Bearings are $54 each and a hub is $100 or so. I've done both my rears and reused my stock hubs. You just need to know the secret on how to take the race off the hub without damaging it

 

What is the secret?

 

-Press out the hub
-put the hub with race in a vise
-use a torch and carefully "cut" the race. By cut I mean cut about half way threw it. Be careful not to heat the hub.
-"drop" the hub into a bucket of water, the thinned race will crack due to rapit temp change.
-once the race cracks you should be able to slide it off the hub, if it's loose but you can't just slide it off use a hammer and chisel to carefully beat it down the shaft till it comes off the end.
-be very carrful to not hit the hub with your chisel.
-once off use some fine sand paper and water to clean up the shaft of the hub.
-inspect and make sure you didn't damage it in any way. You shouldn't, the race is alot weaker metal then the hub so you shouldn't have any issues at all.
-push the Hub into the new bearing

-drink beer because you saved $100 and reused a hub that everyone on s2ki says you have to replace

Glad I could help

 

if you dont have a torch do you think you could justuse a drill and just drill holes into a line?
obviously it would take alot longer but same concept?

 

It sounds like you need the torch not only to make the cut but to heat the race to make it crack when cooled.

 

You need the heat and water to have the rapid temp change and crack it. Using a drill to drill small holes in it would take alot of time and the risk of damaging the hub is very high. My method doesn't hurt the hub at all.

Edit- what rob just said Rob just ninja posted me

 

From what I understand from a trusted tech, when the bearing starts to fail, it damages the hub in the process. So replacing a bad bearing on a worn hub is really a temp fix. it will fail again because the hub is worn where the bearing race mounts. You will end up with another trashed bearing in short order.

 

My Hub showed no signs of wear at all besides the studs.

 

This.

I reused my original hub in an attempt to save money. My 2nd bearing was trashed very quickly. Judging from my timeline of oversteering and my maintenance records, my new bearing was already on its way out on the first track day. Lesson learned. Unless you catch the wheel bearing extremely early and/or preemptively replace it, you should probably replace the hub too.

Oh, and the car drives back to how it used to now *cheer*.

On a side note, Rylan (krazik)'s car is disgusting. S2ks are not supposed to make a noise I expect to hear from an Evo. :eekdance:

 

When is a good time to replace the bearings? I have about 46K miles on my S2K and 5 or 6 track days. The car was CPOed at 36K when i bought it. I'm guessing the dealer probably didn't replace it...