wheel bearing

[RS4inGermany]

I was wondering if any of you have had to replace wheel bearings on you cars. My car has covered 61 tkm's and the left rear wheel bearing went bad today. This seems like rather low milage for a wheel bearing to go out. The local shop is going to charge me 350 Euro to change both of them out this Friday. Does this price sound in line with what you would pay in the UK?

Thanks for the info.

[Golich]

That's a good price for one bearing but an absolute bargain for two!

Worn rear wheel bearings on Quattros is not uncommon. My mechanic mate (private mechanic) tells me he gets a lot of Quattro rear wheel bearings. I had to change my previous S4's rear bearing at approx that milage.

There are two ways of doing it:

1. A hydraulic tool that is capable of removing and installing the wheel bearing with the hub still attached to the car.
2. Remove the rear hub from the car and press out. Some on the S4 forum have hammered them out - Believe me it must have taken them a serious amount of hammering something I wouldn't recomend.

The use of a hydraullic puller means you don't have to check the wheel alignment. It is also much quicker and easier to both remove and install the bearing. It shouldn't take longer than 1-1.5hrs per side.

Removing the rear hub is simply enough but is clearly more labour intensive and strickly speaking the rear wheel alignment should be checked (most garages don't bother!)

I designed and manufactered my own bearing hydraulic puller/pusher. I think I used a 2 or 4tonne capacity ram but this wasn't enough on its own. I'm going to have to modify the design for a 10tonne ram. I used the long slender ram type found in a body repair kit. It was relatively cheap. Approx £90. I had some parts rough turned at a cost of £55. All in I made the puller for approx £180 figuring I'd have a few of these to change in the coming years of S4/RS4 onwership.

[S4power]

350Euro to change both wheel bearings is a really good price, at least here in Sweden. Here in Sweden a wheel bearing cost around 100Euro/each.

I have replaced two wheel bearings on S4/RS4 in the last month that had similar mileage like yours.

[harry]

Eh....(drooling) some pictures please, interior and exterior of your RS4 Sport by quattro GMBH as quick as you can Thomas theres a good chap.

[RS4inGermany]

It was after my drive home from Italy on Tuesday I had noticed the noise comming from the rearend of the car and took it to the shop to get advise. It was decided I would take the car in today (Friday) to get both rear bearings changed out. Since Tuesday I have had to drive to Belgium (Wed) and Munich yesterday. The noise was so much worse today when I too the car in. Glad the bearings did not blow on the Autobahn!! I know that the rear bearings used on the RS4 are the same as the standard A4, but are the fronts larger? Has anyone had to replace the fronts around the same time as the rears?

[RS4inGermany]

well, just got home from picking up the car from the shop. All is quite back there now better yet, they only charged me 300 Euro! on top of that they rotated the snow tires and topped off the monkey pisser fluid!!

[Golich]

Good to hear and a nice price - they want £250 per side in the uk. Not sure what the Euro to £ rate is but I'm sure it would be closer to 400 euro per side!