Stuck Rear Wheel Hub Bearing

[mlhend1]

:bang:

After 1500 miles of use I noticed the rear Wheel hub bearings are in need of replacement, being the back wheel moves slightly from side to side. I removed the wheel, the retaining clip on the brake side and started to remove the bearings. The bearing on the sprocket side came right out after tapping a straight rod all the way around the inside with a hammer. Even after removing the retaining clip,applying Liquid wrench and tapping around the bearing as described above, the bearing won't budge on the brake side. In tapping harder the bearing self destructed leaving just the stuck outer ring. Now what, should I try heating the ring with a torch? Please help.

 

[Matt90GT]

use a dremel and cut the outer ring. THen use a chisel and it will deform so you can remove it easily.

 

[Ol'89r]

No. Heating the race will expand it and make it harder to get out. If you were to heat anything it would be the hub.

IMO, a better way would be to tig weld a bead of weld all the way around the inside of the race. Right where the bearings ride. This will shrink the race and it will fall out. You can use a wire welder for this but, a tig is much cleaner. No spatter.

Just my $ .02

 

[Jeff Sexton]

Excuse my ignorance Ol'89r, but if heating the race will expand it, how will welding the race shrink it? Did I miss something?

 

[Lambkawi]

Sure at first it will. But when the bead cools I think it will contract and pull the race with it. Some of us are not lucky enough to have a tig lying around the shed. And wouldn't that put the hub at a bit of risk if your not a surgeon? I think some TNT would get it out, without to much damage.

 

[mlhend1]

Being that I have to put another bearing back in, once I remove the bad/stuck one, I really don't want to mess up the hub too much. (Yes, I know your joking about the TNT). I can't apply pressure on the back side of the bearing any more, because only the outer ring is left of it. The ring must be hardend because I barely scratched the surface with a metal/tempered chisel. Why does this side of the wheel hub have a retaining clip and the other does not?

 

[crazybrit]

If you think you'll be replacing bearings in the future, the Pit Posse bearing removal tool ($50 incl shipping) makes the job trivial.

If this is too much $$$, take the wheel and a can of PBR to your local independant mechanic and ask him to drive it out. Takes like 2 minutes with the correct tool (before I bought the tool, the local Honda dealer did it for me for no charge).

Tony

 

[canyncarvr]

As long as you're welding something, weld something TO the race that you can pound on summore.

1. When it cools, the outer race will 'shrink'.
2. With a new bit of purchase welded on, it should come out without too much trouble.

The cutting part is fine..exercise a good bit of caution to ensure you do not damage the hub (an obvious statement, 'eh?)

Put the new NSK/Koyos back in with some anti-seize on the outer race after they've sat in the freezer (moisture protected..zip-lock bag) for a good hour or so.

Oh..pack them with some good waterproof grease before you freeze 'em.

Yes. DO use both seals. ;)

 

[Ol'89r]

but if heating the race will expand it, how will welding the race shrink it? Did I miss something?

When you lay a bead all the way around the inside of the race, it shrinks the race. The heat from welding the race will expand the hub. I have removed many broken bearings this way. The race will literally fall out leaving the bearing seating area (bearing boss) unharmed. You are likely to do more damage to the hub by beating on it with a chisel and it is very hard to cut all the way through the race with a dremel without cutting into the hub.

If you don't have a welder, take the wheel to your local welding shop. They shouldn't charge very much. It's fairly easy to do with a tig even on a small bearing like a gearbox bearing. Welding a plate or piece of metal across the race and driving it out also works.

It's a good idea to heat the hub to remove or replace the bearings since every time you drive a bearing in or out without heating and expanding the hub it removes a little bit of metal from the bearing boss in the hub. After a while the bearings will be loose in the bearing boss.

Just my $ .04

 

[mlhend1]

Thanks. I have a good friend that has a tig welder. I'll try this method of removal first. I appreciate all the help. :cool: