MReichle Posted December 21, 2011 Report Posted December 21, 2011 At over 170K miles it was time to replace the rear hub bearings. Searched the Haynes manual, forums, YouTube, parts sites and collected enough info to get myself in to a point of no return. Long story short... I wiped out one of the 4 bolts I removed from the first bearing I pulled tonight. I suppose my question is this...other than a dealership, where can I find replacement hub bearing bolts? I've read that guys have ponied up 7 bucks a piece for them! Na-namma-NA! Any ideas on where I can obtain new bolts? They appear to be grade 5 bolts (Standard) but have a 10mm hex and what looks like a 3/8 thread....I need to bone up on how to identify the correct size....anyone know what size these bolts are? The Haynes manual said they were T50 Torx....but as I've found over the years, that that manual is NOT the most accurate repair manual for this car! Thanks! Quote
AL Posted December 21, 2011 Report Posted December 21, 2011 You could pull them from a junkyard car, but I dont see why you couldnt go to a hardware store and match it up... Worse comes to worse, dealership... Depending on how much longer you want to keep the car (I read youve owned it 20 years), is an extra 7 bucks to have the right bolts, really that big of a deal? BTW, I am in Toledo... If you ever wanna meet up, let me know Quote
MReichle Posted December 21, 2011 Author Report Posted December 21, 2011 You could pull them from a junkyard car, but I dont see why you couldnt go to a hardware store and match it up... Worse comes to worse, dealership... Depending on how much longer you want to keep the car (I read youve owned it 20 years), is an extra 7 bucks to have the right bolts, really that big of a deal? BTW, I am in Toledo... If you ever wanna meet up, let me know Toledo, Home of the Mud Hens!!..It's been a number of years since I've been up your way...I'll keep your invite in mind. Thanks! I did some research this morning at the dealer. The parts guy was gracious enough to print off an exploded view of the rear suspension, including part numbers and hardware sizes etc. That was a great start...until he told me that there are 7 bolts in-stock.......... in....Louisianna! CRAP! Checked on-line at Fastenal. I located what I need...and better, bolts with 15mm hex instead of the original 10mm hex's....but they won't be here till tomorrow though. Oh well, I guess waiting for the correct grade bolts will be worth while...it just really screws up my work schedule! Thanks for the input! Just for the info..here's the size of the original and the replacements - Orig - M10-1.5 x 25mm (10mm Hex) - New - M10-1.5 x 25mm (15mm Hex)...and yes, a 15mm socket will fit thru the access holes in the new bearings....Whew!! Quote
Crazy K Posted December 21, 2011 Report Posted December 21, 2011 i beleive those bolts are grade 10.9 metric, which is actually the equivalent of grade 8 SAE. I always hunt the yards for good used bearings wiht lots of success, and extract as many usable bolts from donors when possible. Quote
mra32 Posted December 21, 2011 Report Posted December 21, 2011 I keep a bunch of bolts from parts on my car that I have either removed entirely or replaced with junkyard parts for situations just like these. There is a good chance that specific bolt was used somewhere else on W-bodies that is less prone to corrosion. Quote
MReichle Posted December 21, 2011 Author Report Posted December 21, 2011 I keep a bunch of bolts from parts on my car that I have either removed entirely or replaced with junkyard parts for situations just like these. There is a good chance that specific bolt was used somewhere else on W-bodies that is less prone to corrosion. I have a parts crate started, but with front end parts from when the EX rear-ended a VW.....next trip to the auto bone yard, I'll have to begin salvage operations for misc parts! Quote
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