Xantia HDi 1999 Front wheel bearing

citroenxm · Post by **citroenxm** » 05 Nov 2009, 12:52

Right, Volentiers please

8)

Ive had a front wheel bearing job in... dismantled the hub, got the massive circlip out, ALL the middle of the bearing has fallen out, but the out reace has remained in place!

Other then blow lamp heat, any other easy ways of removing the outer race, new bearing ready to go in...

I HATE dooing front bearings with a vengance, but had to do this one.. any sugestions for removal please?? Hub in the oven for a few hours prehaps??

Cheers
Paul

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 05 Nov 2009, 13:06

hydraulic press is the corect way, but usualy lay the hub iside down on some blocks of wood and beat seven bells of dooo daaa out of it with a club ammer and a very large socket as a drift, the squeeze the new one back in in the vice useing bits of the old bearing between the vice jaws and inner/outter bearing, you mest sop the inners seperatting as you re/fit the drive flandge, as i said useing the old inner against the inside inner, if you get my drift

unless you know someone local to you who has a desent press, which makes it very easy

regards malcolm

Post by **CitroJim** » 05 Nov 2009, 13:09

Hi Paul,

The only sure way I know is with a hydraulic press. Heating will not do.

Pop round and you can use mine

BP (Before Press) I tried every trick in the book to do them in a 205. No joy. I Then got use of a press and it took 7 tons of pressure to get the bearings moving. Just recently doing the same job on a 106 it took 6 tons.

A press is really needed for putting the new ones back in.

The only trick that might work is to run a ring of MIG around the bearing and the resulting heat/stress may shrink it enough to drop out. never tried it myself.

Even if you do get the old ones out, you still have the problem of pressing in the new ones but that only takes a ton or so of pressure.

Post by **CitroJim** » 05 Nov 2009, 13:11

Sorry malcolm, you and me both typing at the same time

citronut wrote:beat seven bells of dooo daaa out of it with a club ammer and a very large socket as a drift

Not bringing MY cars to you for new wheel bearings if that's what you do

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 05 Nov 2009, 13:23

sorry sir but me like Paul dont have a hydraulic press, not that i wouldn't love one, if i win the lottery, i dont use this method to fit the new one Jim,

regards malcolm

HDI · Post by **HDI** » 05 Nov 2009, 13:35

The ring of MIG or any weld does work

Or , u can try a small grinder stone and grind through one side of the bearing track to weaken it.
Wheel bearing can be pressed back in using a large vice and suitable pusher like a very large socket , piece of tube etc.

Post by **Peter.N.** » 05 Nov 2009, 14:26

You took the words right out of my mouth

An ordinary stick welder is best as it deposits more metal, run it all round the inside of the outer ring, when it cools the ring will shrink sufficiently to lever it out with a couple of screwdrivers - always worked for me.

Peter

citroenxm · Post by **citroenxm** » 05 Nov 2009, 15:06

WELL BLIMEY MOSSESSS!!!

Id never thought of the weld!!

Thats what Ill do then.. ! Ive never had a problem getting bearings pressed back in! Once the old is out, clean the edges up, and the new presses in rather well in a Vice, Ive tried tapping them in YEARS ago, but they always fell apart.. In honesty with having pleanty of hubs about and in reality the VERY LONG LIFE these Citroen bearings give it must have been getting on for 8 years since I tried changing one! HONEST

hence my useless way of trying!

Ive got another to do on my Black Girl, BUT that WILL be a complete hub swap from a 90k Xantia thats lost its engine

The reason why the bearing went west on the HDi was my mean way of fitting a replacment bottom ball joint, I used TOOOO much heat, and it must have dried the bearing out.. as its the same side that Id recently done the ball joint...

Cheers Guys! Much appriciated!

Paul

Post by **Peter.N.** » 05 Nov 2009, 15:17

Hi Paul

Sorry, didn't realise it was you, obviously didn't read the post properly. The weld trick will make it surprisingly loose. I usually refit them using a long bolt and series of spacers, large sockets are useful.

Peter

citroenxm · Post by **citroenxm** » 15 Nov 2009, 18:26

Right, at last got this sorted! YES Only just!

I took the hub into work as we have a stick Arc welder there, and did as Peter / Jim said, ran TWO lots of weld round the outer race, then let it cool, and as it did HEY PRESTO, A section of angle iorn accross the bearing and knocked it with a hammer and woow, out it dropped!!

Infact, it shrunk sooooo much I am NOW able to simple push it back into place with my HANDS!!!!

So... A MASSIVE thanks to Jim AND PETER N for their advice! I AM now looking forward to dooing the next front bearing! Nothing to be scared of anymore!

Regards
Paul

Post by **CitroJim** » 15 Nov 2009, 18:40

Paul, brilliant news!

You'll have Xantia owners from all over the UK beating a path to your door now when they want wheel bearings done

It's not a bad idea to buy a cheap stick welder just for this sort of job... The outlay will repay many times over.

citroenxm · Post by **citroenxm** » 15 Nov 2009, 19:14

I dont need to Jim,

If I scedule a wheel bearing into a weekend, I can always take works welder home with me!

My mig is all I need for home, besides, I find Xantia Wheels bearings VERY durable!

The White Xantia 1999 S reg XUD Equpit car has done 284,000 miles on original FRONT bearings... my own is on 216,000 miles, and of all the other Cit's Ive had Ive only had to change 2... One on my BX Td at about 160k, and one on my XM V6 12v, but that was ONLY because I didn't tighten up the Hub Nut after an engine swap!!

Paul

Post by **Peter.N.** » 15 Nov 2009, 23:31

XMs are the same, I think I have only changed one or possibly two in about fourteen years.

Peter

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 16 Nov 2009, 10:12

Peter.N. wrote:Hi Paul

Sorry, didn't realise it was you, obviously didn't read the post properly. The weld trick will make it surprisingly loose. I usually refit them using a long bolt and series of spacers, large sockets are useful.

Peter

I've done three Xantia front wheel bearings and used the club hammer method to remove them and the long bolt (screwed rod and big washers) method to put them back in. The trick with the big bolt is to use big sockets to keep everything centered and square and to make sure everything is clean and coated in oil.

Post by **Peter.N.** » 16 Nov 2009, 11:24

Very true