CombatCQB Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I've been struggling with all the rust on my rear wheel bearing. Tried all the usual stuff: hammer, axle puller, PB blaster, heat gun. I just didn't have enough leverage with the car on jack stands. After reading about Underdog pulling the bearing out of the hub when using a slide hammer, I decided that the only way is to pull on the hub housing itself. So this is the result: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/31907793/P1040779.JPG http://dl.dropbox.com/u/31907793/P1040778.JPG Took about 10-12 pulls from the 5lb slide hammer to get it out with the brake back plate still attached. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burnout8488 Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Wait... The whole hub unbolts from the spindle with 4 bolts. Unless you wanted to replace the actual bearing inside the hub? It's supposed to be replaced as a whole unit. With the 4 hub bolts removed, you can hit it downward on the round portion (where the lug studs are) with a hammer and it should pop out with a little persuasion. I guess I'm confused as to what your original plan of attack was, never saw anyone do it this way! http://www.am-autoimages.com/partimage/SHR/AM-26980221/main.JPG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRoc7822 Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 The hub puller didnt help me at all...beating the living hell out of it did though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
browningr6 Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 I just did mine the other day and it took a 10 lb hammer but it finally came loose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CombatCQB Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 Wait... The whole hub unbolts from the spindle with 4 bolts. Unless you wanted to replace the actual bearing inside the hub? It's supposed to be replaced as a whole unit. With the 4 hub bolts removed, you can hit it downward on the round portion (where the lug studs are) with a hammer and it should pop out with a little persuasion. I guess I'm confused as to what your original plan of attack was, never saw anyone do it this way! I got my terms wrong. I am pulling the hub from the spindle with this tool. But I am pulling directly on the hub housing and not the bolt pattern because that just pulls the bearing apart. I tried very hard to hammer the mounting flange with a 3lb dead blow hammer and a chisel. I just didn't see any progress that and I get a little paranoid about using sledge hammers and breaking something else. (I admit I'm not a strong guy) So the best bet is to apply force perpendicular to the flange as though we were pressing it out. The two bars bolt to the hub and extends out so a plate can attach it. A slide hammer attaches to the plate and pulls on the hub flange. The photo shows a hub puller inverted on the slide hammer. That just being used as a nut since 5/8-18 nuts are not available at lowes/home depot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutbackXT05 Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 I just did mine and used the slide hammer and fwd hub puller from orielys. My bearing seperated so i bolted the puller to the rest of the bearing to get it out. My hands and arms are still super sore from it. I kinda broke the slide hammer a bit from hitting too hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CombatCQB Posted December 19, 2011 Author Share Posted December 19, 2011 Yea, It seemed inevitable that the bearing will separate if pulled from the hub. I wanted to avoid the extra work, hence the adapter. It took me two weekends to build the adapter. (new to metal work) and 20mins to remove the hub using the adapter and a 5lb slide hammer. It was worth it since I would have had less incentive to do both rear bearings otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dishwab Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 Bumping this old thread - if anyone runs into the same issue (bearing assembly separating) when using a slide hammer, this could help you out. After the two halves separated on me, I didn't see any way to get a puller on to the back half that was seized into the knuckle. I used this great writeup to remove the e-brake assembly, which then gave me free range to torch the whole area and bash the shit out of it with a sledge. Took a little while, but it came out eventually. Wire wheeled as much of the rust off as I could, and liberally applied anti seize to the new components. Hoping this will be easier next time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 PB Blaster or Aerokroil which is better would be a great help too. Helps loosen the rusty parts. 305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD). CHECK your oil, these cars use it. Engine Build - Click Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkinslow Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 PB Blaster or Aerokroil which is better would be a great help too. Helps loosen the rusty parts. Spraying your choice of penetrating oil into the hole the speed sensor goes in really helped me. (after removing the speed sensor of course) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
relative4 Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 The correct method is an air hammer on the end of the mounting bolts. Unless you like rotator cuff surgery, in which case a slide hammer is the golden path to happiness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/diy-rear-wheel-bearing-replacement-walk-through-w-pdf-188666.html I hope most have seen that by now. 305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD). CHECK your oil, these cars use it. Engine Build - Click Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkinslow Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 The correct method is an air hammer on the end of the mounting bolts. Unless you like rotator cuff surgery, in which case a slide hammer is the golden path to happiness. Bearing puller worked like a charm. Posilock 3 jaw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
