I'd wager the edit footage is a Technicolor wonderland of such intense white hot vulgarities it may fail to emit the priper feeling of rage. A tirade so tyrannicallay tense, trying terse terminology trailing tendency to triage and violence. To attempt alliterative asuage-ence.
Total caveman repair I love it. I remember when I was visiting the ancient Mayan ruins, there was a painting on one of the walls of a Mayan changing a Subaru wheel bearing. He even had a scribble below that said "Napa not a sponsor !"
Just remember, if he can do it, I can do it. All I need is a lift, oxyacetylene torch, air hammer, needle scaler, ball joint press, bearing press, set of impact sockets, a variety of other miscellaneous hand tools, and about 30 years of experience. The rear wheel bearings on my buddy’s Subaru just went bad. He wants me to help him replace them. I’m sending him straight to SMA. Thanks for another great video and for saving me and my friend a lot of frustration!
As a former Subaru parts advisor in the Northeast, I can say that the shop smelled like burning rubber on nearly a daily basis. Older Subies love their wheel bearings. Thanks for taking us on the adventure Eric!
You can be mostly rust free in the salt belt too if you bother to wash your stuff once in a while. I live in extremely heavy salt area and my early 2000's chevy malibu (not known for quality) was still 95% rust free when I sold it at 225k because I ran it through the car wash with undercarriage rinse every other week. No big deal. Most people would rather spend the $10 on coffee though and let their means of transportation disintegrate.
The best employee I had was a pothead that didn’t smoke cigarettes. He never once had a speeding ticket and he had the cleanest workshop space I’ve ever seen. He’d put in his ear buds and work for hours straight. I helped him start his own business a decade ago and he’s thriving rn.
A small portion of the wakey-bakey crowd are self-medicating ADHDers that are are extremely intelligent and the herb helps their brain sync, the rest of us either guzzle coffee and Coke or have prescriptions. Without chemicals, we're a fucking mess.
That looked like a massive pain, even without all the rust. The dual inner seals, the hub being separate from the bearing itself, having to press the bearing out and the new one in. This makes me grateful for those wheel bearing hubs that are held in with just three or four bolts.
What was that spinning maneuver you were doing with the gas axe ? Something fell off the hub ? Or you cut it off ? It looked cool as hell , but probably something you define fly should be sobor while doing? Lol
@@briansnyder8382The inner race of the outer bearing is a press fit on the hub, so when he used the slide hammer to remove the hub the race came with it. He used the torch while spinning the hub to heat and subsequently expand the race and it fell off of the hub. Hope this helps.
I'm just opening a garage in downeast Maine, every car I get that comes in and I need a little guidance. I always go right for your channel Mr O, I've learned so much from watching your videos, I went from doing side jobs on weekends, to going at it full time. I enjoy being in the garage, I'm a big gear head, and my area needed another honest mechanic.
I think Mr O here shows us a different side to mechanics, as being honest and proficient in their work i think another mechanic such as Mr O would be well regarded in Maine
@@vipahman I can say from my experience, if you truly love doing it, and want to evolve and get better. I suggest just doing it, I've had no formal training at all, and I get alot of timing chain and belt jobs that the others shops don't want. I've built a good name for myself in a short time and I stay 2 weeks out
You know it gets real when MR O got fire and big nasty in one video. Hands-down!!!!!!! Absolute great video thank you for all your time and making them.
I had forgotten how much time has passed since I started watching your content. When you asked your daughter if she was doing her homework, I realized that she is maybe two heads taller than I remember...and your son is bagging a buck. Since I am in Southeastern Pa, I worked on a lot of rusty junk too, and the Hot Wrench was my go-to tool, my "lightsabre." All the best to your and your family, Eric. Merry Christmas!
If the engineers had to do some of the jobs that mechanics do on cars they might think about it twice and design it better for easy accessing a better survival rate instead of planned obsolescence hey have a great day
I have a suggestion. I was around pneumatic tool noise from age 24 to age 33. Now I am old and severely deaf with loud tinnitus. I suggest you use hearing protection.
Those air hammers use a lot of air (more than an impact wrench), and they don't work as well when the pressure's low. Make sure your air compressor is well maintained and can keep up!
I agree with Mark, unfortunatly wheel bearings on Subarus leave a lot to be desired. However the Outback/Legacy of this vintage (3rd gen) have rear disk brakes and a hub assembly (even in base 2.5i spec) that are significantly easier to replace... fairly cheap and easy to source too, probably because they fail so frequently. That said a guy around the corner from me went the new car route, his 2nd gen impreza has been up on blocks with a half disassembled rear bearing/knuckle for over a year now. Its a shame, it actually looks to be in pretty good shape otherwise.
@@curtisjmurphy the newer style hub bearings are definitely much easier. However, they also get seized in the knuckle and need to be beat out. Someone had to come up with a tool called the “hub shocker” because even powerful air hammers wouldn’t get them to come loose.
@@markkoranjr6426 In my experience they don't last long enough to get totally fused to the knuckle... LOL. One benefit to cheaping out on parts I suppose.
I've learned a lot from Eric, and he's given me a lot of confidence to do some of my own work. This video taught me to pay Eric to do a job like this! 😂😂
I used to use needle scalers a lot to clean up Rusty molds they work great and yeah they are annoying but don't use them on aluminum cuz they'll put little pit marks all over the place but if you use them right they'll flake off the rest and make your life a lot easier doing cleanup have a great day
Not cleaning stuff up makes the job harder to reassemble and even if it's you get it together the dirt can throw things out of whack and get into your new stuff best thing to do is when you do a job clean it up as much as you can before you tear and know it so the old crud does not get into you engine or whatever you working on and cleaning up as you go and reassemble a clean assembly have a good day
I live in the west and these rusty repairs always make me shake my head in admiration. Good on ya Eric to take them on. Every time one of my friends complains about rust I send them to your channel. "Oh yeah? Grab a beer and watch this guy!" Thanks again for all the content.
