Pictures of How to Set Up Press For Rear Axle Repair

[mtbtim]

Hey Dudes,

I just bought myself a Harbor Freight 20 ton press and I'm doing research on how you set up the press to take the retainers, ABS gear and bearing off the axle and press everything back on. I'm pretty clear on how to get everything off with a special tool and bearing splitter but unclear how you set up the press to get all the parts pressed back on.

Does anyone have some detailed pics on how they set up the press to get this job done? I found some pics but they lack the detail I was hoping for. Thanks!

The special tool I was thinking of buying is made by Durasolid:
Buy Differential Carrier Pinion Bearing Puller, Axle Parts, Carriers, Lockers, Gears Shafts - AXLE BEARING PULLER TOYOTA

I was thinking of buying this bearing splitter kit made by OTC:
https://www.amazon.com/OTC-4517-Sti...&qid=1479618443&sr=8-1&keywords=OTC-4517&th=1

 

[KidVermicious]

I didn't use the bearing splitter. I made my SST with a piece of axle housing and some rectangle tube, bolted the axle assembly into the housing and hung it in the press. The bearing and backing plate hold the ABS ring and retainers in place and the axle slides out like butter as long as you remember to take off the snap ring first . Put some wood under the press so you don't jack your wheel studs when the axle falls out out.

Now you've got a backing plate and bearing sans axle shaft and some loose retaining rings and ABS cogs. Since you're replacing the bearing anyway, drive it out of the backing plate with a drift and a hammer. The new bearing goes into with a set of bearing/seal drivers (I used the cheap HF set), you can do this with the press but I just tapped it into place with a hammer. Slap the snap ring back into place. Now grab that handy chunk of 2x2 receiver tube you've had kicking around the scrap pile and use it to drive the retaining collars and ABS cogs back into place, at the exact depth from the snap ring that your old ones were sitting at.

You did remember to measure that, didn't you? No worries if not, you'll just need some trial and error with a little grease to get the depth right on the retaining collar that rides on the oil seal. Get that depth wrong and your leak will come back and you will start kicking puppies.

 

[mtbtim]

The new bearing goes into with a set of bearing/seal drivers (I used the cheap HF set), you can do this with the press but I just tapped it into place with a hammer. Slap the snap ring back into place. Now grab that handy chunk of 2x2 receiver tube you've had kicking around the scrap pile and use it to drive the retaining collars and ABS cogs back into place, at the exact depth from the snap ring that your old ones were sitting at.

Thanks for the pics and information. The one question I have for you is what is the axle resting on when your pounding the bearing, ABS ring and retainers on? Is it just resting on the wheel studs? If so, are you risking knocking the studs out of the axle while using this method?

 

[KidVermicious]

Thanks for the pics and information. The one question I have for you is what is the axle resting on when your pounding the bearing, ABS ring and retainers on? Is it just resting on the wheel studs? If so, are you risking knocking the studs out of the axle while using this method?

Yup, wheel studs on a block of wood. The force needed to move six wheel studs at the same time is more than what you need to drive the bearing and collars, my studs didn't budge at all.

 

[mtbtim]

Yup, wheel studs on a block of wood. The force needed to move six wheel studs at the same time is more than what you need to drive the bearing and collars, my studs didn't budge at all.

Cool. Thanks Bro! I reckon I have the information I need to do this repair now. But, I don't need it for my rig. [MENTION=102606]infamousRNR[/MENTION] and I will have to search for a local worthy recipient so we can make a video of it.

 

[diverscale]

check my last post on the rear axle seal main thread. It cost me about 10$ to make my own tools to pull the shaft from the bearing and the retainers.

And as for your question, to press back the items on the shaft, it's actually 10 times simpler if you have a press, to press back the retainers and shaft than to pull them. You can use the metal plate that comes with your press, or use a piece of tubing with some large washers (as I did) to press the items back. I also used the 2 small metal bars (emptied with no fasteners) that you can see in the pictures to help with the abs ring.

