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PHAD: 05 Mazda Tribute rear wheel bearing
Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2017 8:20 am
by kevm14
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9h_yobXFMk
Some things here.
First, Mazda is a big pain in the ass regarding part numbers according to this video and comments on the thread. Some things just have to be purchased at Ford. Of course they won't sell you a Mazda part so you need to buy the Ford number which you'd have to look up as an Escape.
Also, this is the kind of job you'd be tempted to say...eh, I'll let my mechanic deal with it because of rust and whatever. Well, the thing is, that price isn't guaranteed to be a flat rate. Jobs like this can result in phone calls and a discussion that requires the authorization of more work/cost due to unexpected issues. So next time you are doing a job and think, this really sucks, I should have taken it to a shop - just remember that their struggles don't come at no additional cost.
Re: PHAD: 05 Mazda Tribute rear wheel bearing
Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2017 8:23 am
by kevm14
I run into similar situations in the construction business. After years of experience in running into situations like this I simply stop call the customer and explain what I'm up against and ask them how they want me to proceed. I lost a lot of time and money by personalizing these situations. You need to charge money for your time it's just that simple. Good job doing what you did and taking care of the problem! You have to warn your customers in advance that you may run into situations beyond your control! Working for free sucks.
Great video Ivan. Sometime the customers dont understand that problems can arise when taking apart 10 year old plus rusty components. If that happened to my car I would expect a phone call from my mechanic explaining what happened and that I would need to pay for the additional parts needed for the job plus labor. This is where having a mechanic you cn trust really matters. I know lots of mechanics that have broken additional parts on my car by NOT DOING THE JOB CORRECTLY. Im not paying for additional parts and labor if the broken parts are a result of them using unorthodox methods of removing components. Mechanics whaling at parts with hammers and air chisels when it was NOT necessary to get part removed. In Ivan's case, he did everything correctly and the bolt just snapped due to age and rust. No harm no foul. But some guys just put those air tools on there at 200psi without any kroil and just try to zip those old bolts out KNOWING that those old bolts will probably break doing that. I like mechanics that THINK BEFORE THEY DO! Ivan is the best, he takes his time and does the repair correctly. Quality is job 1!
Re: PHAD: 05 Mazda Tribute rear wheel bearing
Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2017 8:24 am
by kevm14
Here's a great tip:
Leave the axle nut in place and using a cut off wheel, remove 0.750" from the end of the axle. File a small chamfer on the threads to ease future thread engagement. Remove the axle nut. Drop the lower shock bolt, disengage both upper and lower ball joints from the trailing arm, free up the solid brake line and ABS wire by removing a few clips. Push the trailing arm towards the outside of the vehicle while simultaneously pulling back on the axle shaft to remove it. When re-installing the modified shaft, the only difference will be the shorter stub protrusion of the threaded end through the hub nut. Nothing to worry about.
I do these all the time using the hub tamer in less than 2 hours.
You are not the first to forget the retaining clip.
Sorry to hear of your frustration Ivan. Thanks for sharing.
Re: PHAD: 05 Mazda Tribute rear wheel bearing
Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2017 1:14 pm
by bill25
just remember that their struggles don't come at no additional cost.
Unless you are very inexperienced (like me) and the job seems impossible, where as taking it somewhere wouldn't cost extra, someone who knows what they are doing wouldn't get into a bind in the first place. Like the rear struts on the RAV4. If I knew the trick, I wouldn't have gotten in the jam in the first place, and the fix was done way easier by the pro than if I had attempted it.
I am not saying "don't do your own work", but I am not ready to say that a pro wouldn't have an easier time with their experience and probably better tools for different jobs than what I have.
I also don't doubt there are cases where you are screwed regardless of who does it. It really depends on the situation I think.
Re: PHAD: 05 Mazda Tribute rear wheel bearing
Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2017 2:20 pm
by kevm14
Yeah it's both.
I just think there's a sense that if something breaks that isn't supposed to that the mechanic/shop is just going to eat it.
Of course that may be exactly where you want the car if fixing that broken thing is not something you want to tackle.