pressing wheel bearings onto hub

[Scott E.]

Ok, I asked this in another post, but haven't received any responses, so I thought I would start my own thread. I couldn't find the information in a search or the copies of the manuals I have, so here it goes.

I am going to replace my wheel bearings when I replace my front axles on my 04 4-runner sr5, because I have a vibration in the front end. I am going to replace the left also because I have 165k on it and since it is apart, it is a cheap repair at this point.

I have read several threads on this site and others talking about pressing the old hubs out of the bearings and the new bearings on. I have not seen any sort of dimension, or distance to press the bearing on to. Is there a specific gap I should leave between the race and the hub? or another dimension that I haven't even thought of. I have to minimize my downtime on the 4-runner so I am doing my research ahead of time. I am going to ask a couple of my buddies who are machine tool mechanics to help me with the pressing operation at their facility, but I need to know how far to press them on, or if it even matters.

I am going to schedule this in a couple of days, so if anyone out there knows, please enlighten me.

Thanks in advance.

Scott

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Take pictures of the old bearing and/or measurements. Most spindles have a small lip that the bearing rests on, but if it doesn't I'd just press it to what the old one was at.

 

[NJshadow93]

Ok, I asked this in another post, but haven't received any responses, so I thought I would start my own thread. I couldn't find the information in a search or the copies of the manuals I have, so here it goes.

I am going to replace my wheel bearings when I replace my front axles on my 04 4-runner sr5, because I have a vibration in the front end. I am going to replace the left also because I have 165k on it and since it is apart, it is a cheap repair at this point.

I have read several threads on this site and others talking about pressing the old hubs out of the bearings and the new bearings on. I have not seen any sort of dimension, or distance to press the bearing on to. Is there a specific gap I should leave between the race and the hub? or another dimension that I haven't even thought of. I have to minimize my downtime on the 4-runner so I am doing my research ahead of time. I am going to ask a couple of my buddies who are machine tool mechanics to help me with the pressing operation at their facility, but I need to know how far to press them on, or if it even matters.

I am going to schedule this in a couple of days, so if anyone out there knows, please enlighten me.

Thanks in advance.

Scott

You should seriously consider this:

Blue Pit Bearings | 2003-2012 Toyota 4Runner Complete Front Hub Wheel Bearing

Fully assembled hub assembly with a brand new hub and bearing pressed in. They ship quickly and the customer service is just as good. Worth it IMO getting all new parts, like seals, all in one shot.

 

[LobstaMobsta]

I agree with NJShadow.....but otherwise you should feel it stop when it is fully seated on the race. Just make sure to get it straight when you start and use a bit of lube.

 

[Scott E.]

thanks guys. I saw the bluepit ones before, but they were $279 for the koyo bearing version. I got the koyo's for $104 ea,free shipping and the seal for another $15ea, so there is quite a price difference in the techniques. Especially since there is nothing wrong with my hubs.

Has anyone had any luck freezing the hub to shrink it and heating the bearing to expand it and being able to push them together without a 20ton press?

 

[chmura]

thanks guys. I saw the bluepit ones before, but they were $279 for the koyo bearing version. I got the koyo's for $104 ea,free shipping and the seal for another $15ea, so there is quite a price difference in the techniques. Especially since there is nothing wrong with my hubs.

Has anyone had any luck freezing the hub to shrink it and heating the bearing to expand it and being able to push them together without a 20ton press?

In my experience I would not attempt it without a press.

Take the bearing and seals to a shop that has a press. Pay them $50-80 and have them do it.

 

[jmm3807]

I have a quick question. So I just did mine about a month ago. It went bad again

 

[jmm3807]

Sorry accidentally hit the send button anyway so duralast sucks lesson learned. Now while taking it apart there was a lot of grease that leaked at the hub and there was grease inside the steering knuckle. Where did this grease come from? My dad put it back together and he doesn't remember adding grease.

 

[Scott E.]

I have a quick question. So I just did mine about a month ago. It went bad again

OK, whats the question?

 

[Scott E.]

Sorry accidentally hit the send button anyway so duralast sucks lesson learned. Now while taking it apart there was a lot of grease that leaked at the hub and there was grease inside the steering knuckle. Where did this grease come from? My dad put it back together and he doesn't remember adding grease.

pretty much had to have come from inside your bearings. not much else around there to throw grease, except a leaky cv boot.