I miss working on cars, and trucks. I was a light wheel vehicle mechanic, 63B, for the Army, and a shade tree mechanic when my back allows. I enjoy the puzzles, challenges, getting grubby, and NOT pushing paper. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, and making it easy to enjoy 😉😊 Your humor, good nature, is the kind of mechanic/soldier I preferred to work with. Hope all is well, and the family and you, are staying healthy. Here's to a Happy 2022 !
Thank you for your service and I was the same as you but doing it in the active duty Air Force 47272, l did 7 yers active from 1977 then jumped in the Reserves and retrained in aircraft, I ended up at Boeing for 30 years and retired almost 5 years ago. I don't miss the paper work also and I still enjoy working in my shop but rusty junk is not our here in Western Washington unless it is a transplant and I seen a few of those.
@@mikeske9777, hey! Thank you, for serving before me! I didn't serve until 1992, through to 2007. I ended up working for dealerships and auto part stores, after the Army. Hope you're enjoying retirement 😀 I'm a stay-at-home dad, these days.... with a broken down back.
I would like to thank you sir for everything you've done for this country so we can enjoy the freedoms we have today I also like to mess around with cars bye p
I'm 62-year-old no way can I raise my leg as high as you did but I still love your videos you're great. There is always a workaround like a big hammer 🔨
I've been wrenching for 30 + years, nice to see someone who isn't all Hollywood, does things the way I'm used to, and knows how to get stuff done ! I'm from Toronto Canada, work on a lot of plow and salt trucks, so I'm all too familiar with rust. Nice video, keep up the great work!
Design frozen. Somebody notices the poor sustainability of the design. Ask marketing about majority customer base intended use and they say nobody takes them off-road. Voila…how we arrive at today.
An exec asked one of the engineers where the cars with that setup would be sold and was told it was going to the US. His dad used to live in Hiroshima and he said "yet, they deserve it."
When my wife's Subaru needed a wheel bearing I felt a little bad taking it to a shop since I normally do these things myself but she needed it asap and I was heading out of town for work. When the bill included "torch time" I thought maybe I'd dodged a bullet. After watching this I'm sure. That would have taken me most of the day.
Oh great! Now all Subaru service departments are going to include "torch time" regardless of whether they used a torch, and include a link to this video! Hahaha.
Friday just got a lot brighter - a SMA video - old school, knuckle busting rusty bucket getting fixed to rust some more. Nice job, Eric. The combination of mechanical wisdom spiced up with humor and sarcasm makes these videos fly by.
Watching you work on those bushings brought a tear to my eyes. I used to work on heavy equipment and semis. We had one trailer that had bushings about 3 1/2 inches in diameter with a big pin going through a frame bracket and through a bellcrank. They would be seized in the bore so bad I would torch them till they burned enough away to be able to remove them. Later I broke down and bought a port-a-power that would remove those bushings. Shop boss wouldn't supply much in the way of tools. Ah the smell of burning rubber.
Eric, you have my respect for your ability to deal with rusty cars!! I live in North Georgia, and the underside of my cars look practically new, and a couple of them are pushing 33 years old.
A few years back I wish mechanics with your experience was near me. Bearing went out in my Subaru in the exact same will. As the old saying goes, no one would touch it with a 10 foot pole. Replacing the car to drive 30 miles to work ended up costing me frankly more than I could afford at the time. Years later financially still recovering. I realize the car was old but at that particular time I honestly couldn't afford. Drove me so close to bankruptcy, I shudder when I remember. Thanks for the videos.
I think a whizzer mounted on a 4-1/2" grinder would fit in to cut the bolt. It always surprises me how fast the cut and give a nice flat and true cut they make when held square and true.
8:20 Inertia, the mass of the arm wants to stay at rest, but the spindle is being driven forward. Since the force forward is greater than the arm's friction it backs off the sleeve.
Great video Eric - you're well worth your service rate! BTW - Every Subaru Engineer that designed that rear knuckle needs to watch this video. If they are honorable they'll immediately commit seppuku.
As I Heard from a former Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth Engineer, the Engineers create Great parts, BUT the BEAN COUNTERS tell them to cheapen the parts up to save a bit of money. It's Profits OVER Quality. I owned Chryslers/Dodges for decades because of the styling and they cost a fortune to keep running. I Will NEVER Own another after hearing that from that Engineer. I Believe Subaru is the same way, great engineering, but the BEAN COUNTERS Plan them to break own early, OR Expensive to fix.
Nice job. I too work in the “rust belt”. Just on larger vehicles. Would like to see safety glasses more often. Over 40 years in the business and have seen some scary close call eye injuries.
@J Hemphill A consensus doesn't require unanimity, but if your consensus about "X" is only of the group that excludes those who are against "X", then it's not the consensus of the whole group. Anyhow, a bit of a red herring, because your premise is that there was some survey of the "general audience" that established the general agreement to "let the man who's taking the risks judge them for himself". First, there was no such survey, just a smattering of comments here and there. And second, I didn't actually see anyone asserting a position that Eric should NOT judge the risks for himself. (Hmmm, so I guess I believe there WOULD be a consensus on that narrow point!) But that said, many viewers of the channel have come to be quite fond of Eric and family, and some would hate to see him (and family) suffer a serious injury. On the basis that they realize Eric does continuously make that safety assessment, they offer their own input into that assessment -- having had actual injuries (luckily not me), or had close brushes with injuries (me), or having worked alongside those who have suffered injuries (also me). I guess I take your point to be that offering such stories or advice is "being a safety nanny", and that there was a consensus to not do so. I don't believe there was or is such a broad consensus. I too get irritated on reading comments that are just nit-picking about following arbitrary ineffective rules (safety, or repair procedure, or whatever). However, the proportion of those has seemed low, compared to those advocating caring for vital eyesight, hearing, and lungs.
