My daughters '90 240 has developed the telltale rumble and hum of a failing rear wheel bearing. Reading my Bentley manual they are straightforward in describing the replacement procedure .. but I'm not sure how careful I have to be in removing the seals and bearing. They speak of pressing them out. I don't have the axel out yet so I'm not looking at it but does the bearing just sit in a race? Does it not just pop out? Or if pressed in can I stick some claw tool in there and pry it out? Thanks guys.

i have done this several times and it is fairly simple only IF you have a floor press.

1. remove tire
2. remove caliper and hang out of the way with lines attached
3. remove rotor
4. remove 4 retaining bolts
5. attached rotor inside out back onto the studs and bolt loosely
6. pull outwards on rotor and half shaft will slide out
7. you will see in this order from out to in

the seal (only if bearing uses an outside seal)
the bearing
the retaining ring

8. the inner two are pressed onto the half shaft
9. you will find it easiest to use and angle grinder carefully and cut a slot on the retaining ring until it loses its integrity and can hammered off
10. same for bearing but be careful SO half shaft where bearing rides is not nicked
11. once all is off place seal on FIRST then press on bearing and finally retaining ring

Thanks Ted and others. Charging the battery on my power drill/driver now and found my dremel cutting discs .. I'll know better just what to cut when the FCP kit gets here tomorrow. Not looking forward to reassembly of the parking brake.

thanks again guys .... job done except the emergency brake ... just too cold and dark in the garage. I took the axle to a dodge dealer with a press and they popped off the old and on with the new for $40. I'll be inspecting and repacking the other side as soon as it warms up ... where's global warming when u need it?
Jim in western mass.

Do one side at a time so you have an assembled parking brake to look at.
Dan

To drive it back onto the shaft get a metal pipe longer than the shaft at Home Depot the same round size as the bearing. Then you can just pound the bearing back onto the shaft. Maybe this was mentioned before but didn't see it. You can take a long pipe and have the guys at Home Depot cut you a piece I believe about 3 feet long. I might of also bough a screw on cap to pound on the top with, can't remember.

I've also done this complete job many times. Unless you have access to a very heavy duty press and lots of collars and pipes I'd bring the axle shaft and new pieces to a machine shop to be pressed off/on. Follow trichard's directions for axle removal/installation. If you attempt the complete job -- grind a groove across the width of the retaining collar and then set the works on a solid surface with an "anvil" under the retaining collar and the groove facing up--strike in the groove with a chisel to crack the collar--then it can be pressed off (it fits REAL tight). The inner seal in the axle tube can be "hooked" out. That seal keeps the differential oil from reaching the sealed outer bearing. The outer seal keeps water/dust from reaching the bearing. -- Dave

I have not done this job my self but I believe the outer bearings are held into the axle housing by a retaining plate.

After you remove the caliper and disc you will be down to the parking brakes and the axle flange sticking out at you.

This is where I have only looked and not touched myself.

I think there is one excess hole drill into that axle flange to allow you to remove four bolts holding the retainer and backing plate for the brakes.

I think once you have that stuff out of your way the axle is pulled out as a unit with the bearing on the axle.
How much pull I do not know but I think a slide hammer with a crows foot bolted to the studs will pull it. It should not be all that hard.
Bearings are only allowed a light press fit on their outside diameters. That's the reason for the retainer. The seals are possibly in the retainer also.
Some are in the axle housing on cars too. Those you can remove by using the end of the axle itself and pop it out sideways. At least on a Ford truck anyways.

The next fun part is pulling the bearing off the axle journal. Getting a bearing separator and gripping under it with some pull action is the challenge.

There are several methods mentioned by other posters that you can search for I'll bet!

Good luck
Phil

Make sure it isn't the center driveshaft bearing or a Ujoint, rear bearings rarely go bad.
Dan

Hi Dan .. thanks. The noise is right at the bearing confirmed with rim and rotor off.

I just did this job, in addition to the center driveshaft bearing, as I misdiagnosed what I thought was a bad wheel bearing. The hardest part of the job was putting the parking brakes back together. The springs are very tight.

I gave up long ago pressing out bearings myself. I take them to a machine shop and they're out and in in a few hours. I paid $45 for both wheel bearings. I thought the race would be hard to pull out, like on the fronts, but they both came out without any effort.