I do not purchase anything from Autozone anymore. I buy from someplace that I can get a name brand, not the house brand.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

Here's the problem with doing wheel bearings like this and it applies to most any wheel bearing assembly that needs to be press fit; they all need to be removed and installed with near perfect vertical force. Meaning that you need to find a way to get the spindle to sit perpendicular to the press head (easier said than done for many spindles) when you press it out and when you flip it over and press it in. You can easily press a bearing in crooked and not realize it if you have a good press until its too late and you've scrapped the part and bearing.

The bearing itself is usually a combination of polymer carriers, ball bearings, grease, steel cages/side plates, and grease. Too much pressure can crush/crack the internals of the bearing on installation causing premature failure. Installing it crooked can mar the inside bore of the spindle causing issues and possibly deforming the bearing in some rare cases. The bearing might actually end up sitting crooked which will cause issues and possible failure in the future and up until now I've only been talking about installing the bearing! When doing hubs its often easier and quicker (flat rate) to press both the hub and bearing in together, now you have two separate pieces that need to be pressed properly. Its really tricky and I had doing at work on Hondas, they have one of the least press friendly hubs if you don't have their super secret support tool (which we don't) and most seem like you need to press off the brake dust shield to do it anyways.

Point being, if you can avoid pressing new bearings I would highly recommend the extra money spent on a pre-pressed assembly, its worth the piece of mind. I've unfortunately broken a couple bearings on installation when pressing new hubs just because the spindle was a hair off kilter when I began pressing, its a crappy feeling when you've been doing this for a long while; even worse when you end up having to tell the customer that not only did you mess up a $100+ bearing, but they need a new spindle assembly also (thankfully I haven't screwed one up that badly.)

Its up to you in the end, I'm just shedding some experience from a technician's stand point.

Edit- I realize its fairly straight forward in terms of setting up the bearing when it comes to making it perpendicular with our vehicles, I just felt I'd provide experience I've had with other vehicles. Something to note, and I can't remember off the top of my head... but if the bearing goes in crooked or sticks too much you can actually punch the inner race right out the back of the bearing without the hub even getting in all the way if its unsupported or closed on the back. I've had this happen once with a Honda bearing.

 

[TechWrench]

Here's the problem with doing wheel bearings like this and it applies to most any wheel bearing assembly that needs to be press fit; they all need to be removed and installed with near perfect vertical force. Meaning that you need to find a way to get the spindle to sit perpendicular to the press head (easier said than done for many spindles) when you press it out and when you flip it over and press it in. You can easily press a bearing in crooked and not realize it if you have a good press until its too late and you've scrapped the part and bearing.

The bearing itself is usually a combination of polymer carriers, ball bearings, grease, steel cages/side plates, and grease. Too much pressure can crush/crack the internals of the bearing on installation causing premature failure. Installing it crooked can mar the inside bore of the spindle causing issues and possibly deforming the bearing in some rare cases. The bearing might actually end up sitting crooked which will cause issues and possible failure in the future and up until now I've only been talking about installing the bearing! When doing hubs its often easier and quicker (flat rate) to press both the hub and bearing in together, now you have two separate pieces that need to be pressed properly. Its really tricky and I had doing at work on Hondas, they have one of the least press friendly hubs if you don't have their super secret support tool (which we don't) and most seem like you need to press off the brake dust shield to do it anyways.

Point being, if you can avoid pressing new bearings I would highly recommend the extra money spent on a pre-pressed assembly, its worth the piece of mind. I've unfortunately broken a couple bearings on installation when pressing new hubs just because the spindle was a hair off kilter when I began pressing, its a crappy feeling when you've been doing this for a long while; even worse when you end up having to tell the customer that not only did you mess up a $100+ bearing, but they need a new spindle assembly also (thankfully I haven't screwed one up that badly.)

Its up to you in the end, I'm just shedding some experience from a technician's stand point.

Edit- I realize its fairly straight forward in terms of setting up the bearing when it comes to making it perpendicular with our vehicles, I just felt I'd provide experience I've had with other vehicles. Something to note, and I can't remember off the top of my head... but if the bearing goes in crooked or sticks too much you can actually punch the inner race right out the back of the bearing without the hub even getting in all the way if its unsupported or closed on the back. I've had this happen once with a Honda bearing.

