My Spyder started making a horrible howling noise. It started out as a bit of a whine a couple of months ago that sounded like it might be a wheel bearing but didn't really develop until it suddenly escalated to the howl. It was so bad I aborted my journey and limped straight back home. Jacking it up and spinning the wheels didn't reveal anything obvious but using the "screwdriver in the ear stethoscope" I could hear a bit of a rumble when turning the near side wheel. It seems it needs to be above about 15mph before it gets really noisy. The hubs are from the donor Rover Metro and are the same as on the MGF and TF so the bearings are readily available and pretty cheap. Reading up on how a big press is needed to remove the old and insert the new ones I was a bit nervous about taking this on but found a few "change hub bearings without a press" youtube vids so saw that it is possible. One of those used a kit with various sized pulling discs and receiving tubes that use a massive bolt to provide the pulling force so I found these on ebay and ordered one. Came in less than 48hrs and felt reassuringly heavy. The postman didn't seem so keen though! This is the kit I bought:

Unfortunately you can't use it to pull the hub out of the bearing but this came out easy enough with a few sharp taps with a lump hammer. The inner race from the outer bearing came out with the hub. Using the tool it was remarkably easy to pull the remainder of the old bearing out of the hub knuckle (obviously after taking the circlips out!). The tool also made light work of pulling the new bearing into the hub knuckle. Getting the old race off the hub stub is a bit harder - managed to move it part way along using a cold chisel as a wedge and then cut most of the way through it with the angry grinder. A sharp tap with the cold chisel then split it off. The pulling tool then made light work of pulling the hub stub axle into the bearing. All in all I thoroughly recommend one of these - at less than £26 it saved a lot of hassle and I can't imagine a press would have been any easier.

It hadn't struck me before that it is just the interference fit between the hub stub and the inner races that hold on the whole hub and wheel assembly but I guess if it did let go the CV joint wouldn't allow it to come right off.

"It hadn't struck me before that it is just the interference fit between the hub stub and the inner races that hold on the whole hub and wheel assembly but I guess if it did let go the CV joint wouldn't allow it to come right off." ?

You did put the axle nut (#63) back on didn't you?

Yes, I put the hub nut on! A new one came with the bearing.

Of course, I realised after typing that and then sleeping on it that the face of the driveshaft highlighted here tightens against the inner race of the inside bearing so it can't pull through so doesn't actually rely on the interference fit - DOH!

Heh heh.

Nice work on the bearing extraction/installation though. Has it solved it?

Yep, all quiet again.

I have got a noisy bearing on my trailer though so I think I may use the tool again before long.

That bearing removal/replacement kit looks really handy. When I had the repair shop I must have done dozens of front drive bearing replacements. Favourite tools were a selection of large sockets, a couple of suitably machined brass drifts and a large hammer. I often used the workshop vice and a suitable socket to put the bearing back in. That one piece bearing was a godsend after the earlier BL split bearing. Landcrabs, Allegros, Princess could be right bastards when the bearing carrier became worn. I used to take a couple of thou at a time off the distance piece between the two halves off the bearing until there was no play in the assembled unit. Ball bearing races should have no free play unlike roller bearings which need a minimal amount.