"Gently prise off front wheel bearing cap."..yea right!

I'm trying to get the front disks off.
Initially followed the advice of Mr. Haynes with respect to the wheel bearing caps, I gave up on gently about 2 hours ago.

Am I missing something? I have a formidible arsenal of pry bars & drifts. I just can't get any real purchase on the cap.

I'm tempted to drill a hole in the cap & pull it.

I've already soaked the cap/hub joint in release fluid.

Any ideas?

What year is your 911?

Its a 1976 2.7S.

I've just refined my search criteria & found a load of posts on the subject.
Hence, I've just bought a new pry bar sold as a nail remover.

Maybe this will do the trick.
Not too bothered about marking the cap as you can't see it, but I still need it to be servicable.

JG

The old wheel bearing grease hardens and acts like glue. Fortunately, the metal on those caps is really a heavy gauge steel and can take a lot of abuse. I just take a ball peen hammer and progressively tap hard on one side of the cap until I see it start to break loose (it will only move about a millimeter at first) then spin the wheel to the opposite side and tap there until that side breaks loose. Continue until the cap has pulled away about a quarter of an inch then take some Channel Locks and wiggle it the rest of the way off.

Kurt V
72 911E

I can only sympathise - after reading the handbook that came with the car I decided to check the wheel-bearing tightness...

After two hours of decreasingly "gentle" persuasion trying to remove the cap I gave up, assuming heat was the only answer.

Please let us know how you get the damn thing off, assuming you do eventually.

- roGER

Make sure that when you are beating on it you turn the hub each time you hit it and slowly work your way around so that it comes out evenly. If you only beat on it in one spot, it will angle too much and bind. Then you are really stuck. Dont ask me how I know. Hope this helps.
Nick.

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Nick Shumaker
1982 911SC Coupe

The method that worked for me was a HUGE channel-lock plier and a rag to help protect the cap. Rock it back and forth with the channel-lock. If you don't have a channel-lock plier that is two feet long or so, your too inventory is incomplete.

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'83 SC

Jon,
What has worked for me, many times, is an old original equip type lug wrench. It probably came from some old American iron. It's about 18" long and "L" shaped. The handle end (long L) has a screwdriver tip (about 5/8 wide) maybe to remove some hubcap. By putting the screwdriver tip in that very slight groove and applying twist (by using the lug nut L part) you get a lot of torsional leverage, while still being able to hold the tip in the groove. Like someone else said rotate the wheel to keep it moving evenly off the hub. If you're into doing things neatly this works best cause it doesn't dent the cup and you can refinish the outside for the one time the judge asks you to take the Fuchs off!! :-))
Good Luck,
Ernie

I proceeded like Kurt V, but with a rubber hammer.

I just did this a few weeks ago. I used a combination of the nail remover and large channel locks. One worked better for one side and the other better for the other side. This is one of the items that should be on our list of 911 shortcomings. Be patient it comes a little at a time.

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Rob Fix
'78 SC Targa

Got it. Used a nasty old crowbar and filed the points off the inside of the prying bit to minimize the damage.
Thanks
Dave