That hammering inward to get the arm to move in the opposite direction reminds me of the same magic that takes place when seating an axe head. When Pops showed me that, I was amazed. He said..."You gotta beat down on it to get it to come up." After which he had a wry smile. That comment was lost on 8 year old me.
Moved out of the Northeast nearly a decade ago, to a place that gets cold but sees almost no snow. It's nice not having your cars deteriorate before your eyes. Good work, as always.
You know when you hear Subaru , wheel bearing and " Bolt" and in your head you go "OH BOY" , That mean's you must have watched SMA videos in the past . lol
Quite possibly the best episode I have watched so far. Now and again I still get to do jobs exactly like this. But as I have never ever owned or used air tools, they are tasks that are now exclusively reserved just for real good friends and family members. Many thanks. David in the UK.
That feeling when you're more willing to produce, film, and edit a 46 minute how-to video in the hopes at least one owner diys the job rather than pushing it off onto you.
Proper SMA episode..(aren’t they all) EVERYTHING Eric explains in this video I have employed at some stage in my short home mechanics lifetime.. saved me an absolute fortune in money and has taught me some valuable skills… and got me addicted to buying tools…Anyhoo great episode reminiscent of the previous Sooby rear suspension/wheel bearing episode… Love it!!
Same here over my lifetime and our family's fleet I'll bet I've saved $100K at least in maintenance, repairs, and having to replace cars that become unaffordable to keep running.
I watched and commented on your last video about this job. I did a rear bearing on my 98 Forester last year. I'm pulling and regreasing that long bolt every year when I put my summer tires on because that job sucked.
Thanks Eric! I Always appreciate the amount of work you and your family do to make these videos. You never cease to impress and still make a living doing what you do.
Christmas bells went off in my head last week, when I realized that our 2015 Subaru does not have that strange problematic bolt that makes removing the axle so difficult. I guess Subaru learned from their mistake.
yeah, instead you get a horrible CVT transmission and a cuckoo-clock FB engine, both which cost a small fortune to fix when they die...ill take the old simple EJ25 and the bulletproof normal transmission even with the poor wheel bearings anyday
I don't watch your videos too often. But I'm glad i saw this one. Nice little gold nugget tricks i learned here that i'll carry back to my shop and use in the future. (The gold nugget being: Spinning the hub on something while heating the inner race with a torch and watching it fall right off vs. getting the bearing separator tool.)
what i do here in sweden when dealing when those bearings is remove the controlarms from the other end, towords the rear subframe. chanses are it´s just as crusty but at least its just one bushing per bolt. It usually works fine. Jus remember to mark the location of the toe-adjustment so you get it back in the same spot. Great and entertaining video as always Eric!
You are one of the best mechanics on youtube. You really explain every step of the job and give good tips on how to handle rust belt cars. I live in Vermont where our cars live a rough life too.
Congrats to Mrs. O and your son on some very nice deer Eric!!!! I love it when the flame wrench comes out, living in a rust belt State I bet you go thru oxygen and acetylene quick!!
Retired G.M tech. Love watching you work. Always use the air hammer and torch, makes life easy . Some of the young techs shy to use these tools...Saves a lot of time ...
as someone who also lives in the Pennsylvania rust belt along lake Erie I enjoy watching your videos dealing with rusted suspensions. I have learned a few tips from your videos that have helped me working on my rusty parts. I have to say the PA inspection is worse than NY though - hard to believe a state can be worst then NY but it is. Thanks!
I grew up not far from Mr O and moved to PA. I couldn’t believe the difference in inspection practices between the two states. Things passed in NY so much easier.
I really appreciate your video's! Unlike some of the other similar video's here on youtube, I never see you take shortcuts and in such a hurry to get done that you create the owner more issues for the future! You do however cause me to spend money on tools! LOL Merry Christmas!!
I did this same job on my 2005 STI, I gave up and sawsall the knuckles out, ended up pulling everything out of the rear end, diff, etc, it was just peeling an onion, the more i saw, the more i removed and trashed, ended up replacing all of the bushings, and i mean all, as well as new knuckles, backing plates, bolts, washers, all the hardware. Satisfying in the end, was not a weekend job...this man is the picture of efficiency and been there done that. Cheers!
Have done more of these than I ever wanted to working at a Subaru dealer for the last decade in New England. Had one with 18K on it when it was only 2 years old and it was a nightmare then too. They definitely don't get any easier once everything turns to rust flakes. Keep up the good work Mr. O!
Probably 5 or 6 years ago I tackled this after watching one of your videos. It took me 2 weeks of futzing with lateral link bolt to break it free before I even touched anything else. I would soak it down daily and rock it back and forth with a breaker bar, then put an old socket on it and smash it with a 2 lb sledge. I did this every morning before work for about 20 mi Tues and it finally broke free. All of this could be avoided if there were slots or grooves in the bolts for the rust to go someplace.
Eric: I had a local shop change a rear wheel bearing on my 2003 Escape........$700+ to do the job. I looked at it myself & saw the rusted bushings & the long bolt that was seized solid, & I new that a specific tool would be needed, so I gave it to my local man. He earned every damned dime that he charged me. I personally would not have done the job for what he charged, & further, I will never own another vehicle with that half assed design. The last good car Ford made was a Model " A " ! Well done Eric, I admire your knowledge & your work & business ethics. The Best of British Luck my man. Cheers! Brian
Great job, good to see a skilled mechanic, I was at one time a VW mechanic in the sixtys , but the army had to have me, so after my three yrs, shipbuilding was my new trade!
Awesome Eric! I can believe the amount of rust and dust that falls off the car when it is hit with the rattler. When the rubber busing began burning, I found myself blowing at the screen to put it out, lol.
Go to the home deathspot and pick up some Hardy Backer tile underlayment and cut some pieces 8x8 and you can use that between your rosebud and what you don't want to burn.
