I just thought i'd leave this message for anyone considdering doing wheel bearings on a Fabia at short notice like I did last night.

Firstly, when you buy new bearings you'll probably be offered 2 choices with 'hub' or without 'hub'. I say 'hub' because this doesn't mean you get the whole bottom suspension assembly, I was fooled by this, what you get is the hub ROTOR and bearing, as in the bit which the wheel and brake disk bolts onto. Apparently you can buy the bearing on its own and fit your rotor to it, although I cant see how the hell this is possible.

Anyway, bearing with hub (rotor) from euro car parts = £45 + VAT, they list it as being for the VW Polo.

You will need a couple of special tools to remove the lower assembly, the M14 spline drive (not sure of its correct name) and possibly a 'splitting tool' to separate the clamp on the lower of the suspension strut. you can get by with a very heavy screwdriver if you cant get this tool. The fabia comes with an odd driveshaft nut, its actually a 19mm/ 3/4" allen key socket, and most people probably wont have one this size, so get an M12 nut and bolt then weld the nut onto the end threads of the bolt. One side fits in the nut, the other into a 19mm socket or spanner. Check the new bearing, it may come with a 36mm (yes, 36) cast driveshaft nut, I had to buy a £9.45 impact socket to get this on :(.

Normal tools you'll need are T45 Torx driver for the brake caliper bolts, 5MM allen key for the track rod end (if it comes loose before you get the nut off all the way). No.2 Pozidrive screwdriver, 8, 19 and 18mm sockets/spanners, single hex is useful for corroded nuts. I'm not sure if one of the nuts is supposed to be 18mm but by the time I removed the corrosion thats the size it was. I think its the 19mm socket that can also be used to knock the driveshaft out of the rotor, so as not to damage the threads.

It is advisable to file the corroded thread grooves as it will be very difficult to get the track rod nut off otherwise. Add plenty of WD40 or better alternative and the job will be easier.

Basic sequence of disassembly as follows;

1) remove wheel

2) remove retaining screw in brake disk

3) remove plastic covers on back of brake caliper

4) remove caliper floating bolts with T45 Torx Key/bit (once removed, suspend caliper with string/bungee cord from coil spring) and remove brake disk.

5) remove spring clip that holds the brake pipe to suspension lower assembly, unclip pipe.

6) remove 3x 8mm bolts holding steel plate, then remove the plate.

7) clean threads and remove 19mm nut on track rod end, before removing completely, use a rubber mallet to knock the tapered track rod end downward.

8) remove 19mm nut below CV joint and push wishbone to the ground.

9) use 14MM spline tool and 18mm spanner to remove pinch bolt from behind the shocker. NOTE: Bolt must be withdrawn completely before attempting to lift out the shock absorber as it has a metal locking tab on the back.

10) Insert 19mm (deep reach preferably) over the driveshaft bolt threads, use rubber mallet to knock driveshaft out while pulling on the lower part of the rotor.

11) insert splitting tool behind the pinch clamp and rotate 90 degrees, tap the whole assembly downwards until the shocker is free.

At this point the bit you need is free, so you can now take it somewhere that has a large bench vice and hammer (to batter the bearing out from the driveshaft side) and a 2-5 ton hydraulic press to push in the new bearing from the wheel side. Make sure the metal clip around the bearing is pushed into the bearing housing using 2-3 large flat bladed scredrivers.

12) Re-assemble following the above instructions in reverse order.

13) Drive.

14) Smile.

Hope this helps someone in future.

Edited 14 July, 200817 yr by davegsm82

Good write-up. Working from memory that's pretty much what I remember doing to the wife's Fabia not so long back when it failed the MoT.

Only extra thing I remember doing was crafting up some packing pieces to fit between the hub rotor part and the outer face of the outer bearing so that when the bearing was pressed back into the hub carrier the pressure was applied to the outer race. This reduces the chance of pushing the bearing centre out and wrecking your new expensive bearing.

