Removing stuck rear hub

[na2ub]

Doing the rear bearings. One side, all went well. Removed the hub with a 20lb slide hammer, 2 quick pulls, pulled the bearing with the homemade puller and a little heat. Otherside, not so well.

This was the first side I started on, without the slide hammer. I started trying to pound out the hub with a socket, with no luck. So I assembled a 20lb slide hammer, but still no luck. Hub won't budge. So now, I am thinking about trying to heat the trailing arm, and slide hammer the bearing and hub out together, then cut / pull the bearing off the hub afterward. Anyother genius ideas about getting medieval on this hub? I had also considered heating the hub, from the inside, super hot, and letting it cool to see if it would loosen it a bit. I don't really want to remove the trailing arm.

Thanks,
Doug

[will hung]

See if you can find somebody local to borrow the SIR tools bearing puller tool. It really makes the job easy.

Otherwise, search for the threads that show how to make one yourself. Heating the trailing arm is not a good idea. The aluminum is very sensitive and any warpage of the bearing bore can cause problems.

I also got a bearing spreader at Harbor Freight and used it to pull the inner bearing race off the hub after pulling the hub from the bearing.

[na2ub]

Thanks. The bearings are not the problem, and I used a bearing puller tool. I applied tension to the bearing, and just enough heat until it popped loose, then removed with the puller. The problem I am having is with the hub. There is no easy way to use a puller on the hub, other than a slide hammer. No way I can get enough umph with crowbars.

Is there a puller tool for the hub? I was not aware of this.

[john walker's workshop]

i've done the heat the trailing arm around the bearing and slide hammer it out a few times. then put a press collar under the bearing and press it off. the SIR tool has no provision for removing hub only, just bearing R&R.

[na2ub]

Thanks John! That's what I'll do. I am surprised it hasn't pulled the bearing already. You should see me sliding 4-5lb dumbell weights down a length of 3/4" iron pipe. It's a good amount of force. I will apply the same amount of heat that I did to the other side, when I walked the bearing out with the puller tool. That should do it.

[john walker's workshop]

you can also air hammer it out from the inside. use a hammer head bit and heat the arm. wear a face mask, and gloves for chips.

[na2ub]

heated the arm, and applied the slide hammer. Only pounded it about 3 times before I realized I needed to loosen the bearing retainer plate bolts. Back and forth, loosen bolts, 4 hammers, loosen bolts, 4 hammers ... the bearing came out intact, with the hub still attached. Now I have to get the damn hub out of the bearing still. Will post pics soon. I was going to take it to a machine shop, but I honestly don't see a way of pressing / pulling the bearing off without cutting it open. I put a chisel on the outer race, just to see, and it knocked a chip out of the edge of 2 chisels. Could be a long dremel job. I did manage to squeeze a couple puller arms down the sides of the bearing (inside the P-brake assembly) but after torqueing it down, it just broke the grabber lips on my puller. I could sacrifice my e-brake assembly so it could be properly pressed out, but after years of not working, I really wanted to get the e-brake back operational - something is wrong with one side's cable pull ... tbd.

[James Brown]

maybe that bearing was a good one!!

[will hung]

I did this 2 days ago. As I said yesterday, get a bearing spreader from Harbor Freight. Clamp it down over the bearing between the wheel mount surface and bearing. This will give you a nice solid surface to press against.

[na2ub]

After breaking the lips on my puller, I got the bright idea to use the broken puller arms by welding them to the outside race of the bearing. Heated the inside race good and hot, and went at it. No luck, just bent my puller some more.

So it was time to start cutting. Fortunately, my 4-1/2 inch grinder managed to take a big enough chunk out of the outside race, without damaging the e-brake assembly, to pop the bearings out one at a time. Then I was able to easily pull the outside race off, and dissasemble the lower bearings / cages. The parking brake assembly slid over the 2 remaining inside races, giving me access to cutting them off, too. I cut them most of the way through, then gave them a whack with a chisel, which split the race and allowed me to pull them off.

I am slowly getting by all the hurdles of this job. Just a few more hurdles to go before I am putting everything back together. Thanks all!

[na2ub]

Here is a good picture of what not to do. The damn thing would just not allow itself to be pulled off!

[James Brown]

wow, did that work? oh, now what are you going to do?