Thanks very much for your videos, I've been watching for some time now, and always learn a lot. I'm doing the rear passenger wheel bearing on my daughter's 2005 Saabaru right now, having the very same issues you had with this one, including using the sawsall and torch. You show us all that perseverance and the right attitude always helps get the job done. I'm 71, have always worked on my own vehicles since I was 15, and find it very meditative working on cars - of course, it's much easier now, I'm not usually in a hurry to get things done since I don't have to go to work in the morning. Thanks again, you've got a great channel!
Nightmare. Also in this nightmare I could see plenty of cussing, frustration, and bloody knuckles without the right tools and know how. Glad there are people who can tackle this.
Great vid Eric. We had a 98 Outback for 18 years and had to have the front & rear bearings done once and the CV axles twice. Of course the HGs went at 109,000 and again at 186,000. So since my wife loves Subarus we got a 17 Forester which had been good so far. But to me a Subie is a good for 10 years car. After that you’re on borrowed time lol! Your vids make it easy for non back yard mechanic customers to understand just what goes into these jobs and how much skill you have to have to get ‘em done.
Amazing video! You always give me good tips for becoming a better mechanic. I really gotta get one of those air hammers, makes the job look 10 times easier. I'm a mechanic in training at a small Subaru workshop and always have trouble with these damn bearing jobs. How much time did this take you? I think I normally do these in around 4-5 hours because I don't have the right tools for the job (you'd think a Subaru workshop would have proper tools)...
Eric I haven't been watching for a while because I was studying, but man, your daughter is so different now, the voice shocked me. Time is flying... Wish everyone of you great times.
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Well done.
Thanks for the karate lesson!
Mr. O: Honestly, you must provide the dear Mrs. O a well-deserved honeymoon/vacation. Please. Thanks.
Torched like King Andy!
Whats the slide hammer #. Is that a 15 or lbs. My shops one is so small.
Aka useless
“I’m not a physics professor, but I’ve worked on a lot of junk.“
Eric O is an American legend.
Your ability to not actually curse in these videos is amazing.
There has to be some editing we don't see/hear
I'd wager the edit footage is a Technicolor wonderland of such intense white hot vulgarities it may fail to emit the priper feeling of rage.
A tirade so tyrannicallay tense, trying terse terminology trailing tendency to triage and violence.
To attempt alliterative asuage-ence.
We don't hear anything stronger than " son of a mother lover". But I can imagine what stays on the cutting room floor.
Can you imagine if this was an AvE video? 😁
I'd say he could make a highlight reel of making a sailor blush when it really gets going.
Total caveman repair I love it. I remember when I was visiting the ancient Mayan ruins, there was a painting on one of the walls of a Mayan changing a Subaru wheel bearing. He even had a scribble below that said "Napa not a sponsor !"
No way could you go Amish on that job
@@richardbambenek2601 Then you've not watched an Amish blacksmith practice his art.
Archaeologist have uncovered a new site nearby which they believe may be the ruins of the Edsel dealership.
What goes clip clop, clip clop, bang? Anyone? An Amish driveby
Since the Caveman days: if the ladies don't find you handsome, at least they find you handy.
Just remember, if he can do it, I can do it. All I need is a lift, oxyacetylene torch, air hammer, needle scaler, ball joint press, bearing press, set of impact sockets, a variety of other miscellaneous hand tools, and about 30 years of experience. The rear wheel bearings on my buddy’s Subaru just went bad. He wants me to help him replace them. I’m sending him straight to SMA. Thanks for another great video and for saving me and my friend a lot of frustration!
As a former Subaru parts advisor in the Northeast, I can say that the shop smelled like burning rubber on nearly a daily basis. Older Subies love their wheel bearings. Thanks for taking us on the adventure Eric!
Always thankful to be in the rust-free south after watching these vids! LOL
Hello from Detroit. What is this elusive, mystical rust-free condition you speak of?
@@grosseileracingteam gotta move a lot further south to find! 😂
@@grosseileracingteam 1997 Chevy C1500, Florida truck, no rust anywhere, and it has never been garaged.
You can be mostly rust free in the salt belt too if you bother to wash your stuff once in a while. I live in extremely heavy salt area and my early 2000's chevy malibu (not known for quality) was still 95% rust free when I sold it at 225k because I ran it through the car wash with undercarriage rinse every other week. No big deal. Most people would rather spend the $10 on coffee though and let their means of transportation disintegrate.
@@MrSubaru1387 pnw has these rust free cars too.
The best employee I had was a pothead that didn’t smoke cigarettes. He never once had a speeding ticket and he had the cleanest workshop space I’ve ever seen. He’d put in his ear buds and work for hours straight. I helped him start his own business a decade ago and he’s thriving rn.
Sounds like he was a great employee and friend who happened to smoke weed, but took care of business
There are pot smokers who have it completely together besides that so, yeah...
Good on you sir
Most potheads I've been around just cruise through life at just above an idle, but none exceptional.
A small portion of the wakey-bakey crowd are self-medicating ADHDers that are are extremely intelligent and the herb helps their brain sync, the rest of us either guzzle coffee and Coke or have prescriptions. Without chemicals, we're a fucking mess.
I'm a DIYer and I would GLADLY pay whatever the cost to have this work done.
Money well spent!
Me too!
I concur
Afferitive..
that was my thought, i do most my own work, but that, ill gladly pay the cost and sit at home and watch it on youtube, lol
That looked like a massive pain, even without all the rust. The dual inner seals, the hub being separate from the bearing itself, having to press the bearing out and the new one in. This makes me grateful for those wheel bearing hubs that are held in with just three or four bolts.
You're right
Thats most company are going to the hub bearings that are bolt in
What was that spinning maneuver you were doing with the gas axe ? Something fell off the hub ? Or you cut it off ? It looked cool as hell , but probably something you define fly should be sobor while doing? Lol
@@briansnyder8382The inner race of the outer bearing is a press fit on the hub, so when he used the slide hammer to remove the hub the race came with it. He used the torch while spinning the hub to heat and subsequently expand the race and it fell off of the hub. Hope this helps.