It's pretty straightforward to press everything back, just be careful not to scratch the shaft where the seal retainer resides. I can tell you that if you can pull the things appart, the job to press everything back is the easy part.

 

[mtbtim]

check my last post on the rear axle seal main thread. It cost me about 10$ to make my own tools to pull the shaft from the bearing and the retainers.

And as for your question, to press back the items on the shaft, it's actually 10 times simpler if you have a press, to press back the retainers and shaft than to pull them. You can use the metal plate that comes with your press, or use a piece of tubing with some large washers (as I did) to press the items back. I also used the 2 small metal bars (emptied with no fasteners) that you can see in the pictures to help with the abs ring.

It's pretty straightforward to press everything back, just be careful not to scratch the shaft where the seal retainer resides. I can tell you that if you can pull the things appart, the job to press everything back is the easy part.

I saw your pics on the main thread but it's just for taking the parts off, not pressing them back on. So when pressing parts back onto the axle, which side is facing up, the wheel studs or axle shaft. If the wheel stud side is up, what are you pressing onto? I'm guessing you'd have to have some type of heavy duty plate resting on the studs and then the press goes against the plate. And then you'd have the press plates on either side of whatever you're pressing onto the axle. If it's the axle side facing up, I'm guessing you have to have a pipe long enough to extend past the axle so you can press the parts into place onto the axle.

Any clarification would be very helpful because I would like to use the press to get the parts back on rather than using the slide hammer technique with a piece of pipe.

 

[diverscale]

I saw your pics on the main thread but it's just for taking the parts off, not pressing them back on. So when pressing parts back onto the axle, which side is facing up, the wheel studs or axle shaft. If the wheel stud side is up, what are you pressing onto? I'm guessing you'd have to have some type of heavy duty plate resting on the studs and then the press goes against the plate. And then you'd have the press plates on either side of whatever you're pressing onto the axle. If it's the axle side facing up, I'm guessing you have to have a pipe long enough to extend past the axle so you can press the parts into place onto the axle.

Any clarification would be very helpful because I would like to use the press to get the parts back on rather than using the slide hammer technique with a piece of pipe.

First, here is what I used to press the items back in

and here is a example on how I set up the hardware to press in. The wheel studs were pointing up in the air. What you see on the top of the setup is one of the retainers that you have to press in that I had left after the job (bought a new one to insure the correct sealing on the shaft. This one is overstock after the job)

imagine the shaft going down through the pipe, splines down and wheels studs up.

if you don't have access to such washers, just use a piece of pipe that has the same internal diameter.

You'll see, pressing items back in is the ''easy'' part.

 

[Chuckles89]

I have some pictures of in the press in my bearing/seal thread http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/225657-how-rear-wheel-bearings-seals-home.html

 

[mtbtim]

First, here is what I used to press the items back in

if you don't have access to such washers, just use a piece of pipe that has the same internal diameter.

You'll see, pressing items back in is the ''easy'' part.

So what part of the axle did you press against with the studs pointing up? That's what I need clarification on.

 

[diverscale]

So what part of the axle did you press against with the studs pointing up? That's what I need clarification on.

in the center of the studs, you have a thick, hard round center that you can press against.

In this pictures, it's in the middle of the round thing you see in the top of the pictures, between the studs. Put the shaft of the press in there. I don't know if that is clear enough and I am not sure if that is actually really what you are asking for.

edit: in the center of the hub seen in this picture. Put the press in there:

The piece of pipe does not need to be longer than the axle as the pipe will rest against the metal plates and axle go through. a 6inch pipe is well enough.

 

[mtbtim]

I have some pictures of in the press in my bearing/seal thread http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/225657-how-rear-wheel-bearings-seals-home.html

Thanks, I just took a look at your pics. It looks like you're just pressing right against the center of the axle. I was unsure if you could press right there but it looks like that's the way to go. I guess I could have just took off one of my rear wheels and removed the brake drum to take a look for myself but I figured there's lots of dudes on the forum who have done this and can save me the work.

