Mike B

Is it recommended to change the races when installing new bearings...The current races appear fine with no discoloring...

If I have to change them can I do the races myself or is a machine shop a better idea...

This is for the front on an '80 931...Thanks.

Skip

Not sure what you mean by races on the front? Maybe I'm not awake yet though...

The front has one inner and one outer bearing, then the inner seal. All of these should be replace. I don't know of any replaceable races on the front hub/spindle. You should certainly be able to remove both front wheel bearings without special tools... though an external screw-type puller would help.

BTW, all 77-82 924's have the same bearing/seal setup.

Good Luck!

MadMax

I am fairly sure that the basic hub design on your 931 is the same as the 944. There should be an inner and outer race to match the inner and outer wheel bearings.

I know that on late model 944's the hubs are aluminum. You can either put the hubs in the oven (after a thorough cleaning and seal removal) at 300F. Then use a large punch or chisel and a large hammer and the old races will pop right out.

I used a butan torch on low in order to heat up the hubs. It didn't take much and the races came out easily.

Spend the $25-$30 for a 'race/seal seating tool' at your local parts store. They usually come with several interchangeable discs for various race/seal sizes/diamters. It makes re-installing the new races very easy without the risk of damaging the new races. I recently did both of my front wheels. New races and bearings inner and outer. It was a very easy job.

Just take your time and be careful with the hubs as the aluminum is VERY easy to 'score' and damage.

IHTH,
Max

Mike B

Thanks...The hubs are aluminium and the inside between the two races was scored on one of them...I cleaned it up removing the loose material...What holds the new races in...Friction??? or do I apply loctite

Ahmet

The new races should not 'pop in', and 'pop out', they should be stuck in there.

Once you install them on the car, they're kept in their positions through the pressure applied to them by the wheel bearings.
Ahmet

Mike B

The job is done...You were right Max...It was pretty easy...The most painful part of the process was buying the race seating tool ...Now if the morons could only give me the right seal the job would be done...Mother

Thanks Max, Skip and Ahmet for your advice...With your help the job was a breeze

Mike B

I got the tool and the local auto parts store (Auto Value). It is a tool identical to this one made out of what I would guess to be billet aluminuim

I used regular Castrol MP wheel bearing grease as I have had no experience with the synthetic varieties. I was concerned about the tact ability of the synthetic grease so I stayed with regular stuff.

Mike B

Yup...used it to put the new races in aloow press is too delicate of a word...Hammered is more accurate...but under control...I removed the old ones, after heating the hub to 325 or so, and used a soft drift (old screwdriver) to bang the old ones out...It worked pretty well...

If I can do it I'm sure you would have no problem (Heating the hubs in the key)

MadMax

MikeB,
That is EXACTLY the tool that I was telling you to buy. I got mine at Pep Boys. It does make putting in those races easy doesn't it? Then you just flip those disks over to the flat side to seat the seals. It was definitely worth the $35 I paid for mine. I'm glad I was able to help.

HAPPY MOTORING,
Max