did not manage to get through the second TB without some other failure (WP, rollers, etc). Thus it's cheaper to do all at once, even with running the risk of replacing a good part with a bad one.
@supton pretty gave you 90% of my answer and there's little to improve with it so I'll just add the icing.
In addition to the factors he specifically mentioned, there is also the historical durability and failure rate of the part in question and the risk of collateral damage should it fail.
Lets look at very worst case situation with a normal type failure ( not an instantaneous catastrophic type)
That WP can take an engine, all the belts and possibly strand ( even injure due to boil over)
Axle bearings rarely catastrophically fail so there is usually some drive time.
At the end of the day, "proactive replacement" ( defined as replacing a used serviceable component with a new serviceable component) is a risk/value/cost decision- not a maintenance or engineering one.
Plus if you don't replace the water pump and it fails, you have to repeat all the labor (and some of the cost) of the timing belt job just to replace the pump. With wheel bearings you don't have to re-disassemble the first side to replace the second one.
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- Feb 27, 2019
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Right but I'm saying the same logic could be applied to bearings. Depending on the age of use of the vehicle, you might as well replace it right then and there because if one is on the way out, the other is probably not far behind.
This as opposed to having to come back, put it on a rack, and spend even more time and money later.
absolutely
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
After having read all of the comments and thinking about it, I disagree with OppositeLock. Unless you truncated your true answer of, “absolutely not” or were just being agreeable.
In my specific case, if I can do the first by myself without issue, I’ll end up dropping the vehicle and at least test driving it, at most driving for weeks before I get to the second hub assembly. Best case, if I cruise through the first assembly, I’d still have to rotate the vehicle in my garage to give me more space and better lighting.
So, as we’ve discussed, there’s literally no saved time/work to doing both at the same time.
//
I’m going to do the job this weekend, so long as the correct socket arrives on time. Heck, I may even go out and source whatever is readily available if it doesn’t, just so I can get the job done. I won’t have a free weekend for the next month or so, anyway.
If I can get the failing bearing replaced I’ll be within the 15 day return period for the other and will likely return it unless I test drive the vehicle and something about the other side sounds a little funny, too.
I was agreeing that the same logic would apply in the decision making process but that scenario was substantially different than yours.
My original thought and comment on your specific situation is unchanged.
Unitized hub/bearing assemblies idiot proof the setting process, and speed assembly in general. I never had any trouble with the bearings in the hubs of the 528e (plural). just the cast iron ABS wheels pressed onto them. The cars had 195 70 14 wheels and I never had the problems that the racers had with 16-17 " wheels and low pro tires. 
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
The noise level is now equivalent to a jet taking off. You know, that constant hum when they accelerate at a constant throttle position? It’s not hellacious, but it’s getting worse. I’m going to try and tackle it this Sunday. I might start Saturday night, if I’m not too brain dead from exam day!
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