Rebuild VS Exchange
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
If you are talking about rear wheel bearings:
Pros:
Satisfaction of doing a tricky job yourself.
Skills learned to be able to do the job again if necessary.
Possible cost savings.
Cons:
Either have to make or buy special tools to do the job.
Special tools are expensive and can't be used for anything else.
If you don't do it right you will have to do it again or pay someone.
Buying rebuilt:
Pros:
Open the box and bolt them in.
Cons:
Maybe more expensive.
FWIW, I just bought a pair of rebuilt trailing arms with new bearings, stainless e-brake hardware and new disks from Van Steel. The arms look like new and all I have to do is bolt them on. My cruddy originals are on their way back to Van Steel as organ donors. I am doing the majority of a frame-up rebuild myself but sometimes a man's got to know his limitations.
Rick B.
Pros:
Satisfaction of doing a tricky job yourself.
Skills learned to be able to do the job again if necessary.
Possible cost savings.
Cons:
Either have to make or buy special tools to do the job.
Special tools are expensive and can't be used for anything else.
If you don't do it right you will have to do it again or pay someone.
Buying rebuilt:
Pros:
Open the box and bolt them in.
Cons:
Maybe more expensive.
FWIW, I just bought a pair of rebuilt trailing arms with new bearings, stainless e-brake hardware and new disks from Van Steel. The arms look like new and all I have to do is bolt them on. My cruddy originals are on their way back to Van Steel as organ donors. I am doing the majority of a frame-up rebuild myself but sometimes a man's got to know his limitations.
Rick B.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,209
Likes: 87
From: Putnam county NY
2025 c3 ('68-'73) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Originally Posted by matthud
Actually I meant having mine rebuilt by Van Steel as opposed to just exchanging them.
just my opinion.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 6,134
Likes: 46
From: Raleigh North Carolina
Originally Posted by danthony
I'd exchange justto say I have the original parts in my car.
just my opinion.
just my opinion.
Oops... it's the opposite... if you exchange, you will not have the original parts in your car... you will have somebody elses.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 6,134
Likes: 46
From: Raleigh North Carolina
Originally Posted by matthud
Actually I meant having mine rebuilt by Van Steel as opposed to just exchanging them.
Well then... it depends on the condition of yours.
For example... if yours have botched up threads here & there, and maybe the arms are banged up or man-handled... then exchange them and let somebody else on this forum eventually get yours in exchange. Maybe you won't get somebody elses man-handled arms.
I exchanged some calipers once... my originals were in great shape except for the pits in the bores which could not be honed out. I received some factory defective ones (threaded holes drilled off spec) in return.... somebody elses trash. That was the last time I "exchanged". From then on, I had my original calipers SS sleeved & returned.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,209
Likes: 87
From: Putnam county NY
2025 c3 ('68-'73) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Originally Posted by Tom454
Oops... it's the opposite... if you exchange, you will not have the original parts in your car... you will have somebody elses.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,167
Likes: 2
From: Ft.Worth Texas
I just recieved mine from vanSteel and they look GREAT. Now if I can just get them switched out and the old ones sent back so I wont be out the core charges I'll be happy. I am unable physically to do the swap and I am sure the shop I will use to change them would have charged a lot more to rebuild them than it cost for the exchange service. Did I say they really look nice? 
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 241
Likes: 0
From: St Louis Missouri
I just changed out the bearings in mine, and it wasn’t that bad of a job. I did determine to do things a little different. I strapped the control arm to a tree and then attached a chain to the axel using the break disk backwards. Then I attached my truck to the chain and pulled the axel right out. That way I didn’t need to worry about trying to pound it out. After that it was pretty much like any other pressed wheel bearing.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,167
Likes: 2
From: Ft.Worth Texas
Originally Posted by Hauq`
I just changed out the bearings in mine, and it wasn’t that bad of a job. I did determine to do things a little different. I strapped the control arm to a tree and then attached a chain to the axel using the break disk backwards. Then I attached my truck to the chain and pulled the axel right out. That way I didn’t need to worry about trying to pound it out. After that it was pretty much like any other pressed wheel bearing.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 6,134
Likes: 46
From: Raleigh North Carolina
Originally Posted by Hauq`
I just changed out the bearings in mine, and it wasn’t that bad of a job. I did determine to do things a little different. I strapped the control arm to a tree and then attached a chain to the axel using the break disk backwards. Then I attached my truck to the chain and pulled the axel right out. That way I didn’t need to worry about trying to pound it out. After that it was pretty much like any other pressed wheel bearing.
I can picture exactly what you describe... ROFL..
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 5,269
Likes: 54
From: Orlando Florida
St. Jude Donor '05
Originally Posted by Hauq`
I just changed out the bearings in mine, and it wasn’t that bad of a job. I did determine to do things a little different. I strapped the control arm to a tree and then attached a chain to the axel using the break disk backwards. Then I attached my truck to the chain and pulled the axel right out. That way I didn’t need to worry about trying to pound it out. After that it was pretty much like any other pressed wheel bearing.
yes, we need that on video - when are you doing the other side ????
trees are also good to pull (steel) bumpers straight
should this be added to the "homemade tools" thread ????
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 143
Likes: 0
From: Independence MO
Originally Posted by Hauq`
I just changed out the bearings in mine, and it wasn’t that bad of a job. I did determine to do things a little different. I strapped the control arm to a tree and then attached a chain to the axel using the break disk backwards. Then I attached my truck to the chain and pulled the axel right out. That way I didn’t need to worry about trying to pound it out. After that it was pretty much like any other pressed wheel bearing.
I just used a slide hammer on mine and they came right out.....
....A video of that would of been GREAT!!