Aligning the hub carrier in the press so that the hub pressed in evenly was the most time consuming part of the job I think. Every time we tried to press the hub in something gave a little and the hub started to go in skewed; Stop - knock bearing out - realign hub carrier - set bearing up vertically and horizontally - try again . . .

The splined bolt at the base of the suspension strut was overcome by using the head of some imperial bolt (9/16ths or some such) and a couple of counter-locked nuts on the bolt stem. I wasn't convinced by the fit of the spline tools I tried.

It is tricky using a press, this is why Skoda say not to use a press they have a special puller tool to do it which makes it a piece of cake and doesnt destroy the metal clip around the outside of the bearing.

when i had to replace mine, i has me and someone else trying to use a hub puller, but was getting absolutely no where, he took it to get pressed n it took 20 tonnes of pressure to get the hub off lol. destroyed the spline shaft. what happens when you drive without realising that the wheel bearings had packed up.

Cheers for the advice. Allan key hub nut..... new on me. Didnt have a hex socket that big and neither did anywhere else I tried. Cheap solution if you cant weld the nut is a moto gt spindle key £10. Has hex sizes 17,19, 22,24mm all in saves buying a set or a single at 10--15quid. Get from halfords.

The allen nuts were only fitted to early cars. Most of them have been replaced by a 36mm 12-sided nut which is a straight swap.

 

Gen2 wheel bearings can be correctly pressed-in ONLY with help of two half-moon pressure plates.

If we look on cut-off of Gen2 bearing, it's obvious that simple pressing to end of bearing will ruin ball races and shorten bearing's life.

And getting guard ring back in groove could be very tricky just with flat screwdriver, too.

If not fixed, bearing will came out > saw in Briskoda post about it already.

 

Here's link for idea for tool (OEM execution; those from Laser or SKF looks bit' different- with pins etc.) if we want to make it by ourselves.

http://workshop-manuals.com/skoda/fabia-mk1/chassis/front_suspension_drive_shafts/repairing_the_wheel_bearing/removing_and_installing_the_wheel_hub_with_wheel_bearing_with_the_wheel-bearing_housing_fitted/

For drawing we just need new bearing on hands and some measurements from bearing housing.

And pal-turner, if we don't work with lathe (I don't :-/ )

Main items are two half-moon plates, huge tube (inner diam.bigger than outside diam.of bearing's flange) with support plate, long threaded rod.

Just google T10064/1 tool for idea.

 

With tube and rod with nut on one end you can easily press-out old bearing just with spanner.

Beginning is quite hard- but then there's "craaack!!" when old guard ring pops-out > and rest is easy.

 

Will drop some drawings and photos of this hand-made tool someday...I promise...

 

 

1 hour ago, indars said:

Gen2 wheel bearings can be correctly pressed-in ONLY with help of two half-moon pressure plates.

If we look on cut-off of Gen2 bearing, it's obvious that simple pressing to end of bearing will ruin ball races and shorten bearing's life.

And getting guard ring back in groove could be very tricky just with flat screwdriver, too.

If not fixed, bearing will came out > saw in Briskoda post about it already.

 

Here's link for idea for tool (OEM execution; those from Laser or SKF looks bit' different- with pins etc.) if we want to make it by ourselves.

http://workshop-manuals.com/skoda/fabia-mk1/chassis/front_suspension_drive_shafts/repairing_the_wheel_bearing/removing_and_installing_the_wheel_hub_with_wheel_bearing_with_the_wheel-bearing_housing_fitted/

For drawing we just need new bearing on hands and some measurements from bearing housing.

And pal-turner, if we don't work with lathe (I don't :-/ )

Main items are two half-moon plates, huge tube (inner diam.bigger than outside diam.of bearing's flange) with support plate, long threaded rod.

Just google T10064/1 tool for idea.

 

With tube and rod with nut on one end you can easily press-out old bearing just with spanner.

Beginning is quite hard- but then there's "craaack!!" when old guard ring pops-out > and rest is easy.

 

Will drop some drawings and photos of this hand-made tool someday...I promise...

 

 

 

Another thing. With proper tool whole strut remains attached to car during bearing replacement...