[Tires & Wheels] Front Wheel Bearing

[cancunia]

Any thoughts on where's best to buy a front wheel bearing kit? I see some on the bay for about £12.50 from Carpartsinmotion who I've bought from before, but GSF 'standard' comes out at just over £20.
I think there are a few threads about changing them so will have a look around before asking the 'how to' questions unless anyone has some advice they'd like to offer from personal experience.

Thanks

[jj9]

I can tell you that the GSF £20 bearing will be of the same stamp as the £12.50 offering.



.

[brodfather11]

You know of course that you will need a hydraulic press to get the old bearing out and the new in. If you don't have one, a local friendly workshop may allow you to use theirs or do it for you if you take in the bearing hub.
 To take it off you will need a spring compressor to compress the road spring.  While you have it off check for splits in the rubber gaiter for the C.V. joint and wear if any in the steering parts, eg, C.V. joint itself, track rod ends and bottom suspension ball joint and top strut bearing. If the nuts on the anti roll bar links are seized then possibly quicker to cut them off and renew the link.
Be careful not let the drive shaft slip out of the gearbox/differential and lose oil, makes a mess of your drive. I tie them in with plastic zip ties.
if you have ABS then carefully unplug the sensor and remove it in case it gets damaged, While at the brake side of things ,check for splits/cracks in the brake hydraulic hoses. 

 The last one I did on my drive took about a leisurely 4 hours including time to press out the old bearing at a workshop a couple of miles away.
 A 33mm (?)  socket for the large nut at the drive shaft end will be needed and a long extension as they can be very tight. I have a 3 foot metal tube which I bounce up and down on to slacken the nut.

 good luck

[ffrenchie]

To take it off you will need a spring compressor to compress the road spring.

Undo the pinch bolt on the back of the hub and knock it downwards off the strut leaving the strut in place. Undo the big nut while the weight of the car and wheel is still on the floor. I took my hub to a local garage where I get my MOT and one of the lads pressed it out in a break and fitted the new one for a contribution to their teabag fund.

[cancunia]

Thanks for the tips folks. I watched some bearing change videos and they all used a press so I'll ask my local MOT garage to do the pressing once I have things ready. The wear is not too bad so far but it's clearly on the way out so will be on the list for warmer weather.