relative4 Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 Bearing puller worked like a charm. Posilock 3 jaw.A bearing puller will certainly push a stuck axle out of a hub, but how did you use it to remove a hub from a knuckle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkinslow Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 The axle only goes in a couple inches. I pulled the hub assembly using that posilock puller. Then wiggled it free from the parking brake assembly. Obviously you wouldn't want to put maximum pressure on the axle but it worked like a charm. I've got a picture somewhere. SBT did a write up that is helpful too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
relative4 Posted August 29, 2017 Share Posted August 29, 2017 I've read SBT's document before. I inferred from it that (1) he just used the puller to remove the axle from the hub and (2) he somehow had no trouble getting the hub out. Maybe I was wrong and, like you, he put a thousand-pound side-load on 2 CV joints and the differential. They can probably handle it, but I for one will not deliberately abuse my drivetrain that way, especially when a ten-dollar air hammer from Harbor Freight will remove the hub in literally less than 10 seconds with zero physical effort and zero chance of damaging anything.* * If you back the mounting bolts out WAY too far so only one or two threads are engaged, you can damage the threads in the hub. But that would be silly, and presumably you're throwing away the hub anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkinslow Posted August 29, 2017 Share Posted August 29, 2017 Air hammer did nothing for my fronts so I didn't even attempt it on the rears. (I keep a case of these in my office for cleaning concrete mixing machinery.) The thing that really loosened mine up was atf mixed with acetone (1:1) several shots of that into the hole the speed sensor goes in, and I didn't have to put much pressure on the gear/bearing puller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solidxsnake Posted August 29, 2017 Share Posted August 29, 2017 Slide hammer is the only way that worked for me. There is absolutely no way a regular 2/3-arm puller would have worked to pull my front bearing assemblies out. Here's my advice: http://legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5443797&postcount=12921 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08SpecB_DE Posted August 29, 2017 Share Posted August 29, 2017 The correct method is an air hammer on the end of the mounting bolts. Unless you like rotator cuff surgery, in which case a slide hammer is the golden path to happiness. Is that what I feel for the next 2 days after using a slide hammer? Only time I'll use a slide hammer is on a press in bearing. Whole assemblies get beat out in some fashion. I usually smack the hub but sometimes I'll loosen the bolts and tap on them to break it free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougall42 Posted August 29, 2017 Share Posted August 29, 2017 I've always used an old disc (rotor) bolted to brg and then hit that with hammer. Picked up the suggestion from an earlier post. Has always worked well on front and rear and I've changed about 5 or 6 so far on 3 different vehicles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Capacity Posted August 29, 2017 Share Posted August 29, 2017 so putting the rotor on backwards really works... 305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD). CHECK your oil, these cars use it. Engine Build - Click Here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dishwab Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 Slide hammer is the only way that worked for me. There is absolutely no way a regular 2/3-arm puller would have worked to pull my front bearing assemblies out. Here's my advice: http://legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5443797&postcount=12921 That's a good idea, didn't think of that. I went the brute force and heat route, but this probably would've done the trick as well once I removed the e-brake the backwards rotor idea seems like a good one too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solidxsnake Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 That's a good idea, didn't think of that. I went the brute force and heat route, but this probably would've done the trick as well once I removed the e-brake the backwards rotor idea seems like a good one too. For the rears, the rotor trick may work just fine. However, for the fronts, I think the slide hammer almost inevitably becomes necessary, because eventually the bearing breaks between the inner/outer races, and once that happens, you lose the attachment point for the brake rotor. The only thing left to attach to is the bearing assembly itself, and the most effective way to pull that is the slide hammer + "axle-puller adapter" and some bolts. This is assuming the bearing assemblies are frozen into the hubs, as would be typical for several years in a rust-belt car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkinslow Posted August 30, 2017 Share Posted August 30, 2017 I used a hub puller that I rented from NAPA (and never returned) That and a 3lb sledge worked OK but I swear there is no substitute for a good penetrating oil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
covertrussian Posted August 31, 2017 Share Posted August 31, 2017 I've replaced all of my wheel bearings with a slide hammer and I never had the hub come out of the bearing. How shot are all of your bearings when you decided to replace them? I almost wish my hub came out so I could see what cause the bearing to die. 05 LGT 16G 14psi 290whp/30mpg (SOLD) 12 OBP Stock 130whp/27mpg@87 Oct 00 G20t GT28r 10psi 250whp/36mpg 22 Ascent STOCK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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