The hub is out… but did I make a DIY mistake?
 

Should I bother attempting to remove/replace the rear bearing races? Please read to understand why I’m asking this question.

I removed my 930 hub this weekend, oh what a PITA. I was a bit surprised at what I discovered and learned.

My first attempt at removal was by taping on the rear of the hub with a large socket and extension. Unfortunately this did nothing except nick up the backside of the hub shaft (see pic).

I then went out and purchased two three foot pry-bars per John Walkers recommendation. After several very hard pulls, the hub came out. Phew…

To my surprise and untrained eye, the bearings and races still looked new! So why was my hub difficult to turn? Was the castle nut put on with too much torque by the PO?

My real concern is the next step… should I still remove the races and replace them with new ones? This sounds like a lot of extra unnecessary effort? Can I simply pack the new bearings and re-install everything?

BTW, the rear race looks just as clean as the front in the photo. Also the 930 doesn't have a race on the stub axel or hub shaft.

Thanks for the advice in advance.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads/backhub.jpg
From using a socket and extension.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads/bearing1.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads/bearing2.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads/brace1.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads/hub201.jpg

My real concern is the next step… should I still remove the races and replace them with new ones? This sounds like a lot of extra unnecessary effort? Can I simply pack the new bearings and re-install everything?

No.
why? (rhetorical)
Bearings are matched to their races.

So you're saying, if I keep my old bearings... keep the old races. If I install the new bearings I purchased, install the new races?

Any thoughts on why it was hard to spin my hub in the first place? I just don't want to get everything back together and have the same problem.

Golly, it seems like as long as you've got it apart, and especially if you were having trouble with it, just replace the bearings and races. And yes, they are matched pairs. The bearing shown in pictures two three and five with all the rollers should be inexpensive. But I confess, I have never seen a drive wheel with that kind of bearing. I'm accustomed to the press-together kind. Removal alone destroys those things, so you always replace them. And the castle nut simply cannot be put on too tight. With a six foot cheater bar you can stand and jump up and down. But bearing type shown in the pictures is not torqued tight at all. Again, I just have never seen that kind of bearing on a drive axle.

TurboRuf, when you say your hub was hard to spin, was it perhaps your parking brake dragging? I know. It's a silly question, but I thought I'd ask anyway. Looks like the turbo uses two bearings in each hub.

Jurgen

Superman...thanks for chiming in.

After I fitted the axel and hub back together on my bench, I can see what you mean. They simply butt up flush to one another, so no matter how tight the castle nut is the relationship between the axel and hub doesn’t change.

I already picked up a new set of rear bearings anticipating they would need replacement. So I will take the extra time to install the new races/bearings.

I also thought this bearing setup was a little strange but it’s exactly what’s depicted in the factory workshop manual. They are also the same bearings I received when I ordered a new set. I suspect they only used this setup on the turbo models?

Turbo6bar… even when the entire rotor and parking brake assemble was removed the hub was difficult to turn.

I’m starting to think the PO simply didn’t pack the bearings properly?

Thanks again to everyone who chimed in. I’ll let you know how everything works when it’s all back together.