Subaru wheel bearings question

The front wheel bearing on my son's 1999 Legacy Outback is shot. Is the bearing pressed in to the upright, or can it be changed out with hand tools? I don't have a press or access to one, so if it needs to be pressed in he'll have to take to the local garage.
Thanks
Warren

In reply to DeadSkunk:

They are pressed in but can be done by a DIYer if you are feeling adventurous.

I just did my rears (00 2.5rs) last weekend using:

http://www.harborfreight.com/fwd-front-wheel-bearing-adapters-66829.html

Took a while but not completely impossible.

Some useful info here:

http://www.rs25.com/forums/f105/t42060-diy-wheel-bearing-replacement.html

Alternatively, some people prefer to grab a used knuckle from the junkyard and roll the dice on the condition of the bearing. Cheaper and no special tools required.

Thanks Soxtober. Looks like it might be a PITA job, especially since this beast is pretty rusty from life in Michigan. Maybe a trip to the junkyard is the best course right now.

Once I started using the harbor freight "fwd bearing adaptor" (which is just a knockoff of a hubtamer/hubshark) I can't go back to using a press for this job. It is so much easier and faster to change bearings now without having to remove the upright and all the other things that leads to. And when you add in that the "made in Japan" timken bearings and seals total under $50 it is a no brainier to put in new parts. But... I am in Texas where I don't have to deal with rust so YMMV.

So, aside from the $100 Harbor Freight bearing kit, do I need any other tools besides my regular hand tools? I'm tempted to try this. Worst case would be buy the HF tool and not be able to get everything apart. Then I'd have to put it back together and pay a garage to do it , BUT I'd have a new tool ! There's no such thing as "Too many tools", right?

In reply to DeadSkunk:

Depends on how stuck the inner race is on the hub. I used a standard gear puller (~$10) and was able to pry that off. Could also just replace the hub as well.

If you decide to use the HF tools, there is a decent youtube video guide. I will see if i can dig it up.

Besides normal hand tools I use the following to do a wheel bearing:

a. FWD bearing adapter

b. slide hammer and hub adapter

c. bearing seperator

d. 2 jaw puller

After pulling the axle nut, wheel, caliper, wheel sensor, and rotor you need to unbolt the swaybar and unbolt the lca joint and pop it out with a spare jack. From there pull the axle out of the upright but you can leave it in the transmission. Slide hammer the hub out, pull the seals, then use the hub tamer to "press" the bearing race out of the upright. Use the bearing seperator and 2 jaw puller to pull the bearing off the hub. Flip the hub tamer around to work in reverse so that you can press the new bearing into the upright, then use the hub tamer to "press" the hub into the bearing. Seat in your seals and dont forget to pull out the plastic tube from the bearing. Then you are homefree and you can put the axle back in and put everything back together.

One tip, Some Subarus press the bearing out for removal while others press the bearing toward the inside for removal. Dont forget to look and pay attention!

No slide hammer/hub adapter or bearing separator. More tools to buy. I'll have to find a Youtube video and study this one before I get into it and buy too much. I noticed the CV cover is ripped, too, so more parts to add in.

You can loan most of the tools from Pep Boys, heck they might even have the hub tamer.

Sounds like you will need to pull the axle anyways to replace the boot and re-grease. I cant remember if your car has the pin to keep the axle in the transmission but i want to say that is does.

In reply to Ojala:
I believe I saw a pin in an exploded view on the CD Subaru manual I've got. There was something different about the 2.5 L ,automatic transmission cars.I've got O'Reilly's ,NAPA , and Autozone nearby so I can ask about loaner tools.

Sometimes the outer cv joint will seize in the hub then the entire thing is just unless you can get it apart (as in remove the inner cv from the transaxle, take the brake parts off, unbolt the strut and balljoint and toss all the rest). W ehave replaced them on my dads many times, several used ones, then new on both sides, then one of the new ones failed right away and we replaced it with another used one, now it seems fine.

In reply to Travis_K:

Thank the Lord I dont have to deal with that corrosion, seizing, and rust mess in Texas.

The next time anyone in my family needs a used car I'm heading south to look. It's well worth spending a few days of motels and meals to get something you can work on.

I had to replace 2 of them and I live in California. The Subaru specialty salvage yard said they get a lot which wont come apart too. I actually eventually got them apart months later after hammering them and soaking them in penetrating oil, etc. I guess it's not uncommon, if they come apart ok I would for sure use anti seize paste on the splines.

I did my wife's 01 Legacy out of the car and I'm glad I had a press! I used the harbor freight 12 ton press and getting it apart was a pain... really had to crank 'er up and stand back! I couldn't imagine it having worked with the hub tamer.

In reply to mikeatrpi:

Yup, I've done it many times with a press and the hub tamer/shark/HF knockoff beats a press hands down.

sorry to bump up an old thread, but I'm about to embark on the joy that is replacing the rear wheel bearings on my '05 RS as well. I've got everything I need to do it, but i do have one question right off the bat - the bearings come with a red plastic stay on the inside races for shipping (so I'm told). Does that thing just press out when you install the bearing, or do I need to physically get in there and push it out beforehand? It feels like its in there very tight so I just want to be sure I don't ruin the bearing when I press the hub in with that plastic in there.

Should just be able to push the plastic out by hand.