Mercedes-Benz W123 rear wheel bearing replacement
How do you replace the W123's rear wheel bearing?
1. Remove the drive shaft. 2. Undo the clamping nut counterclockwise with a special wrench. The nut is very tight, and you can make the wrench yourself from a suitable piece of tube. 3. Replace the bearing using a puller. 4. Tighten the nut with a long handle, about a 2-metre bar. At a workshop the job takes about an hour.
How is the rear wheel bearing tightened correctly?
Tighten until only a small amount of play remains in the wheel without the brake disc. The play disappears as the bearing warms up while driving, so a small amount of play is correct. The bearing is part of the wheel mounting, so have a workshop check the result if you are not sure.
Why does the bearing's outer race spin and the housing is loose?
The outer bearing race can start to spin in the hub and wear the housing loose. As a temporary fix the bearing can be secured with small notches on the hub surface and retaining compound. A better solution is an undamaged hub, if you can get one easily.