I'm just opening a garage in downeast Maine, every car I get that comes in and I need a little guidance. I always go right for your channel Mr O, I've learned so much from watching your videos, I went from doing side jobs on weekends, to going at it full time. I enjoy being in the garage, I'm a big gear head, and my area needed another honest mechanic.
Congratulations on the new business venture! I'm hoping to do something similar later on after I leave the military. Best of luck to you
I think Mr O here shows us a different side to mechanics, as being honest and proficient in their work i think another mechanic such as Mr O would be well regarded in Maine
That's awesome. I'm a passionate gearhead but am not sure I can make the next step.
@@vipahman I can say from my experience, if you truly love doing it, and want to evolve and get better. I suggest just doing it, I've had no formal training at all, and I get alot of timing chain and belt jobs that the others shops don't want. I've built a good name for myself in a short time and I stay 2 weeks out
All areas need a good honest garage.
I admire your diagnostics, but watching you deal with rust is another level of satisfaction.
You know it gets real when MR O got fire and big nasty in one video. Hands-down!!!!!!! Absolute great video thank you for all your time and making them.
Can't be stuck if it's liquid lol
this is why i wear safety glasses when i watch your videos
:D
I had forgotten how much time has passed since I started watching your content. When you asked your daughter if she was doing her homework, I realized that she is maybe two heads taller than I remember...and your son is bagging a buck. Since I am in Southeastern Pa, I worked on a lot of rusty junk too, and the Hot Wrench was my go-to tool, my "lightsabre." All the best to your and your family, Eric. Merry Christmas!
I'm curious to see what the subaru engineers would think seeing this procedure done. Certainly entertaining!
If the engineers had to do some of the jobs that mechanics do on cars they might think about it twice and design it better for easy accessing a better survival rate instead of planned obsolescence hey have a great day
And see theirs sulotion to a similar situation
I have a suggestion. I was around pneumatic tool noise from age 24 to age 33. Now I am old and severely deaf with loud tinnitus.
I suggest you use hearing protection.
I agree, please wear hearing protection.
Huh?
I find it’s way more fun watching the mechanic then being the mechanic. That air hammer is pretty aggressive. I think I need one of those.
get ear protection to make it a combo
@@McLilWilli I use ear protection often.
Those air hammers use a lot of air (more than an impact wrench), and they don't work as well when the pressure's low. Make sure your air compressor is well maintained and can keep up!
You never have a hammer big enough 🤣
He doesn't call it "Big Nasty" for nothing
Note to self: Buy a new car when the Subaru needs new rear bearings.
Sad to say, many of their bearings don’t make it to their first oil change these days.
I agree with Mark, unfortunatly wheel bearings on Subarus leave a lot to be desired. However the Outback/Legacy of this vintage (3rd gen) have rear disk brakes and a hub assembly (even in base 2.5i spec) that are significantly easier to replace... fairly cheap and easy to source too, probably because they fail so frequently.
That said a guy around the corner from me went the new car route, his 2nd gen impreza has been up on blocks with a half disassembled rear bearing/knuckle for over a year now. Its a shame, it actually looks to be in pretty good shape otherwise.
@@curtisjmurphy the newer style hub bearings are definitely much easier. However, they also get seized in the knuckle and need to be beat out. Someone had to come up with a tool called the “hub shocker” because even powerful air hammers wouldn’t get them to come loose.
Wassup tell me why I got a new Subaru commercial while watching this 🤣
@@markkoranjr6426 In my experience they don't last long enough to get totally fused to the knuckle... LOL. One benefit to cheaping out on parts I suppose.
I've learned a lot from Eric, and he's given me a lot of confidence to do some of my own work.
This video taught me to pay Eric to do a job like this! 😂😂
I didn't know it was possible for a needle scaler to sound more annoying...
Its the same as saying "There is NO-WAY you could be annoying.." to a small kid and then they prove you wrong...
I used to use needle scalers a lot to clean up Rusty molds they work great and yeah they are annoying but don't use them on aluminum cuz they'll put little pit marks all over the place but if you use them right they'll flake off the rest and make your life a lot easier doing cleanup have a great day
Watching Mr. O work is like seeing an artist create a masterpiece. It's sad when the video comes to an end.
That it is. Lol.... then I gotta get back to working on my rusty junk!
My wife thinks I’m crazy cuz I’m a mechanic and watch repair videos 🤷🏻♂️ never stop learning
I'm just sitting here eating Christmas cookies, and watching Eric O struggle with a rusty Subaru. One man's struggle is another main's entertainment.
That high, backward karate kick to remove the tire was pretty athletic, almost like you went to school on a full ride scholarship.
40 years in the mechanic biz, you are using my go to ratchet.
I like how you clean things up nicely as you go. Something a lot of slug mechanics wouldn't do. Very professional.
Not cleaning stuff up makes the job harder to reassemble and even if it's you get it together the dirt can throw things out of whack and get into your new stuff best thing to do is when you do a job clean it up as much as you can before you tear and know it so the old crud does not get into you engine or whatever you working on and cleaning up as you go and reassemble a clean assembly have a good day
I live in the west and these rusty repairs always make me shake my head in admiration. Good on ya Eric to take them on. Every time one of my friends complains about rust I send them to your channel. "Oh yeah? Grab a beer and watch this guy!" Thanks again for all the content.
I miss working on cars, and trucks. I was a light wheel vehicle mechanic, 63B, for the Army, and a shade tree mechanic when my back allows. I enjoy the puzzles, challenges, getting grubby, and NOT pushing paper. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, and making it easy to enjoy 😉😊
Your humor, good nature, is the kind of mechanic/soldier I preferred to work with. Hope all is well, and the family and you, are staying healthy. Here's to a Happy 2022 !
