Hi All,
I just got an estimate on replacing the left rear wheel bearings. The local import car repair shop say they have to replace the hub because the bearings have spun and damaged it. I also needed the parking brake cable replaced. They refused to use Timken bearings and seals I bought, and want o charge me $2300 for the job??? I feel this is a way to high, I was originally told $400, but due to the damage, expecting no more than $1500 (someone else gave me that price). They will only use Jag parts, but said they found a good used hub for $500? Is this a rip off price? HELP! Anyone know a good mechanic in SW Michigan?

 

I just did a quick calculation and I could do the job for you for about $1600. That would include my return flight from the UK, Hotel accommodation and excess baggage costs for my tools.

In the UK you can buy a recon hub which is a simple bolt on replacement. It's a very straight forward job that you could do yourself, or any competent mechanic in about 2 hours.

Example hub here
Jaguar XJ6 X300 XJ8 X308 XK8 Rear Hub Reconditioned Near Side or Left Hand | eBay

 

I talked to them this morning and they said the hub carrier is the part that the bearing spun and damaged. I did find used one on eBay for $125 and a hub for $215. Do the bearings need to pressed out/in? I just don't have the tools or a warm garage to work in. So what airline do you prefer :^)....?

 

If the bearings need pressed out and in, a local machine shop can swap the bearing out for next to nothing.

 

Not sure why you would need a new hub if it is the hub-carrier that is damaged?
The bearings "can" be pressed out and in, or you can beat them out with a hammer and punch and back in with a hammer and "bearing installation tool" (you can buy lots of these for the quoted price)

But having said the "bearing spun in the hub carrier damaging it" they mean the outer race spun in the hub carrier..so if that is true...you should have no problem removing that one...but there are two, inner and outer, don't know which one spun...but the other one would....wait! if you are replacing the hub carrier, you don't have to worry about getting the old races out...only installing the new ones...

I had a bad left rear hub bearing when I went for an alignment a few months ago. IIRC, the alignment shop quoted 4 hrs and something around $400 for the change - entirely reasonable, I thought...but that's a task I'd prefer to tackle myself. So I ordered a slide hammer and bearing installation tool kit and retired to read Don B's excellent how-to with pics over on Jaglover's, while I awaited the arrival of parts and tools. I changed inner and outer bearings on all four corners for, I don't know...never quite summed it up...but probably <$300 including two $25 (ea) single-use nuts on the rears!

In my case, only a bearing change, no damage to the hub nor hub-carrier.

 

[QUOTE=cygnus x1;1117175]They refused to use Timken bearings and seals I bought, and want o charge me $2300 for the job??? /QUOTE]


Hi cygnus,

The shop's refusal to use your Timken bearings and seals is ridiculous. If you order the bearings from Jaguar, they will arrive in Jaguar packaging, but the bearings themselves will be marked SKF, Koyo, or, you guessed it, Timken. Jaguar doesn't make its own wheel bearings any more than Ferrari does.

No press is necessary to replace the bearings - you remove the old races with a tapered punch and hammer and install the new ones with a hammer and inexpensive bearing driver kit (I think I paid about USD $25 at Harbor Freight).

Below are links to the photos aholbro1 kindly referenced. I'm also including pix of the front bearings for future readers of this thread.

Rear Wheel Bearings XJ40/X300:
Welcome to Jag-lovers - Members Photo Viewing Page
Welcome to Jag-lovers - Members Photo Viewing Page
Welcome to Jag-lovers - Members Photo Viewing Page
Welcome to Jag-lovers - Members Photo Viewing Page


Front Wheel Bearings XJ40/X300:
Welcome to Jag-lovers - Members Photo Viewing Page
Welcome to Jag-lovers - Members Photo Viewing Page
Welcome to Jag-lovers - Members Photo Viewing Page
Welcome to Jag-lovers - Members Photo Viewing Page


Out of curiosity, how was the shop able to determine the hub carrier had been damaged? Did they remove the hub and inner bearing cone from the carrier?

Cheers,

Don

 

Rear hub bearing replace should take about an hour and a half per side use about $50.00 worth of bearings and seals, $50.00 worth of hub nuts and a $5.00 tub of grease and $125.00 per hour shop labor. The shop doesn't want to use your parts because they will charge you an outrageous amount for "their" parts.


$2300.00 should get you a complete rear suspension overhaul - everything; hub bearings, output shaft bearings, u joints, bushings, mounts, vitamin pills, birth control pills, pep pills, prophylactics - dinner out, a hearty handshake and "Thank You" - everyting! IMO, many/most shops are lying thieves that fight the flat rate clock and do shitty, incompetent work!. They are only interested in the $$ chase.


I have photos I took of the absolute mess a Jaguar shop in Portland, OR made of a front brake pad replace and bearing repack on my '90 Majestic. And then we have the disaster they made of a AC repair! I don't let shops near my cars!

 

^^ Post #6

DonB, quick question: In your Jag-Lovers post you suggest that it's preferred but not necessary to remove the entire hub/axle-shaft assembly from the vehicle. My question is, is it possible to just remove the hub in a similar manner to removal of the fronts? And if so, how much more ****-ache would it be? I'd like to not have to get so far in as pulling the axles out if at all possible due to somewhat limited garage space.

Thanks in advance,

 

I ended up getting a complete rebuilt hub/carrier/bearings/seals from Jag Spares International (thanks John) and found a great shop through a friend-of-a friend, who used to have Jags, so he had a soft spot and gave me a great price!

 

Arrrgggghhhh!

I just pulled the rear hub apart, tear-down was extremely easy. Sure enough, the bearings were still in tact, but the outer bearing has spun a nice ~1mm-1.5mm deep groove into the hub. Hub shopping now....

Any evidence that there might once have been grease in there was long gone, just black dry sludge... And all that with barely any noise? How tough are these fn bearings that they'll eat the hub without failing themselves first?

Oh well, at least I'm doing it myself so any delays are my own fault....

 

Update: I rebuilt my hub today and reinstalled it, all going well... then, ffs... I forgot to put the backplate on!

Rip it all apart and do it again, then the real p.i.t.a... refitting the springs on the brake shoes! How is that more hassle than the entire rest of the job?

Anyway, it's done now, all I have to do now is get a 250 ft/lb torque wrench to tighten the big nut, my 150 lb torque wrench got me part-way there but I gotta finish the job right

 

Advance Auto sells a 250 lb ft torque wrench for about $90.