It sounds like you know better, so this reply isn't directed at you. But, from my experience, most bearing failures from pressed in replacement bearings are caused by improper procedures being used during the process. I have seen many people try to press in new bearings using the inner race as the seat for the press bushing. This is absolutely the wrong way to do it. One should use a bushing that almost matches the outside diameter of the outer race, thus applying the press pressure to the outer race, not the inner one. The other common method of causing a premature failure is using the 'BFH' method and beating the new bearing in place....:bash:

I have done quite a few of these type of bearing installs, and so far, haven't had one fail yet. Just be sure to have a clean bore, free of burrs, to press the new bearing into. Make sure the hub is seated solidly on the press base, and take your time to make sure the bearing goes in straight.

If everything is done correctly, no heat or freezing of any parts any should be necessary.

 

[dinnertime]

thanks guys. I saw the bluepit ones before, but they were $279 for the koyo bearing version. I got the koyo's for $104 ea,free shipping and the seal for another $15ea, so there is quite a price difference in the techniques. Especially since there is nothing wrong with my hubs.

Has anyone had any luck freezing the hub to shrink it and heating the bearing to expand it and being able to push them together without a 20ton press?

When the hub gets pressed out, 90% of the time half the bearing is stuck to the hub. You will have to cut it with a cutoff wheel, being careful to not hit the hub. Once your about 3/4 of the way through you can hit it with an airhammer or a chisel & hammer and it should come off fairly easy.

 

[LobstaMobsta]

I would disagree and say that only 10% of he time this happens when proper removal technique is applied.

 

[dinnertime]

I would disagree and say that only 10% of he time this happens when proper removal technique is applied.

Proper technique is using a SST not a press which grabs the outside race preventing it from staying on the hub when removing the bearing. When using a press and pressing the hub out a large majority of the time the outside race is stuck to the hub.

 

[jmm3807]

Well a shop here advised me to only take the bearing to be pressed at Toyota. They did a replacement on a Tacoma and it ended up costing the shop $1700 to fix at Toyota. They apparently screwed it up so bad they had to replace the hub, bearing, spindle, and rotor plus let toyota do all the work.

 

[BCfish]

If you need the bearing pressed go to an actual Machine Shop, a Machinist knows what they are doing when using a press and they can always fab up a jig to help them if needed I know the shop I used made a jig. I went this route when I did my passenger side front wheel bearing..I used a bluepit on my drivers side the first time I did a front bearing allowing me to have a spare hub. By the time you pay for pressing and the running around and the seals you need it ends up being cheaper to get the whole unit online IMHO.....

 

[jmm3807]

So I got the bearing and hub back from toyota this afternoon right as I was coming to work so I didn't have time to put it on yet. Again, I'm no mechanic but I know how to do small stuff. My question is the bearing and hub don't spin no matter how hard I try. It isn't attached to the spindle arm yet as I didn't detach that part from the vehicle. I'm just going to load it back into the arm at bolt it in. I'm just wondering when I put it on and bolt the tire in will spinning the tire free it up or did toyota screw up. The bearing was in an SKF box with Koyo etched in the bearing so I feel pretty sure the bearing isn't faulty. It just seems locked up at the moment. When I grab the bearing and try to spin the hub it does not move at all yet.

 

[BlackWorksInc]

So I got the bearing and hub back from toyota this afternoon right as I was coming to work so I didn't have time to put it on yet. Again, I'm no mechanic but I know how to do small stuff. My question is the bearing and hub don't spin no matter how hard I try. It isn't attached to the spindle arm yet as I didn't detach that part from the vehicle. I'm just going to load it back into the arm at bolt it in. I'm just wondering when I put it on and bolt the tire in will spinning the tire free it up or did toyota screw up. The bearing was in an SKF box with Koyo etched in the bearing so I feel pretty sure the bearing isn't faulty. It just seems locked up at the moment. When I grab the bearing and try to spin the hub it does not move at all yet.

That's pretty odd... I've had them be a little sticky where it take some force to turn them; but nothing excessive... let us know when you mount it to the vehicle I suspect there might have been an issue when pressing the new bearing in (if they pressed on the inner race it can crush the carriers and bind the bearing up.)

 

[jmm3807]

Well, I got off work and put the bearing halfway on I didn't really tighten it down. I just needed to see if I could get it to spin. At first I thought it was locked up but it spins now. My concern is it normal for the new bearing to be sorta hard to turn. Lets just say it doesn't keep spinning when I turn it you have to continually keep force on it to spin. I replaced this bearing about 2 weeks ago but I didn't get to mess with the new one because long story short I had my dad put it all back together I had to leave. So before I don't know exactly how well it spun.