Rear Wheel Bearing Replacement Tips

[Pato911]

First, I want to thank all you pelican contributors. This forum is an incredible resource.

I noticed some rumbling from the rear end that changed in loudness as I turned... bearing. So, I did all the searching, reading, purchased parts and tools and got after it.

The two main sources of help were the following posts:
Rear Wheel Bearing Removal
Bearing Stuck on Output Flange. Advice?

The home depot tools are awesome for removing the old bearing but putting the new ones in was very challenging. Primarily assembling all the flanges, bolts, washers, etc on the threaded rod, trying to keep it centered and straight and pressing the bearing in without it getting crooked. In fact, between crookedness and a misunderstanding about supporting the backside when pulling in the hub, I ruined the first two bearings.

I happen to own both a 3D printer and a welder and decided to make centralizers and remove some of the moving parts. The 3D printed centralizers may not be necessary but the welded washers were a huge help. If you do not have a welder, epoxy might work.

Note that I have a third floor flange (3/8 inch). I used this on the backside of the bearing when pulling in the hub. It is tight against the back of the bearing and sits inside the housing (no gap). This way, you do not pull the inner race out...



Between the washers welded to the flanges and the centralizers, assembling the bearing press was much easier. Tighten the nut, check alignment and tap with a small hammer as needed, then tighten some more.

Heat will probably help during disassembly but I found that heating the housing and/ or freezing the bearing was more trouble than it was worth. It made me want to speed up and that is the worst thing you can do here.

Last tip is for the parking/ emergency brake reassembly. I found that a ~5 inch C-clamp help hold the pieces compressed allowing me to get the castle nut on.



Thanks again for the help. Hopefully, my small tips add to the body of knowledge.