Front Wheel Bearing

[LW_Black4]

We're getting lots of noise on the '07 GTI front wheel bearing so it needs to be replaced.

We've replace the other front wheel bearing in the shop before and a rear wheel bearing in the driveway. The GTI has 140,000 km on it.

Is a front wheel bearing a practical DIY project or best left for a shop? I don't know whether it's a press fit or not, but the bearing bolts are torque to yield.

Also, is there a Service Manual available for download or online access?

 

[eurocars]

To remove the bearing, all you need to do is remove the 4 retaining bolts. No special tools needed for the front

 

[LW_Black4]

Thanks eurocars,

Is the front bearing held on by a torque-to-yield bolt with an especially large triple square socket?

That's what I recall of the rear.

 

[eurocars]

Correct, 4 of them

 

[LW_Black4]

Here's the manual procedure, and thankfully it doesn't include press-fitting the bearing so it can be a DIY job:

 

[zrickety]

I know, why doesn't everybody bolt them on?

 

[eurocars]

I know, why doesn't everybody bolt them on?

Bolts probably cost 30 cents each x4 bolts = $1.20 x tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of cars. Machining it for interference press fit costs less to manufacture is why

 

[Perpetuus]

We're getting lots of noise on the '07 GTI front wheel bearing so it needs to be replaced.

We've replace the other front wheel bearing in the shop before and a rear wheel bearing in the driveway. The GTI has 140,000 km on it.

Is a front wheel bearing a practical DIY project or best left for a shop? I don't know whether it's a press fit or not, but the bearing bolts are torque to yield.

Also, is there a Service Manual available for download or online access?

I paid $8 CDN each for those triple square bolts for the wheel bearing. It was not cheap but better safe than sorry.

The wheel bearing assembly itself may be seized onto the spindle. Ask me how I know...