Need help with rear wheel bearings

Icey1174 · 07-31-2009, 05:35 PM

I could not find a shop anywhere to do my rear wheel bearings for me. The Porsche dealer has a 3 month wait. WTF?!?!?

So I got a shop to break my axle nuts for me. The job was very easy and everything came apart without a single problem.

THEN...

The bearing came out in pieces as I expected. Now I have the outer race stuck inside the arm and it is not budging. I tried to jack it out with a 1/2" threaded rod and I broke the rod. I tired the slide hammer, it did not move.

There is not much of the outer race visible from the back side of the arm. Maybe 1mm all the way around. But there is a fairly hefty lip around the inside. This lip was the business end of the slide hammer and jack.

The only real option for heat is a propane torch. Not much heat. I can't believe that it will not move at all. My next attempt will be to use a dremal and a burr and try to cut it in half to see if that will help relieve some of the tightness and come out with the slide hammer.

Any other ideas besides a torch and a red hot trailing arm??? I will do anything before I have to remove the trailing arm itself.

Thanks!

Stephen03 · 07-31-2009, 06:00 PM

Heat the outside and use some freeze spray on the race.

kdjones2000 · kdjones2000's Garage

Get the Arnnworx tool. It works well so I've heard.

Icey1174 · 07-31-2009, 06:52 PM

After doing some research, taking the trailing arm off does not look like that bad of a job.

I wanted this done last week.

Waiting for the tool now that the car is apart is not much of an option right now.

I was thinking about taking the trailing arm off and taking it to a garage to let them press the old one out and the new one in. Any input there?

Techno Duck · Techno Duck's Garage

John, unless you are willing to wait for the bearing tool i would remove the arm and take it to a machine shop that can get it out with a hydraulic press. Any other method i think will have too much potential at damaging the bearing housing.

944 Ecology · 08-01-2009, 01:48 AM

Harbor Freight is your friend...

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=45210

Icey1174 · 08-01-2009, 02:42 AM

944E,

I have a set like that from Autozone. It did not move at all.

I am going to try to get the T-Arm off, looks pretty straight forward, and take it to a shop with a press. I will take the new bearing for them to put in as well while they have it set up.

I'll report back.

944 Ecology · 08-01-2009, 02:52 AM

Did you remove the ring that secures the bearing into the arm?

Icey1174 · 08-01-2009, 05:32 AM

Yes, I did remove the snap ring. T-Arm is off. Going to the shop to hope and pray they will and can press the bearing out for me. I will take the new bearing with me for good measure to let them press that one in as well.

Icey1174 · 08-01-2009, 11:04 AM

Bearings are done. I had to take the Trailing Arm off and take it to a shop. They ended up using an air hammer in the inner lip of the race to knock it out. They also pressed in my new frozen bearing to save me any hassles there.

I have to say that other than the axle nut everything came apart and went back together real easy.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and help.

Grandad#3 · 08-01-2009, 04:10 PM

I hope you put on a new axle nut, if it is a self locking nut, as they are a one time use. The axle nut torque is about 360 ft. lbs.

Cheers,
Larry