Xsara Picasso-Wheel Bearing...just do it? or get it done?

[NewcastleFalcon]

....I often find myself asking this question.

After years of never darkening the doors of a garage other than to get the annual MOT, more often than not these days I come down on the side of "getting it done".

An old post of mine on the subject of "Working in a muddy puddle" gives a clue as to why the "just do it" option has become less appealing.



So, I have just got an MOT on my Xsara Picasso 2.0hdi. Got an independant test done by the local Council workshops for £40, and only a couple of items on it.....broken front spring, and rubber boot required for ball joint. Got the jobs done at my local garage. Ended paying £250 for the work they ended up replacing the strut after hitting problems on dismantling, and doing a new ball joint. In my mind I go "Ouch!" thinking my DIY in the old days-£25 for a spring/ £10 for a ball joint, and nothing for my 2 days labour and stress!

With that fresh on my mind, the MOT test passed my front wheel bearings, presumably because there was no play, but I have a bearing drone/rumble from one of the front bearings.

Not sure if I am ready for another garage bill where I am expecting around £70-£90 for the job, getting the unforeseen add-ons when they come across problems.

Then again, I will have all the hassle, meet the problems they may come across myself, and have to pay someone to press the bearing out for me anyway. Current price of Front Wheel Bearing Kit from Eurocarparts (SNR) £31.44


Link to other posts

Xsara Picasso Front Wheel Bearings

Regards Neil

[lexi]

Yes Neil, an interesting dilemma and one that I relate to. I only pay for MOT. Built an 8 metre carport years ago and a concrete driveway. I have even had heavy Land Rover engines dangling from that car port, because it is proper built. Garage bills to me are like dropping bottles of whiskey from an upstairs window. If you have the time and can DIY, there is the satisfaction as well as the cost saving.
There is no way that I could/would have paid for the work done to this old C5. That goes for every car I have ever had or rebuilt.
The only way out of all this is to buy a newish low mileage Honda. That will come to me eventually. My wife done it years ago.

[CitroJim]

Neil, wheel bearings almost invariably need the services of a meaty hydraulic press to ease the old ones out and the new ones in despite what Mr. Haynes may say..

Unless you have one, you can save a packet by dismantling the hub and just taking hat and the new bearings along to a local indie and asking them to just swap the bearings... They often do it for a very reasonable fee as it is about 10 minutes work for them and you've already done all the expensive and hard work...

[NewcastleFalcon]

Thanks for the replies, a no-problems job at the garage I woud say would be worth it to me for £60-£70.

This little paragraph from Haynes as part of the job does fill me with a little dread though...

10.2.6

On models with ABS, remove the wheel sensor

I can see a nice little add-on to the bill there Course it may be one of Haynes completely unnecessary steps.

Regards Neil

[CitroJim]

On models with ABS, remove the wheel sensor

I can see a nice little add-on to the bill there Course it may be one of Haynes completely unnecessary steps.

No, for once it makes sense. ABS sensors are delicate little flowers and any work that takes them well clear of clumsy fitters is well worth it...

[rory_perrett]

Time to be philosophical on a Thursday.

I can't remember the last time i paid a garage to do anything other than an MOT. Pretty well kitted out at home and have access to full engineering facilities at work including a press. However for the last two front bearing changes I've just swapped the whole hub with a second hand unit. On Xantia because I already had one and on daughter No.1 Focus because a used one off a low mileage car was half the price of a new bearing. In both cases job done in less than 40 mins.

Some may say short sighted but my labour is free (I actually still enjoy it even after 40 years) so if it has to be done again its no big deal, and even a used bearing will probably outlast the car, no faffing about pressing bearings out and in and the car not out of commission while its being done.

[CitroJim]

I actually still enjoy it even after 40 years.

Me too

[rory_perrett]

Does that make us sad or what? Must say I enjoy it more now when I've (several) other vehicles available to use and the pressure is off to get stuff done.
When I was a yoof and keeping the car going was the only way I could get to work the dread of shearing a vital something on a Sunday evening was somewhat stressful.

[chinkostu]

I got a few jobs on the (now dead) 206 done at the garage. more because one was an inner CV boot that i knew would be a pig to get to (206 springs need compressing to remove as theres about 2cm of arm movement with the car jacked up. got enough aggro doing the springs!

i'm also a driveway/side of road DIY'er, most jobs don't phase me (i've had plenty of cars in various states of dismantled!) but bearings are the one thing i will get someone else to do. Got the car all jacked up on sunday and got to work getting the hub off (needed a new inner hub so bearing and balljoint were getting done too). everything came off easy EXCEPT the balljoint nut. it just would not come loose, just span the joint itself (think the grease had got thin) so had to angle grind it off, and they aren't small nuts! so what should have been an hours job (none stop, i took my time!) took over 2 as i had to go back out and dig the angle grinder and extention cable out and maneuver the hub to get to it better.

i took the hub itself to a friend who luckily works at a garage. he got the thing done that day (less than a few hours as he had stuff on) and i also enlisted their help when the balljoint was stuck (the proper tool just rounded the holes out after lifting the bench up) and it took them less than 2 minutes with a huge chisel and hammer. obviously if they had to get the heatshield off and remove the peening it would be longer, but it sometimes saves time to get someone else on it with the right tools. after that it was the bloody track rod that wouldn't do back up (came out nice and easy though, annoyingly )

I need to convice the wife that when we buy a house it needs a garage that i can stick a heavy bench in with a vice, then get around to getting some time saving tools such as impact guns and a compressor!

the other saving grace is we had similar shifts so we could car share so i didn't need it done urgently.

I've also saved an old seat back from the SX seats that is lovely for sitting on if you're working low, and a plentyful supply of boxes from work to keep stuff in/on/dry!

[NewcastleFalcon]

Well here's nine minutes on you tube which is currently of interest to me and looks to confirm my apprehension about the potential problems of removing the ABS sensor. One side he managed to wiggle out, the other was destroyed in the attempt.



Maybe its best just detaching the ABS wire at the nearest connection, and forgetting about tring to extract it from the hub carrier.

Regards Neil

[Stickyfinger]

Maybe he should of used some PlusGas ?

[lexi]

I usually clean those things with a brass brush to remove rust scale and start dosing it with plus gas for a few days before the attempt.
The Picasso is a right old workhorse eh? So many of them about but many used and abused by families. Short on care and servicing, plus those rusty sills.

[NewcastleFalcon]

The Picasso is a right old workhorse eh? So many of them about......

Hopefully that translates into good and cheap parts availability. I really like ours, haven't sworn at it once yet!..although that may well change if I decide to do the wheel bearing job

Maybe my hearing is not what it was but I keep changing my opinion which side is the grumbly one!

Need to jack up each side and give the wheel a spin and see what it sounds like.

Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

just had a look at Eurocarparts.....they have a front hub with bearing for the Xsara Picasso at £40.26.

That may save the worst element of the job.



Regards Neil

[NewcastleFalcon]

...then again its getting the old bearing out of the hub carrier thats the problem...

Found another old post where Richard W gave some good advice about just disconnecting the ABS wire rather than trying to remove the sensor.

Regards Neil