Rear Wheel Bearing & Temp gauge

[G-shock]

Currently I'm getting the whole Super Strut suspension repaired in my '92 FXGT(silver top model) and have a worn rear wheel Bearing.

I was told a rear wheel bearing comes complete from Toyota and cost just over $500 per bearing?? seems alot of money! can you get these cheaper or have them repaired?

Also the temp gauge starts at zero and very quickly rises to off the scale in about 2 minutes, could this be the sensor?

Cheers

Gareth

[TruenoBoy]

Hey my rear wheel bearing was 250 retail I picked it up for like 170 - trade price. It wasnt official toyota though and I wouldnt bother with a brand new toyota part why pay 500 when you can pay half that.

My ae101 isnt superstrut though so Im not to sure if that makes any difference. The brand I got was NSK.

[Lloyd]

I had my gauge cutting in and out, randomly jumping up to superhot. Would read about half when it was cold and slowly worked its way up. Take your gauge cluster to an auto sparkie or someone who deals with gauges and see if they can find a fault with it.

As for bearings, try Repco, BNT or the likes for them and compare prices

[CozmoNz]

got mine from bnt... i think around $100 each, these were at trade i think... through my work experience, but were still $&#$% cheap as.

and yeh, i think they were for *super strut* but they are only wheel bearings... how can they be any different?

[Malcolm]

best place to go for bearings is LE bearings in Henderson. Normally between $45 and $65 for a wheel bearing, depending on size.
As for the temp sensor, it doesn't often go off the scale unless the car is overheating. With the sensor unplugged it stays on zero, so that rules out a faulty connection, so unless the gauge or sensor is $&#$%, you may have a blown head gasket or something

[KinLoud]

I also had to pay huge $$$ on a new hub due to worn bearing!
Superstrut = ABS = sensor wheel = your problem.
You have to buy the whole hub because of the sensor wheel pressed into the back of the axle. This sensor wheel is in the way when you try to undo the nut so you can replace the bearing.
If you try to pry it out it will break as it is made of iron. Your ABS will not work due to no signal from that wheel.
I have found some steel sensor wheels from another toyota. I can sell you one if you want. I can also sell you my old ABS hub.

Plan A - undo nut of my old abs hub and disassemble hub, get the remains of the old sensor wheel removed from the back of the axle (probably a lathe), replace bearing and seal, reassemble hub & nut (stake the nut!), press in steel sensor wheel.
Plan B - I can sell you a steel sensor wheel and a non abs hub... (bearings were ok when they came off the donor car). Disassemble hub, get the axle machined to accept steel sensor wheel, reassemble, press in steel sensor wheel.

Plan A will cost more but you will have new bearings, Plan B will be cheaper but you will have older bearings (but could put new bearing in later)
$50 for sensor wheel and either hub incl freight

Ken
Ham
021 408 863

[KinLoud]

Plan C - talk to Mr Revhead (warrick) for great prices on toyota parts. He can probably do Toyota bearing and seal for not too much$ or new abs hub.

Ken
Ham
021 408 863

[G-shock]

Thanks everyone for your advice!
As KinLoud said its because of the ABS sensor that the Bearing seems expensive, My mechanic(Techncar) has had the bearing off and has possibly tightened it abit and thinks it will Pass a WOF, so hopefully that will buy me 6 months to sort out the best option.
My Father is a fitter and turner so no problems with modifying any housings if I can't get a decent price on an origional part.

I heard of a problem with a friends temp sensor in an older FXGT where the soldering on the dash had cracked causeing the gauge not to work, as the gauge on my car went high when the car wasn't hot but reacted to the slight increase in water temp over a short time I'm thinking its the sensor, will check further later with this.

Gareth