Used the bolt/nut trick on fwd wheel bearing. Works even on mn rusted wheels. You can see slight crack/gap between knuckle/bearing. I need longer bolts.
The threaded bolt is really quite an amazing invention. Circular wedge, big force for not much effort, what’s not to like? I wonder who came up with the bolt invention.
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Yep, just another variation of the inclined plane. I can’t remember the other 6 machines from Boy Scouts but I remember that one.
I’m curious. What car is being worked on in the photo? If the car has a hub bearing I can’t imagine ever needing anything to press the hub out of the knuckle.
It seems I recall that with the tie rod end disconnected from the steering knuckle the three hub bolts could be broken loose and backed out about 2 threads and then tapped until the heads were flush then backed out 2 more threads then tapped in and at that point tapping a wedge between the hub and bearing would release the bearing. A brass hammer would be preferred.
the upper bolt at 12oclock is a mofo. very hard to reach. you remove axle nut and tap axle in as far as possible and than the 3 retaining bolts can be removed. i used a small jack to raise knuckle to reach top bolt. better angle. autozone has bearings for $53. i know it is hit or miss with AZ stuff but car will be gone in 6 months and i cannot live with whine/howl now. i did see some $33 bearings online with free shipping but i dont feel like waiting 5days as i needed it yesterday and today is a holiday and the weekend is coming and so on
When I replaced the unit-hub wheel bearings on my Avalanche SUV, I removed the entire knuckle and pushed the bearing out with my hydraulic press. Even after soaking in penetrating oil for a few days, they were in there like they were welded in place. I didn’t think of trying the threaded-rod-press-trick at the time. Just popped 3 tapers and the entire knuckle was off. 12 tons later, the bearing was out.
Well where there’s a will there’s a way and I congratulate anyone who can find a way to get something accomplished with what they have available to work with. I’m still grumbling because the hub bearings are so prone to failure and expensive to replace when they fail. Tapered roller bearings were just too much for the assembly line to deal with so the sealed hub became quick fix for the factory and an expensive and common problem for their customers.
Assembly lines DO hate loose grease! The packaged bearings typically use angular contact ball bearings instead of tapered rollers. They are supposed to reduce rolling resistance and may be a little cheaper. Many also include the ABS sensor ring and sender, GM especially, and that protects the ring and sensors. Good for assembly but I hate to have to service them!
I don’t remember having much problem pulling the bearing out but I do remember extending the axle too much and pulling the inner CV joint apart. Nothing to do except go get another axle. I think it was the Buick but might have been the Olds.
a place online had 1 bearing w/free shipping for $33 or 2 for 62. i paid 55 for 1 at AZ. maybe the other side will stay quiet.
I did the 4th and final bearing on kids vue. I think it was original. Had to buy some hardened bolts. I stripped about 3-4 non-hardened bolts and gave in. Going to buy bearing from local Store with a warranty. No more Chinese stuff. Whew. Taurus hub was $55? Don’t remember that. The vue bearing is $130
The last time I tried to buy quality bearings (these were just bearing and race sets, not a hub assembly), I went to a local bearing supply store. The name of the store is literally “Bearing Supply”. I told them I wanted “good” bearings. The guy behind the counter laughed and said, “Do you want the good bearings made in China or the good bearings made in Mexico?” “Hmmm…whichever one costs more,” I said jokingly. Then I bought the ones made in Mexico…
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Bearings and Supply owns NAPA and owns several of the bearing manufacturers here and in China.
Excuse me! It’s Motion Industry that owns NAPA and several bearing manufacturers here and in China. Bearings and Supply seems to be an independent company. How could I let myself slip like that. They once sold me Toyota idler bearing and Ford throw out bearings for pennies compared to the parts store price.
Didn’t know that. I thought the Bearing Supply or Bearing and Supply, (whatever the exact name is) in Tupelo was a small local outfit.
The bearings I bought were for lawnmower spindles. Last time I just replaced the entire spindle assemblies. Not a lot of difference in price buying the entire assembly off Amazon. I actually bought the entire “deck rebuild kit”, as I needed some idler pulleys that have not so easily serviced bearings. So I’m sure I have cheap Chinese bearings all over the mower. So far so good, though.
I got tired of paying $80 for lawn mower spindles so ordered some bearings to rebuild a couple spares. They were really cheap, like $3 each or something. Of course then I needed a press which I wanted anyway but still haven’t overhauled the spindles. I like the press though. Boys and their toys.
[quote]. Boys and their toys.
Yup gotta have them.
I wonder when the press-fit part first made its appearance? Was that before or after the automobile?
I did the exact opposite. Rebuilt them first, bought replacement spindles later. The bearings I bought were quite a bit more than 3 bucks. I think the complete spindles were around $30 each, 2 sets of bearings to repair one spindle wasn’t far behind. I didn’t need a press when I rebuilt the spindles, though. They came out really easy.