Front Struts and Rear Hubs

GreatOldOne · #1 1st March 2006, 20:56

Guys,

The front struts have a 'shield' that attaches to the rear of the front hubs. After looking at some of your build pics, It looks as if you've removed this and not bothered putting it back. Is this the case, and if so can I just cut it away?

Secondly, the rear hubs / drive shafts - how did you get the buggers out of the trailing arms? The manual says to remove a locking plate out befoe removing the large nut - but I can't see any easy way of getting it out.

Cheers,

Jason

MartinClan · #2 2nd March 2006, 19:53

To get the locking plate out I pierced it with center punch and then levered it out. Its best to do this before you remove the driveshafts from the car because the nuts are one up to a humungous torque 155lb/ft as I remember. I used a 2ft breaker bar and a scafold pole to get them undone. It's gonna be a b*gger if the bits aren't still bolted to the car.

Have you bought the Bently workshop manual? Its expensive at about £40 but in a different league to the Haynes one (which is next to useless in some areas)

Cheers

Robin

peterux · #3 2nd March 2006, 20:53

Hi there again,
I disgarded the front brake disc shields. None of the Marlin built cars have them fitted.

Like Robin, I loosened all my hub nuts before removing the wheels on my donor. It was one of the first things I did!

I have not tried this, but you could try clamping a length of old scaffold pole to the diff end of the drive shaft with some exhaust clamps or some thing similar and, my most favourite tool, the 24 inch breaker bar (the best £11 I ever spent! ) on the hub nut end.

I can also recomend the Bently manual, it's full of invaluable information.

To remove the half shafts from the bearings I used a Clarke CHT464 Front Hub Puller from Machine Mart (Product Code: 040211464). You only need to do this if you are changing the bearings. I changed all mine but was possibly not really necessary, but I am a bit of a perfectionist!
However, re-fiiting the half shafts meant modifying a bit from the Puller to get them back in again.

best regards

Peter

Patrick · #4 2nd March 2006, 21:39

The handbrake shoes attach to the rear splash guard, which I figured out after having removed the old ones! I cut a chunk out the rear splash guards to get the in place: http://www.msportster.co.uk/detail.asp?cat=7&offset=60

I didnt bother replacing the bearings on mine as they seems fine. I'll do those as they wear out.

GreatOldOne · #5 3rd March 2006, 08:10

Thanks guys!

I've got both the haynes and the bently manuals. Unfortunatly both just say 'lift out the lock plate' which is easier said than done!

Anyway, I've managed to get the shaft out now. I got the plate out by drilling a series of holes in it, and eventually levering out. I'll have to get a new nut as well as the lock plate though, as I went a bit deep with the drill, and managed to cut into it.

The nut was the relatively easy bit - a couple of wheel bolts in the hub with a bar between them resting on the floor, and then a breaker bar + my weight, brute force and gravity did the rest.

I didn't use a puller to remove the shaft - I used a metal rod as a drift and tapped it out. Came out easy, with no damage to the shaft end.

The hub has been removed by using an old, large imperial socket from my father-in-laws old toolkit. The only problem I have now is getting the bearing out. I've got the circlip removed, but the bugger doesn't seem to want to come out.

I'll give it a bit more "persuasion" tonight.

Oh - and how brilliant are Frosts? I placed an order with them yesterday lunchtime for the paint to do the engine, suspension parts and manifold - and they where sat on my desk at work when I got in this morning.

MartinClan · #6 3rd March 2006, 12:18

Almost impossible to get the outer race of the bearing out yourself (now there's a challenge) This was the one job that I entrusted a garage to do - cost me a tenner for both sides. They had to use 200 ton press to get them out.

You have to be a bit careful because (apparently) its easy to damage the housing. Same applies when pressing the new bearings back in. Better to get a garage to do it and hopefully it will be done right and you won't be replacing the bearings again in a few thousand miles!

All IMHO of course!

Cheers

Robin

GreatOldOne · #7 3rd March 2006, 13:47

Do they need changing? I'm a bit of a perfectionist as well, and it only seemed logical to change them now, whilst everything is getting stripped and cleaned rather than later on once the car has been built.

The donor had (according to the clock) 130K miles - the hub came out clean, so the inner race is still attached to the outer race. They seem to rotate OK, but there is lateral play - I can wiggle the inner race in and out a little.

If I can get away with out replacing them, I suppose I can live with out doing so - even if it nags for a while. Saves time and money.

I only pulled the hub and the half shaft to give them a good clean....

MartinClan · #8 3rd March 2006, 18:37

My car had done 170K! When I stripped them I found that one of the races on one side was very badly pitted - obviuosly on its way out although there was no signs of play.

