rear axle wheel bearing removal?

[Supra725]

Hi chaps..

so I spend about 7 hours at my mechanic's shop trying to pull the rear wheel bearings out of the axle shaft with no luck..

for the people that was done it.. what tool did you use to pull the wheel bearing out? did you made it? or did you paid an shop and had them pressed it out?

thanks.

 

[Doc2012]

I can't remember the name of the tool, but it goes under the bearing.

You also need about a 40 ton press to get the beating off.

 

[shootmymime]

best way we use at the shop is to just torch it off. then use the press to install the new on.

 

[Supra725]

shoot,

what would be an reasonable rate for it? most of the toyota dealer's were asking $120 per side..

 

[shootmymime]

oh i dont know prices, i was just in the shop doing the work. sorry cant tell ya.

 

[Drcoffee]

Did you remove the C-clip? You can use a dremmel tool with a cut-off disc to cut thru the ABS ring and retainers. Once the retainers and ABS ring are loose, you can probably bang out the bearings. If they still resist, cut thru the bearing race and pop out the ball bearings, then remove the bearing case from the axle and then cut off the inner race.

But it would be easier to press it out. Around here we have a few auto parts store with machine shops. Call around because prices will vary greatly. One shop charged $40 per side and Carquest charged $100 per side.

Putting it all back together is the real trick. The retainer must be at the right spot to mate with the seal. Don't assume it will. Best to measure before breaking down the axles with the new seal installed in the housing.

 

[02SE]

best way we use at the shop is to just torch it off. then use the press to install the new on.

That's about the worst way to remove a semi-floating bearing that is pressed onto an axle. The heat from the torch will weaken the steel in the axle, significantly increasing the chances of it breaking at a bad time. Such as driving down the road with the family in the vehicle, and losing control when the weakened axle breaks.

 

[Kurtis]

It takes a metric ass ton of heat to cause damage to your axle or another heat treated part in a way that it will weaken them. I'd you try the old redneck way? Put a piece of thick ply wood down in your driveway and hold the axle over your head and then bring down the fury. I've never been able to get it that way but I know few people have. The piece you are looking for is called a bearing spliter. Bearing Spliter Of course you will also need a friend with a press.

If you really like doing your own work Harbor Freight has Shop Presses and Bearing Spliter kits for cheap and can probably do the work your self for less that you could pay someone to press them. But if you are going to go that route then I'd recommend the larger of the shop press as the smaller one blows.

 

[02SE]

It takes a metric ass ton of heat to cause damage to your axle or another heat treated part in a way that it will weaken them.

A torch that can generate enough heat to actually cut the bearing, is more than hot enough to weaken the steel of the axle.

Bottom line is it's a half-assed way of doing the job, with potentially severe consequences.

 

[Kurtis]

A torch that can generate enough heat to actually cut the bearing, is more than hot enough to weaken the steel of the axle.

Bottom line is it's a half-assed way of doing the job, with potentially severe consequences.

You don't use the heat to cut it. You use it to heat the bearing to allow the metal to expand enough so you don't belt your backing plate on your brake drum if you don't have a bearing spliter. It's the same idea as heating your ring gear to put it on your carrier. Just don't over do the heating part of it.

I'm not trying to start a war. I just didn't want the OP thinking using heat was totally out of the question. That's all.

EDIT: I didn't realize he was talking about cutting the bearing off with the torch. I thought he was talking about using a little heat to allow the metal to expand. In that case, yeah, that much heat is bad news. Don't do that.

 

[02SE]

EDIT: I didn't realize he was talking about cutting the bearing off with the torch. I thought he was talking about using a little heat to allow the metal to expand. In that case, yeah, that much heat is bad news. Don't do that.

I'm glad we're on the same page.

eace:

 

[Stick Figure]

I've got the tool I made and press I used on mine here. You are welcome to bring them down and I'll give it a try. I'll be in the shop almost every night this week trying to finish up some maintenance and projects anyway.

 

[shootmymime]

ive done both ways, cutting the outside rind so the barrings fall out. also heating the inside so it slides off easier, heat is the best way to brake loose stuck parts. they expand.

 

[t4r4life]

 

[Stick Figure]

Exactly my set up HF press and all, only I made the tubing and axle side flange from scratch since I didn't have a spare housing laying around.

 

[Supra725]

thanks Stick.. appreciates it..

I talked to my mechanic and he told me that they are going to the shop and having another shop press the bearings out on both sides..

 

[nevada]

That's about the worst way to remove a semi-floating bearing that is pressed onto an axle. The heat from the torch will weaken the steel in the axle, significantly increasing the chances of it breaking at a bad time. Such as driving down the road with the family in the vehicle, and losing control when the weakened axle breaks.

A torch that can generate enough heat to actually cut the bearing, is more than hot enough to weaken the steel of the axle.

Bottom line is it's a half-assed way of doing the job, with potentially severe consequences.

you could torch it off without issue.and, unless you're an idiot with the torch, you wont hurt anything beside the parts you're changing.
very little heat will transfer to the axle, and certainly not enough to damage it. it would have to be glowing orange to cause a problem.

 

[t4r4life]

Exactly my set up HF press and all, only I made the tubing and axle side flange from scratch since I didn't have a spare housing laying around.

nice, i need to do my bearing as well rear axle is leaking pretty bad. you should help me with that

 

[02SE]

you could torch it off without issue.and, unless you're an idiot with the torch, you wont hurt anything beside the parts you're changing.
very little heat will transfer to the axle, and certainly not enough to damage it. it would have to be glowing orange to cause a problem.

Yes, as a former ASE Master Tech, and for the last nine years having contracted my services out to several professional racing teams, I am aware of what will and won't cause problems for the strength of steel when subjected to the high heat an oxy/acetylene torch can create.

Over the years, I've seen plenty of parts changers who were idiots. They had no concept of what damage their careless use of a torch can cause to the grain structure of metals, and their subsequent weakening, when subjected to too much heat.

Moderate heating and cooling of parts is very common to ease assembly/ dis-assembly.

It's virtually impossible to affect metal strength by cooling it with methods the average person has at their disposal. Supercooling metals using a process called Cryo-treating, is often used to increase the strength of metal parts used in critical applications.

Heating metal to the glowing orange state you mentioned to loosen or remove parts, is all to common when the lack of understanding of the potential damage being caused isn't present.

If they were to quench the metal with the appropriate method for the grade and type of metal in use, then the original strength could be maintained. Unfortunately, that almost never happens due to the lack of understanding, and the metal is just allowed to cool gradually, which results in softer/ weaker metal.

 

[Stick Figure]

all depends on when and how much help you need. Right now most of the time I'm not at work is focused on finishing up my sleeping platform and some maintenance before our upcoming trip.