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Subject:List Wisdom - DIY rear bearings...
From:Steve Williams
Date:Sat, 15 Apr 2017 22:06:15 -0600

Hi,

I have determined that I need to repack at a minimum, more than likely
put new bearings & spacer in the rear passenger side of my 91 Westy.

I watched a step by step on The Samba (
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=670910&highlight=bearing+spacer
)
In this "step by step", the person had the bearing housing removed from
the vehicle.  Looking at my vehicle, it looks like that would require
removing the backing plate which would require disconnecting the brake
lines, etc.

I also watched a video (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pDzWH0GebQ&ab_channel=ThomasEXOVCDS ).
In the video, he did the bearing job with the bearing housing "in
place", working from the back.  I don't have a hoist, so I'd be doing it
on a crawler laying on my back.

Nothing I saw in either scared me too much.  But the devil is in the
rusted fastners!  lol.

I could pay for a shop to do this, but this is something I fell pretty
comfortable with.  I've been doing my own wheel bearings, brakes, basic
maintenance on all my vehicles all my life.

Am I opening a can of worms trying to do this on my own?

It looks like I'd have to buy some long drifts, and not sure how I'd pop
the grease seal out if I do it "in place".  It looks like a long reach,
though if I'm replacing the seal, I could just punch it out from the
outside of the vehicle.

What is the "list wisdom" of a DIY rear wheel bearing grease?  Any bad
gotcha's?

I'd likely dive in the CV joints at the same time give that I'd have the
shaft out anyway.

Thanks,
Steve Williams