 

[mtbtim]

in the center of the studs, you have a thick, hard round center that you can press against.

In this pictures, it's in the middle of the round thing you see in the top of the pictures, between the studs. Put the shaft of the press in there. I don't know if that is clear enough and I am not sure if that is actually really what you are asking for.

edit: in the center of the hub seen in this picture:

The piece of pipe does not need to be longer than the axle as the pipe will rest against the metal plates and axle go through. a 6inch pipe is well enough.

Thanks Bro. I apologize for my laziness because I know I could have figured it out on my own by pulling the wheel and drum and taking a look. But, maybe this thread will help others out in the future with the same question I had.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[diverscale]

The studs should point down and the shaft stays up. You slide the dust shield and the bearing housing (+other things) and then slide the bearing into the axle shaft. Get a long metal tube with the same diameter as the bearing's inner and press the metal tube so it will drive the bearing to its location.

edit: seems like there is a few ways of pressing items in. I just did this yesterday, and I had the wheel studs pointing up and the press pushing down the center of the hub down into the retainers and the abs rings with the backing plate in place. That is after the bearing is set in it's housing.

 

[mtbtim]

The studs should point down and the shaft stays up. You slide the dust shield and the bearing housing (+other things) and then slide the bearing into the axle shaft. Get a long metal tube with the same diameter as the bearing's inner and press the metal tube so it will drive the bearing to its location.

Like usual, with a little American Ingenuity, there's more than one way to press the parts back onto the axle. Thanks for the response.

 

[TheDurk]

If pressing with studs down, why not put the studs into the holes of an old front brake rotor with the rotor surface against the bottom of the press? Seems like the ideal thing and pretty easy to come by. I have two sitting on top of my recycling piles for newspaper and for cardboard.

 

[mtbtim]

If pressing with studs down, why not put the studs into the holes of an old front brake rotor with the rotor surface against the bottom of the press? Seems like the ideal thing and pretty easy to come by. I have two sitting on top of my recycling piles for newspaper and for cardboard.

That's a great idea. Now if I only saved my old rotors I could possibly use that technique. I guess I could find one at a wrecking yard.

 

[jmsdad]

It looks like you're just pressing right against the center of the axle.

Yes on this...with the DuraSolid tool. Easier to press bearing on than off. I bought the same tools (20ton press and Durasolid tool) when the rear axles leaked on both of my 4runners.

 

[KidVermicious]

If pressing with studs down, why not put the studs into the holes of an old front brake rotor with the rotor surface against the bottom of the press? Seems like the ideal thing and pretty easy to come by. I have two sitting on top of my recycling piles for newspaper and for cardboard.

Or even flip the drum around, if there's room. Fantastic idea.

 

[JRZEE2000TR4LTD]

Knock out the 4 wheel studs that hold the axle to the axle housing. They get in the way of the 1st part of the press work. The bearing itself is not really "pressed" into the hub. All the ones I've done, the bearing can be tapped into the hub. Of course you do this after putting the dust seal and backing plate (which will be loose) in place and putting the axle through the hub. Then slide the outer retainer on and setup the press plates or bearing separators with the press plates catching the retainer and just push downward until the retainer is in place against the bearing and the groove for the clip is exposed. Then put the clip on and press the ABS rotor in the same fashion except it doesn't go all the way down. It goes on right to the clip but not over the clip. If put on properly you can take the clip off without having to remove the ABS rotor. Lastly, you press the inner retainer on SLOWLY with about 5mm of the shiny part of the axle exposed above the retainer. If you want to stop before(with about 2-3mm) exposed and do a grease test, that would work also as it's much easier to continue pressing down then to have to press backwards again. When you put the axle back on, put the studs through and in place and pull them back into place with the nut. I put a little antiseize on the threads to facilitate pulling the stud into place.