[Jahallah]

So, i read through a lot of threads, posts, manuals and instructionals; and no one prepared me for the absurd amount of problems I would incur during this process as a result of rust.

First couple of steps, Support front wheels, park brake on, break bolts.

Raise car, remove wheel. (I have the added advantage of a pneumatic drill)

So far so good.

Remove Caliper mounting bracket bolts and support caliper - No problem.

remove rotor - Problem.

I had the two m8 1.25 mm thread to drive into the rotor and push it off. Did not come off.

Refer to Hynes manual: "If there is significant buildup or excessive wear, remove the parking brake adjuster access cover, and spin the star adjuster and release the tension" This access point is behind the rotor and through the backing plate. I needed a mirror and wasn't even sure which way to turn it. One of the reasons for this was that the pin and spring assembly which hold the front side of the parking brake assembly, had pulled through the backing plate because of rust buildup, presumably. If you don't know or can't picture what i mean, just know that rust ruined the ability to safely remove the rotor.

So now the rotor is off, and the pin is back in place, with a washer keeping the head from pulling through the plate, i could move onto the hub.

Four bolts hard to reach, even harder to break free. sprayed with pb blaster and got them all safely out through a series of precariously attached extensions.

Hub frozen on - no problem i'll grab the puller i borrowed from advanced, where i picked up the hub. Well, it was partially my fault for not checking, but they handed me the wrong puller. It was a gear and crankshaft puller. It should have worked normally, but it's arms weren't long enough to be centered. Well, i fudged it and it popped off, with the backing plate.

So now the backing plate is stuck on the hub. WTF can I do?

I tried everything, spray and wait, hammer, mallet, sandwich the rotor back on the studs with two, 1" open ended craftsman wrenches , (TWO - one on either side) set up between the rotor and the backing plate. 4 lugs on the rotor and i bent the backing plate before i could pop off the plate from the hub.

then the raceway decides to split open on the inner part of the bearing just as i decide to give up and put back together. :gasp:

This is my daily driver and i can't afford a garage. I put it back together and have been driving really slow.

On the bright side, the noise definitely got worse, but not by much. So i think i nailed down the issue.

What can i do now?

I have a confirmed hub/bearing issue and a compromised parking break assembly TIME BOMB waiting to go off.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Glennda5id]

If it were me, I would start by spaying everything down with a good penetrating fluid everyday for a couple of days before trying again.

What year Outback is this?

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

maybe a little persuasion from a torch would help?

 

[Jahallah]

maybe a little persuasion from a torch would help?

I'm afraid of that for two reasons:

1. other components that will be affected by the heat, just the parking break assembly and cable.

2. the amount of PBr I sprayed on there is enough to send the whole hub through the neighbors window if I held a torch anywhere near it. Not to mention brake parts cleaner.

But i could resort to that if left with no other choice. after some H2O - hose down action.

If it were me, I would start by spaying everything down with a good penetrating fluid everyday for a couple of days before trying again.

Yeah, I guess that's the only way, but how do I really hit that hub out without further damaging the backing plate? A couple of blocks of wood and a sledge? Or the PB should do all the heavy lifting?

What year Outback is this?

it's a 2007!

I live in New England though, right next to the beach!

Thanks to both

 

[Glennda5id]

Seems like a few hits with a sledge should do it. You could also try hammering a wedge or screwdriver in between

Also the replacement parts I am seeing all come with a hub preinstalled with the bearing. Seems like you were almost there....

 

[Jahallah]

Seems like a few hits with a sledge should do it. You could also try hammering a wedge or screwdriver in between

Also the replacement parts I am seeing all come with a hub preinstalled with the bearing. Seems like you were almost there....

I was so close, I don't have a driveway, so I was at a friends house. It's also my daily driver so I didn't even push the hammering until after I checked with the interwebs. More PBR and lots more confidence will get that thing out. maybe I should order a new backing plate in the interim. In case it breaks.

 

[Glennda5id]

I doubt it will break. Just work slowly around the edges with a screw driver and it should come off.

 

[subiesailor]

Even on a rust free CA car I used an 8lb sledge with a small block of 2x4 and a couple of light taps to knock a couple of parts loose during my bearing project. The weight of the 8lb sledge not the impact is what helps get things knocked loose. The CV joints also slide in and out per suspension movement - once the bolt on the end of the axle is off you can put a block of wood on the end of the axle and give it a couple of light taps and the axle will free up from the snug bearing fit and slide inward. At this point you can pull the full hub assembly off with the old bearing. Then either replace the whole hub and bearing or have the old pressed out and new pressed in etc. Napa Auto parts machine shop is your friend cheap $10 for me to have them press the bearings.

When you do the new axle nut go as tight as you can to the rated torque setting you may not be able to reach it if the wheel wants to turn. Then set the car down and do a check again on the torque setting. I rolled the car in and out of the driveway and did a 3rd torque check before dogging the nut.

Be advised not sure why this is but I had to re tighten my wheels ie lug nuts after a short distance after doing the bearing replacement. I know they were tight when the wheel was put back on but they seemed to loosen up shortly after. Possibly due to all the parts settling etc. AFter that zero issues and I put another 40K on the car with no problems before selling it and getting a new Subaru.

 

[Jahallah]

Even on a rust free CA car I used an 8lb sledge with a small block of 2x4 and a couple of light taps to knock a couple of parts loose during my bearing project. The weight of the 8lb sledge not the impact is what helps get things knocked loose. The CV joints also slide in and out per suspension movement - once the bolt on the end of the axle is off you can put a block of wood on the end of the axle and give it a couple of light taps and the axle will free up from the snug bearing fit and slide inward. At this point you can pull the full hub assembly off with the old bearing. Then either replace the whole hub and bearing or have the old pressed out and new pressed in etc. Napa Auto parts machine shop is your friend cheap $10 for me to have them press the bearings.

When you do the new axle nut go as tight as you can to the rated torque setting you may not be able to reach it if the wheel wants to turn. Then set the car down and do a check again on the torque setting. I rolled the car in and out of the driveway and did a 3rd torque check before dogging the nut.

Be advised not sure why this is but I had to re tighten my wheels ie lug nuts after a short distance after doing the bearing replacement. I know they were tight when the wheel was put back on but they seemed to loosen up shortly after. Possibly due to all the parts settling etc. AFter that zero issues and I put another 40K on the car with no problems before selling it and getting a new Subaru.

I noticed my lugs were not torqued anymore after the axle torque, but that seemed obvious. this was when I was putting old hub back together. I will be sure to torque everything correctly after.

thanks

 

[Jahallah]

After some careful taps, the hub came right out. should have done this in the first place. Oh well, live and learn. Noise is still there though... and a slight vibration. anyone good at diagnosing sounds?

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

swapping axles left to right and checking if the problem changes might be helpful.