Xantia Front Wheel Bearings

KP · Post by KP » 10 Feb 2008, 15:18

Is it a PITA job to do as i notice that the bearings themselves are about £15 from GSF so i was wondering how long it would take a garage to do the job??

Anyone ever done it at home?

Post by **CitroJim** » 10 Feb 2008, 15:50

Not specifically on a Xantia but many 205s which have a similar set-up. They need pressing out with a hydraulic press, no other way in my experience...

It's a doddle of a job for a garage on bare hubs so a very cheap one I should say. Might even be free or the cost of a few beers..

Alternatively, if you are anywhere near, you are welcome to use my hydraulic press.. Trouble is, it's not very portable.

Post by **Peter.N.** » 10 Feb 2008, 16:04

I've done a couple on XM's. You can get the bearing out by running a ring of weld around the inside of the outer part, when it cools it shrinks and is quite easy to remove.

Post by **CitroJim** » 10 Feb 2008, 16:12

Peter.N. wrote:You can get the bearing out by running a ring of weld around the inside of the outer part, when it cools it shrinks and is quite easy to remove.

That's an interesting method Peter

How do you press the new ones in? In those I have done I find them quite tight so again the press is a good thing to use. I guess you could freeze the new bearings and heat the hub to give some clearance and use a big vice.

I never like hammering bearings in myself. I would always rather press them in.

Post by **Peter.N.** » 10 Feb 2008, 16:20

Hi Jim

Yes, you can press them in with a big vice or large bolt and washers, but as you will appreciate you have to keep everything dead square, a little grease applied also helps

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 11 Feb 2008, 21:41

I've done two of these now without the aid of a press.

To get the hub off, you use a slide hammer, the bearing outer knocks out with a suitable hammer and drift (by suitable I mean large).

The new bearing goes in easilly if you can keep it all dead square, a large bolt, suitable washers plus some 3/4" sockets to use as spaces to keep things aligned and square are all you need. If you clean everything up and use plenty of oil or grease it'll go in dead smooth. The first one I did I didn't lubricate up so it wasn't very smooth going in, the second I did was much smoother but it was swimming in oil.

KP · Post by KP » 27 Feb 2008, 10:13

How much per side would a garage normally charge either including or excluding the bearing does anyone know as my drivers side is really going awol soon

Post by **RichardW** » 27 Feb 2008, 12:31

About a ton. You could make it cheaper by striping the hub off youself and just getting them to change the bearing, but with a 4-post lift and windy gun they will have the hub off in about 10 minutes....