Brent 89 - GT

Am I going to be able to do this myself? After I remove the axle nut will the hub just slide off? How hard ios it to get the races out? are they pressed in beyond being able to use a drift to get them out? Are the bearings and the axle seal Porsche specific? Help I wanted to use the car on the track this weekend!!!

Geoff Daniels

Brent,

I just replaced rear wheel bearings on my 86 951. Once you get the axle bolt off, the shaft will come out of the hub with the tap of a hammer, I recommend you use a rubber one. The hub is pressed into the bearing and must be pressed out. This will pop the inner race out of the bearing and will leave it on the hub. You will need to get it off with a special tool or a lot of patience and a chisel. You will not be able to change these bearings with a drift.

I actually took the control arms off the car and used a press although I understand there are special tools, which are not cheap, that can be used to do this job on the car. Once the hub is pressed out you need to remove the large retainer clip and then the remainder of the bearing can be pressed out from the back. Installation is not difficult but you must support the center of the bearing when you press the hub back in or you will pop the inner race out and ruin the bearing.

I bought my bearings from Jason at Paragon and actually got BMW bearings which are identical to the Porsche bearings but less expensive.

Geoff

slevy951

Brent,

The nut may be very difficult to remove. My wrench did mine last month. The nut was just about welded to the axle because of the heat coming from the brakes. It took him on the torch heating it and me on the 6ft. breaker bar trying to turn it. After breaking a socket (3/4" drive Snap-on), about a half-hr of constant heat from the torch, it broke loose. Remember, it's probably been there for 15yrs if it has the original bearings.

Scott
'86 951

924RACR

Actually, no, they are not welded on, intentionally or otherwise! Check your torque spec!

The torque spec for these axle nuts is 250ft-lb or more. I'd recommend you go back and re-tighten them, as they need to be that tight (especially on a more powerful car!) to hold the bearings properly. Insufficient torque can result in premature bearing wear.

First time I get one of these cars I remove the centercap from the wheel and the cotter pin from the castle nut, reinstall the wheel with a few nuts, put the car back on the ground with the brakes on, and use a jackhandle on the breaker bar to break the nut loose. After that, I reinstall with my air gun on the highest setting to get close to the right torque (don't have a torque wrench that goes high enough) with locktite and a new cotter pin. Subsequently, to repack the bearings each season, the air gun will remove them OK. First time always requires a breaker bar and jack handle, though.

FWIW, there is a factory tool 36mm with a socket hole for the breaker bar and a flat to pound with a hammer to remove the nut. I'm surprised, the Haynes should have a picture of it. The 924 one does.

HTH...

Geoff Daniels

My axle nuts came loose with an impact wrench rated for 450 ft/lbs of torque. Re-tightening them is key and the reference I had specified 369 ft/lbs for the torque setting. If they aren't tight enough there will be excessive play in the bearing.

This is not a job for the inexperienced or if you don't have access to the proper tools but it is not rocket science and can be done by the home mechanic.

Jon Hanson

Maybe I'm just not getting it, but somebody please set me straight. If you tighten down the tower nut as hard as you can, chances are, won't you just end up having to back it off to get the cotter pin into the hole? Weird that the Hayse manual detailed the front bearing, but not the rear.

My confusion stems from my experience with VW bearings, which I was taught you tighten down as hard as possable by hand, then take it back a quarter turn and stick in the cotter pin. Somebody clear me up here. Skip?

Geoff Daniels

Jon,

Not sure how your car is but on the 86 turbo there is not a cotter pin holding the rear axle nut tight. The bearing is a large sealed bearing and the axle nut holds the axle tight against the hub with the bearing sandwhiched in tHe center.

Skip

This thread is about the rear wheel bearings which are pressed onto the axle... the the axle nut (castle-nut in your case) is torqued down super-freaky tight (cotter pinned on yours, but not on later models with cast arms)... 350ftlbs for your model year! Your reference to VW may be that the model you refer to is FWD(?)... which means the rear wheel bearings are similar to the front on a RWD car (like Porchies and Bimmerz) Then your just right... hand tight for the most part.

Have a look here for the early model replacement: ealry 944 wheel bearing replacement

Good Luck!