Thank you for your service and I was the same as you but doing it in the active duty Air Force 47272, l did 7 yers active from 1977 then jumped in the Reserves and retrained in aircraft, I ended up at Boeing for 30 years and retired almost 5 years ago. I don't miss the paper work also and I still enjoy working in my shop but rusty junk is not our here in Western Washington unless it is a transplant and I seen a few of those.
@@mikeske9777, hey! Thank you, for serving before me!
I didn't serve until 1992, through to 2007. I ended up working for dealerships and auto part stores, after the Army. Hope you're enjoying retirement 😀
I'm a stay-at-home dad, these days.... with a broken down back.
I would like to thank you sir for everything you've done for this country so we can enjoy the freedoms we have today I also like to mess around with cars bye p
@@michaelpressman7203, thank you! I appreciate, your kind words. I hope you're having fun, out there, tinkering with a vehicle :)
I'm 62-year-old no way can I raise my leg as high as you did but I still love your videos you're great. There is always a workaround like a big hammer 🔨
I've been wrenching for 30 + years, nice to see someone who isn't all Hollywood, does things the way I'm used to, and knows how to get stuff done ! I'm from Toronto Canada, work on a lot of plow and salt trucks, so I'm all too familiar with rust. Nice video, keep up the great work!
I wonder what the thought process was at Subaru when they designed that "salt water catch basin" around that bolt? 🤔
They’d been taking tips from Land Rover
And TVR
And Lancia
And Mercedes.
they make the most money selling parts
@@rustyshacklefordspocketsqu8162 They make a lot more, if you just trade the car in for a new one.
Design frozen. Somebody notices the poor sustainability of the design. Ask marketing about majority customer base intended use and they say nobody takes them off-road. Voila…how we arrive at today.
An exec asked one of the engineers where the cars with that setup would be sold and was told it was going to the US. His dad used to live in Hiroshima and he said "yet, they deserve it."
There is a special place in heaven for auto mechanics who work in the rust belt.
Not a good sign when a wheel bearing video is 45 minutes long. Let me get my popcorn.
I just traded a 2004 WRX and I miss it. Now I miss it less.
When my wife's Subaru needed a wheel bearing I felt a little bad taking it to a shop since I normally do these things myself but she needed it asap and I was heading out of town for work. When the bill included "torch time" I thought maybe I'd dodged a bullet. After watching this I'm sure. That would have taken me most of the day.
Oh great! Now all Subaru service departments are going to include "torch time" regardless of whether they used a torch, and include a link to this video! Hahaha.
Eric, you are just naturally entertaining, your word choice and expressions are very enjoyable.
Friday just got a lot brighter - a SMA video - old school, knuckle busting rusty bucket getting fixed to rust some more. Nice job, Eric. The combination of mechanical wisdom spiced up with humor and sarcasm makes these videos fly by.
Absolutely Frank. Your comment sums up why SMA is one of the best channels on UA-cam!
The O Family is awesome. Hunting and fixing what needs to be fixed. Loving the channel. Congrats to Mrs O And O Jr on the deer
Tickled me when the subject of Honeymoon came up...and Eric retreated to the shop. Time to go...LOL
They are so wholesome 🥰
Love the show can't stop watching more and more
Watching you work on those bushings brought a tear to my eyes. I used to work on heavy equipment and semis. We had one trailer that had bushings about 3 1/2 inches in diameter with a big pin going through a frame bracket and through a bellcrank. They would be seized in the bore so bad I would torch them till they burned enough away to be able to remove them. Later I broke down and bought a port-a-power that would remove those bushings. Shop boss wouldn't supply much in the way of tools. Ah the smell of burning rubber.
Eric 0' spends a minute torching a part up, then immediately touches it with his hands.
God Level.
Eric, you have my respect for your ability to deal with rusty cars!! I live in North Georgia, and the underside of my cars look practically new, and a couple of them are pushing 33 years old.
California here. Ditto.
I hate you both! Jk- I am just north of Mr. O
Here in the midwest my 94 Camry and 96 Century the metal lives but the plastic dies!
A few years back I wish mechanics with your experience was near me.
Bearing went out in my Subaru in the exact same will.
As the old saying goes, no one would touch it with a 10 foot pole.
Replacing the car to drive 30 miles to work ended up costing me frankly more than I could afford at the time.
Years later financially still recovering.
I realize the car was old but at that particular time I honestly couldn't afford.
Drove me so close to bankruptcy, I shudder when I remember.
Thanks for the videos.
Buy an old Toyota. Profit.
@@quonsetthehutt3105 2 vehicles later and I have a Toyota Tacoma 2 Wheel Drive. four-cylinder engine.
ll be paying on it for the next 5 years.
I think a whizzer mounted on a 4-1/2" grinder would fit in to cut the bolt. It always surprises me how fast the cut and give a nice flat and true cut they make when held square and true.
Eric you call it a mechanic nightmare but you genuinely make it look easy great job 👍
It wasn't the job it was the rust have a good day
"I knew that it would jiggle back that way. Don't ask me complicated questions" The best teachers have this kind of advice lol. Practical advice.
8:20 Inertia, the mass of the arm wants to stay at rest, but the spindle is being driven forward. Since the force forward is greater than the arm's friction it backs off the sleeve.
For every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction?
@@bartsarton2212 A body at rest tends to stay at rest? (also can describe my exercise mentality)
Service manual procedure: remove lower control arm bolt A, then remove axle. Easy!
words in a repair book have a great way of making a job sound like it will take 15 minutes instead of 15 hours
Great video Eric - you're well worth your service rate!
BTW - Every Subaru Engineer that designed that rear knuckle needs to watch this video. If they are honorable they'll immediately commit seppuku.