If it were me I would do them now - but like you - I am a bit of a perfectionist. My philsophy when preparing my donor bits was to try and refurbish everything to as new (as far as I could).

To do them at a later stage means stripping out the suspension arm disconnecting all the brake lines etc etc. The bearings themselves aren't that expensive compared to what you will be spending on the rest of the build!!

Cheers

Robin

peterux · #9 4th March 2006, 08:34

Hi Jason,

if it gives you confidence, I did manage to get my rear bearings out and the new ones back in without any special tools other than some old large sockets and a punch. The old bearings make a great exact size drift to drive the new ones in. Put some grease on the new bearing and casing before driving in the new ones and take care to keep them straight.

I will warn you though, the front ones beat me and I did have to buy a pucker bearing puller to get the inner part of the bearing off the stub axle!
I could lend you this if you set stuck(oops, sorry about the pun

)
Also, getting the front ones off took quite a lot of ingenuity.

regards

Peter

GreatOldOne · #10 4th March 2006, 19:39

I'll give it another go Peter. If I can't get them out, there's a place in town that will do it for me for a reasonable price.

I've got both of the arms stripped down now (bar the bearings), and attacked one of them with the angle grinder & wirebrush attachment. It's cleaned up a treat! It's going to look like new once I've got some paint on it.

GreatOldOne · #11 5th March 2006, 09:49

Another couple of questions:

Bearings - where did you get yours? Eurocarparts? If so, what part no. did you go for - they list several at differing prices.

Secondly, all of the pipe clips on both arms cracked in one way or another when I removed them. Does anyone know where I can get some new ones? I've had a quick trawl around t'interweb, and seem to be drawing a blank.

Ta,

Jason

Patrick · #12 5th March 2006, 14:24

Anything you cant get at eurocarparts or gsf you can get at www.motormec.co.uk the sell genuine bmw parts

GreatOldOne · #13 5th March 2006, 19:35

Thanks Patrick

Managed to get both bearings out today, and cleaned up both the remaining arm and the casing of the diff up. Had a bit of senior moment with the diff however - thought I'd take the side plates off to clean them up seperately. Big mistake, as I hadn't realised that a) they held the bearings for the internal diff gearing and b) the also have an oil seal. The later I found out when a large puddle of diff oil started to form on the floor...

I managed to get it all back together, after giving the bearing support a good clean to ensure no rusty, crusty bits had contanimated the part.

Ah well. You live and learn... Plus the diff oil needed changing...

GreatOldOne · #14 6th March 2006, 12:24

BMW in helpfulness shocker!

I have a bit of an aversion to the local beemer dealer. The staff tend to treat you like something you might find on the bottom of your shoe. So imagine my surprise when the parts department turns out to be staffed by fully fledged members of the human race!

Phoned them about replacement brake pipe clips. The chap in the parts department faxed over copies of the parts manifest so I could identify the pieces I wanted. After that, he ordered the parts and quoted the price - I was fully expecting to have a heart attack - but all 5 clips cost £1.90. Result.

MartinClan · #15 6th March 2006, 16:11

Funny that - my local BMW dealer is exactly the same. The parts guys fall over themselves to help you - and they haven't been defeated yet despite the odd things I've asked for (all parts for the car I should ask

)

Robin

Patrick · #16 6th March 2006, 18:44

I found completely the opposite with mine, they just were not interested. Its like it was an irritating chore for them to have to deal with the public.

Alfie · #17 7th March 2006, 11:23

Don't use mine much as it's not very local (30 miles away). It's only handy in that it's practically next door to gsf if they don't have the necessary. The staff are quite human though, even if you do only spend pennies.(My last visit was 71p!). I had to laugh though, the obviously well healed couple in front of me were spending humungous amounts on car wash,polish and keyrings, just because they had BMW written on them! Talk about money to burn.

Alfie.

peterux · #18 7th March 2006, 21:11

I also have had very good experiences at local BMW dealers. They are prepared to get anything for me. Even a handbrake clip costing 19p sourced direct from Germany.

I even got 10% off last time I visited and a free cup of coffee if you have to wait.

They have even faxed me diagrams to my work for me to pick the right part.
But buy the large parts from KMS or GSF as they are much cheaper for the parts they stock.

regards

Peter

GreatOldOne · #19 7th March 2006, 21:55

Peter,

KMS? Who are they?

Oh - and where did you get your bearings from?

Ta,

Jason

peterux · #20 7th March 2006, 22:04

Hi Jason,

i got my bearings from KMS

http://www.kmsparts.com/views_search.asp

they have a counter at Wembly near IKEA (handy when the other half wants to go to IKEA

) and i think another one in Birmingham?

They do mail order off their website.

Had to buy the big circlips from my BMW dealer.

Good quality parts too,

Peter