88 929 Front Ball Joint, Rear Wheel Bearing jobs done!

[donbryce]

My MVI expired last month, and it came real close to driving the old gal to the junkyard this time. However, as things work out, I'd already pulled the left front fender, driver door, and right rear passenger doors off the boneyard '89 929, and just had to put them on, at least, along with the fresh front bumper pulled from the same car. I'd already installed the back bumper from this 929 last year. Thinking about it, I proly should've bought the whole thing and disassembled....but oh well, it's been crushed anyway.

The front ball joints on this model are freakin' buggers! You have to take off the entire lower 'A' arm, press out the balljoint, and press the new one in. It's a good 5 hours at least. I don't know about doing this without a bench press, but a big vice might do.

The rear bearing is worse! That entails removing all the ball-jointed suspension arms (3), the lower shock mount, the side support struts, and parking brake cable. Then the brake disc has to come off (real pain, those 2 screws) and all of the internal parking brake assembly. I broke an 18" long 1/2" drive strongarm bar trying to loosen that big nut, which was torqued to over 200 ft.lbs! It did finally come off with the air gun under 120psi though. Only then can you slide the assembly off the axle splines. No need to remove the axle, contrary to the service manual.

Once on the bench, the axle stub (the part with the wheel studs) has to be pressed (or pounded out) out of the inner race of the bearing (a 1 piece sealed assembly BTW), then you need to press the outer race/bearing itself out of the casting. That part of the job is a bitch, due to the odd shape of the casting, but it can be done. Just ask if you wanna know how I set this up. And before that is possible, the rusted-solid-to-the-hub backing plate needs to be separated. All in all, about an 8 hour job, if ALL of your nuts and bolts are rusted badly, including drilling out the holes for new cotter pins.

So after all that, and 2 solid weeks of under-body rust repair, mig-welding frame members, and a quart of seam-sealer....and I forgot to mention putting in a junkyard steering rack-and-pinion assembly....she's good to go for I hope another winter. Whew.

Not counting my time, this 'ol car was saved with $50.00 in boneyard sheet metal and trim (painted in the exact color of mine too, horaay), a $20.00 steering rack, $70.00 ball joint, $80.00 wheel bearing, $25.00 in seam sealer, about $20.00 spray bomb paint, $25.00 undercoat, and a *free* switch from a fellow forum member that got the cruise working again. Oh yeah, and 2 almost new winter tires from Charlie's Tire here (Nordic Tracs), installed/balanced/tax-in for $90.00.

Long Live the HC dudes....

[DMiester129]

wow they still have hc's in junkyards up there? I'd be lucky if I found something older than me

[NoD]

some pics and info about the rear wheel bearing change would be nice.

Long live the HC!

[bigern26@gmail.com]

Are the rear bearings the same as them on a 93? I have to change mine and have no clue on how to do it.

[NoD]

Im in the middle of a rear wheel bearing change now. But the rear disk is not comming of, the two little screws are out, parking brake shoes adjusted back, spindle nut off. Everything has been soaked in rust solvents overnigth, but no, it does not give a inch. Did u have problems with the disk? any neat tricks ?

[mazdaspeed929]

Im in the middle of a rear wheel bearing change now. But the rear disk is not comming of, the two little screws are out, parking brake shoes adjusted back, spindle nut off. Everything has been soaked in rust solvents overnigth, but no, it does not give a inch. Did u have problems with the disk? any neat tricks ?[/b]

A big hammer. :P

[NoD]

hehe.

found a trick.
1.25mm bolt screws into a hole in the disk.
screw this tight, and rotate the disk so u can use a rubber hammer on the opposite side.


now im struggeling with the links, i had a endlink removal tool, but i does not fit.
So im back to banging :P
i migth try to make a tool to ease the removal

[donbryce]

hehe.

found a trick.
1.25mm bolt screws into a hole in the disk.
screw this tight, and rotate the disk so u can use a rubber hammer on the opposite side.


now im struggeling with the links, i had a endlink removal tool, but i does not fit.
So im back to banging :P
i migth try to make a tool to ease the removal[/b]

I found this on EBay...exactly the tool I used for the links.

[NoD]

that tool must be bigger than the one i got.


since it did not fit.

but i finally found a tool that would fit, even the rear lower link.

three turns, boom, and release

[mazdaspeed929]

that tool must be bigger than the one i got.


since it did not fit.

but i finally found a tool that would fit, even the rear lower link.

three turns, boom, and release[/b]

It would have been nice to have one of those. My blue HC car wouldn't be sitting on jack stands as I wait endlessly for the KDM links and order to come in.