As I Heard from a former Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth Engineer, the Engineers create Great parts, BUT the BEAN COUNTERS tell them to cheapen the parts up to save a bit of money. It's Profits OVER Quality. I owned Chryslers/Dodges for decades because of the styling and they cost a fortune to keep running. I Will NEVER Own another after hearing that from that Engineer. I Believe Subaru is the same way, great engineering, but the BEAN COUNTERS Plan them to break own early, OR Expensive to fix.
Nice job. I too work in the “rust belt”. Just on larger vehicles. Would like to see safety glasses more often. Over 40 years in the business and have seen some scary close call eye injuries.
@J Hemphill Are you saying the safety nannies reached that consensus?
@J Hemphill So, not really a consensus then.
@J Hemphill A consensus doesn't require unanimity, but if your consensus about "X" is only of the group that excludes those who are against "X", then it's not the consensus of the whole group. Anyhow, a bit of a red herring, because your premise is that there was some survey of the "general audience" that established the general agreement to "let the man who's taking the risks judge them for himself". First, there was no such survey, just a smattering of comments here and there. And second, I didn't actually see anyone asserting a position that Eric should NOT judge the risks for himself. (Hmmm, so I guess I believe there WOULD be a consensus on that narrow point!)
But that said, many viewers of the channel have come to be quite fond of Eric and family, and some would hate to see him (and family) suffer a serious injury. On the basis that they realize Eric does continuously make that safety assessment, they offer their own input into that assessment -- having had actual injuries (luckily not me), or had close brushes with injuries (me), or having worked alongside those who have suffered injuries (also me). I guess I take your point to be that offering such stories or advice is "being a safety nanny", and that there was a consensus to not do so. I don't believe there was or is such a broad consensus. I too get irritated on reading comments that are just nit-picking about following arbitrary ineffective rules (safety, or repair procedure, or whatever). However, the proportion of those has seemed low, compared to those advocating caring for vital eyesight, hearing, and lungs.
Exactly you want both eyes to look at Ms Oh. Lol
@@edhingeley6933 and don't forget that the best way to protect your car against rust is to get vaccinated.
OMG what a difficult job and you do it with calm and making it appear easy!!
That hammering inward to get the arm to move in the opposite direction reminds me of the same magic that takes place when seating an axe head. When Pops showed me that, I was amazed. He said..."You gotta beat down on it to get it to come up." After which he had a wry smile. That comment was lost on 8 year old me.
I was thinking if that same thing. It’s the instantaneous force moving one object while the other stays stationary.
Moved out of the Northeast nearly a decade ago, to a place that gets cold but sees almost no snow. It's nice not having your cars deteriorate before your eyes. Good work, as always.
You know when you hear Subaru , wheel bearing and " Bolt" and in your head you go "OH BOY" , That mean's you must have watched SMA videos in the past . lol
Quite possibly the best episode I have watched so far. Now and again I still get to do jobs exactly like this. But as I have never ever owned or used air tools, they are tasks that are now exclusively reserved just for real good friends and family members.
Many thanks.
David in the UK.
What a perfect channel for people who want to see straight up wrenching!
6 months from now - the wheel bearing is still shining and new, the rest of the car has returned back to a natural rust state 🙂
Love your videos, makes me feel less bad when it takes me 3 hours to get a rusted bolt out
That looked like a pretty rusty thing to work on. Congratulations on being able to do that! Very good job under difficult corrosion conditions!
Awesome shout out to Wes. I enjoy both of you guys. Real pros and fun to watch. What more could we want?
I haven;t seen a mechanic as crafty as Eric...he is the best in this trade!!!
That feeling when you're more willing to produce, film, and edit a 46 minute how-to video in the hopes at least one owner diys the job rather than pushing it off onto you.
The day you find the only video on replacing a rear wheel bearing for your Subaru on UA-cam. Save that sucker on your watch list 🔎👍
Proper SMA episode..(aren’t they all)
EVERYTHING Eric explains in this video I have employed at some stage in my short home mechanics lifetime.. saved me an absolute fortune in money and has taught me some valuable skills… and got me addicted to buying tools…Anyhoo great episode reminiscent of the previous Sooby rear suspension/wheel bearing episode…
Love it!!
Same here over my lifetime and our family's fleet I'll bet I've saved $100K at least in maintenance, repairs, and having to replace cars that become unaffordable to keep running.
I watched and commented on your last video about this job. I did a rear bearing on my 98 Forester last year. I'm pulling and regreasing that long bolt every year when I put my summer tires on because that job sucked.
at 12:08 he has the torch in one hand and a spray bottle in the other. The fire is always in control. No one ever taught me that. Pure craftsmanship!!
A man of integrity is hard to find. What ever you charge it’s worth it.
Thanks Eric! I Always appreciate the amount of work you and your family do to make these videos. You never cease to impress and still make a living doing what you do.
Christmas bells went off in my head last week, when I realized that our 2015 Subaru does not have that strange problematic bolt that makes removing the axle so difficult. I guess Subaru learned from their mistake.
yeah, instead you get a horrible CVT transmission and a cuckoo-clock FB engine, both which cost a small fortune to fix when they die...ill take the old simple EJ25 and the bulletproof normal transmission even with the poor wheel bearings anyday
I’ll never complain about changing bolt in hub assemblies again after seeing this lol
I don't watch your videos too often. But I'm glad i saw this one. Nice little gold nugget tricks i learned here that i'll carry back to my shop and use in the future. (The gold nugget being: Spinning the hub on something while heating the inner race with a torch and watching it fall right off vs. getting the bearing separator tool.)
I have two Subarus sitting in a foot of snow right now, thanks for making me cry tears of future pain with this
what i do here in sweden when dealing when those bearings is remove the controlarms from the other end, towords the rear subframe. chanses are it´s just as crusty but at least its just one bushing per bolt. It usually works fine. Jus remember to mark the location of the toe-adjustment so you get it back in the same spot.
Great and entertaining video as always Eric!
Speaking from my Toyota experience, those inners aren't coming out either.
