V70 1999 after market wheel bearing bolt gotcha
 

Hi all,

Changing the front wheel bearings on a V70 AWD 1999 .

I bought an after market bearing which came with a set of bolts.

The original bolts that I took out were E14, and the new bolts were E18.

No problem, until I tightened the stub axle 13mm bolt which
pulls the axle through the bearing.

The hub locked up. I couldn't work out what was wrong until I took the steering knuckle off again and could see that the edges of larger E18 bolts were just scraping the reluctor ABS ring. It had damaged the edge of a few teeth. I cleaned the reluctor ring up and put it back together with the original E14 bolts.

So, be careful to check that any new bolts that you use will clear the reluctor ring.

You will probably be OK so long at the edge of the bolts doesn't protrude at all into the circular recess where the bearing sits.

ABS works OK but if it had badly messed up the reluctor ring, that would have been another job I could do without. Pity to have to use old bolts, but I wanted to get the car back together.

In the picture you can see new bolts, old bolt and grease sitting inside the gasket that I was using that sits between the knuckle and the CV joint.

HTH
Steve

What aftermarket brand did you buy?

Hi

The aftermarket brand was SKV
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VOLVO-C70...T/323306386266
for £37.49

The new bolts that I have used successfully (on another wheel with a FAG bearing) were from Charlton Volvo
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/273609621232
for £8.99

The bolts can be bought more cheaply elsewhere, but need to be to factored into the cost if you can't use the bolts supplied.

I will be in touch with the ebay seller and alert them to the situation.

Steve

Thanks Steve,

I’m pretty sure FAG are the OEM bearings used, but I know they are costly. SKF are very good as well.

Hi

Yes, I always look for FAG but they about double. I also have heard that SKF are good.

Time will tell how long these cheaper bearings will last (so long as the right bolts are used).
I have also been fitting the extra seal 9492980 that sits between the knuckle and the CV joint, packed with grease. About £3 and I think it will really help protect the bearing from water and grit.

I have done a few front wheel bearings recently. If you are rebuilding the strut tower, control arms, doing a CV joint, and doing a full brake job, possibly rebuilding a caliper, the bearing is just a small part!

Steve

PS

Forgot to mention the drop links and inner and outer tie rod ends.

I haven't had much luck detecting worn wheel bearings. Obviously if they get really bad you can hear a moan, or in one case (at 120k miles) a big click every time the wheel went round (it was not the CV joint).

But I haven't been able to detect less severe deterioration (eg 140k miles). Once the old bearing was off, it was a bit gritty, but I was happy to change it while I was doing other stuff.
Prying the wheel up and down when the car is jacked up, or rocking the top and bottom of the wheel in and out, or rotating the wheel and feeling the spring doesn't do it for me. There is too much other stuff involved (CV joints, steering rack etc) and anyway those tests are not testing the bearing "under load".

If I take one side apart at 140k miles and find that it is worn, then I would probably change the other side as well.

Of course it all depends on time and budget.

Steve