Wheel bearings- lost races?

GUY GREEN

MEMBER
1999 SUBARU IMPREZA
4 CYL
AWD
MANUAL

I've got this '99 Subaru impreza L wagon- apparently it doesn't actually exist, since I can't find a manual or OEM front wheel bearings. The old bearings are a set of paired tapers, and every replacement I've found (or that the parts stores find) are a single cylinder. It looks like they'd fit if I tap the races out of the steering knuckle, but I haven't seen any annotations to tell me that the races need removing, so how am I to know without just doing the deed?

2 Replies

MHPAUTOS

MECHANIC
31,937 POSTS

I come up with part # 28316FE000 @ $79.42 each, what did they give you?

Mark (mhpautos)

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Tuesday, January 4th, 2011 AT 5:38 AM

GUY GREEN

MEMBER
2 POSTS

Thanks, Mark- I got it for just over $60.00, plus $8.99 for each oil seal. I can't give you a part #, as I've burned the box and the original bearings had no #'s stamped on them at all- and get this- the cages were plastic! Apparently now you get the whole bearing assembly (all metal) with the outer race as a unit- I'd never encountered this before. Every time I've changed out wheel bearings (many different vehicles, but including a couple of Soobs) I've just picked up the roller bearings- the outer races were an 'inspect and replace as needed' part. I've never needed to replace them, but it seems that you have to now, which is probably for the best. Even if it's not, we're left with no choice. I have to say, getting the old race out was a *****! I took it to a buddy who owns a shop and has all the tools (he used 10) and it still took him half an hour. I'd advise anyone, even good backyard mechanics, to just pull the steering knuckle, leave the hub in it, and take it to a shop to have the dirty work done- it'll save you serious ass-pain, and if anything goes wrong you've got legal recourse.