You are one of the best mechanics on youtube. You really explain every step of the job and give good tips on how to handle rust belt cars. I live in Vermont where our cars live a rough life too.
Congrats to Mrs. O and your son on
some very nice deer Eric!!!! I love it
when the flame wrench comes out,
living in a rust belt State I bet you
go thru oxygen and acetylene quick!!
I watched this and was thinking, "Thank goodness I drive an F150." Eric you have the patience of a saint.
Retired G.M tech. Love watching you work. Always use the air hammer and torch, makes life easy . Some of the young techs shy to use these tools...Saves a lot of time ...
Thanks Eric for another wonderful SMA video. Every few months you remind me why I'll never own a Subaru!
as someone who also lives in the Pennsylvania rust belt along lake Erie I enjoy watching your videos dealing with rusted suspensions. I have learned a few tips from your videos that have helped me working on my rusty parts. I have to say the PA inspection is worse than NY though - hard to believe a state can be worst then NY but it is. Thanks!
I grew up not far from Mr O and moved to PA. I couldn’t believe the difference in inspection practices between the two states. Things passed in NY so much easier.
This whole inspection thing is foreign to me. I live in Michigan where you'll see anything driving down the road. What do they consist of?
I really appreciate your video's! Unlike some of the other similar video's here on youtube, I never see you take shortcuts and in such a hurry to get done that you create the owner more issues for the future! You do however cause me to spend money on tools! LOL Merry Christmas!!
I did this same job on my 2005 STI, I gave up and sawsall the knuckles out, ended up pulling everything out of the rear end, diff, etc, it was just peeling an onion, the more i saw, the more i removed and trashed, ended up replacing all of the bushings, and i mean all, as well as new knuckles, backing plates, bolts, washers, all the hardware. Satisfying in the end, was not a weekend job...this man is the picture of efficiency and been there done that. Cheers!
Have done more of these than I ever wanted to working at a Subaru dealer for the last decade in New England. Had one with 18K on it when it was only 2 years old and it was a nightmare then too. They definitely don't get any easier once everything turns to rust flakes. Keep up the good work Mr. O!
now i know why my mechanic always tells me "na your bushings are fine" even though my car sounds like it's rattling to bits when i hit bumps.
Probably 5 or 6 years ago I tackled this after watching one of your videos. It took me 2 weeks of futzing with lateral link bolt to break it free before I even touched anything else. I would soak it down daily and rock it back and forth with a breaker bar, then put an old socket on it and smash it with a 2 lb sledge. I did this every morning before work for about 20 mi Tues and it finally broke free. All of this could be avoided if there were slots or grooves in the bolts for the rust to go someplace.
I like the bearing replacement on these especially when someone else does it.
Eric: I had a local shop change a rear wheel bearing on my 2003 Escape........$700+ to do the job. I looked at it myself & saw the rusted bushings & the long bolt that was seized solid, & I new that a specific tool would be needed, so I gave it to my local man. He earned every damned dime that he charged me. I personally would not have done the job for what he charged, & further, I will never own another vehicle with that half assed design. The last good car Ford made was a Model " A " !
Well done Eric, I admire your knowledge & your work & business ethics. The Best of British Luck my man.
Cheers! Brian
Your resilience is amazing. This Subaru wheel bearing replacement takes courage.
Great job, good to see a skilled mechanic, I was at one time a VW mechanic in the sixtys , but the army had to have me, so after my three yrs, shipbuilding was my new trade!
I wish I had one of them '60s v-dubs especially the 24 window nice vehicle have a good day
Subarus and rust... not a more iconic duo!
Great job, Eric! Busted the rust without breaking the car! Merry Christmas to you guys!
Awesome Eric! I can believe the amount of rust and dust that falls off the car when it is hit with the rattler.
When the rubber busing began burning, I found myself blowing at the screen to put it out, lol.
Love to see an engineer make struggling look somewhat comfortable.....subscribed!
Sir, you appear to be the belt buckle of the rust belt.
0:30 You know when the video starts with a mule kick, it's gonna be good
Go to the home deathspot and pick up some Hardy Backer tile underlayment and cut some pieces 8x8 and you can use that between your rosebud and what you don't want to burn.
Thanks very much for your videos, I've been watching for some time now, and always learn a lot. I'm doing the rear passenger wheel bearing on my daughter's 2005 Saabaru right now, having the very same issues you had with this one, including using the sawsall and torch. You show us all that perseverance and the right attitude always helps get the job done. I'm 71, have always worked on my own vehicles since I was 15, and find it very meditative working on cars - of course, it's much easier now, I'm not usually in a hurry to get things done since I don't have to go to work in the morning. Thanks again, you've got a great channel!
Nightmare. Also in this nightmare I could see plenty of cussing, frustration, and bloody knuckles without the right tools and know how. Glad there are people who can tackle this.
Nice kick! Thank you so much. I'd definitely get my automotive repairs done in your shop if I lived closer. God bless you and family! ❤
Great vid Eric. We had a 98 Outback for 18 years and had to have the front & rear bearings done once and the CV axles twice. Of course the HGs went at 109,000 and again at 186,000. So since my wife loves Subarus we got a 17 Forester which had been good so far. But to me a Subie is a good for 10 years car. After that you’re on borrowed time lol!
Your vids make it easy for non back yard mechanic customers to understand just what goes into these jobs and how much skill you have to have to get ‘em done.
Amazing video! You always give me good tips for becoming a better mechanic. I really gotta get one of those air hammers, makes the job look 10 times easier. I'm a mechanic in training at a small Subaru workshop and always have trouble with these damn bearing jobs. How much time did this take you? I think I normally do these in around 4-5 hours because I don't have the right tools for the job (you'd think a Subaru workshop would have proper tools)...
Eric I haven't been watching for a while because I was studying, but man, your daughter is so different now, the voice shocked me. Time is flying...
Wish everyone of you great times.