Inner Wheel Bearing Replacement Help

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Nov 13, 2008 | 10:40 AM

brownbronco

Thread Starter

Freshman User

Joined: Nov 2006

Posts: 25

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Inner Wheel Bearing Replacement Help

My bronco recently began makeing a clunking noise from the front driver's side while braking, in sync with my the wheel speed. Over a couple days, it got worse and started making noise not just when applying the brakes.

I jacked up the front, grabbed the tire at 12 and 6 o'clock and the drivers side was wobbling pretty bad.

I took the hub and rotor off to put new bearings in and found the the cage on the inner wheel bearing was torn apart. All of the bearing pieces fell out when I pulled the old seal off of the hub.

My Question is: anyone have advice for getting the old bearing races out of the hub? The outer bearings and race came out easiler, but I struggled with the inner race, trying to hammer at it every way I could, before I gave up and decided to use the old race with new bearings. I know this probably isn't the best idea, but I had to get the truck back up and didn't have time to take the hub over to a shop. But, I'd like to know for next time if anyone has a proven method.

Nov 13, 2008 | 04:14 PM

helirich

Posting Guru

Joined: Apr 2006

Posts: 1,274

Likes: 1

If the race was good, I wouldnt worry. If it is brunneled, you got to change it. Usally, there is two cut outs on the back side of the hub that you can stick a long punch and beat it out. Alittle heat probubly wouldnt hurt. Once you get one inner race out, the other is alot easier to get at.

Nov 13, 2008 | 04:29 PM

greystreak92

Lead Driver

Joined: Sep 2002

Posts: 9,182

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From: Gateway to the West

The single most proven method is trial and error! (I think that's a quote but I can't recall who said it first).

Nov 13, 2008 | 04:32 PM

andym

Post Fiend

Joined: Mar 2002

Posts: 19,402

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From: Bonita Springs FL

If you get stuck you can just buy a new pre-assembled rotor. It will have the races already installed.

Nov 16, 2008 | 11:39 PM

89F1fiddy

Freshman User

Joined: Feb 2007

Posts: 49

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From: Calgary, Alberta

A brass punch and a hammer work for me.I go on opposite sides and work my way around it.

Nov 17, 2008 | 01:22 PM

shooter123

Elder User

Joined: Sep 2008

Posts: 657

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From: Helena, MT

Quote:

Originally Posted by 89F1fiddy

A brass punch and a hammer work for me.I go on opposite sides and work my way around it.

this works for me every time.

Nov 17, 2008 | 01:53 PM

poffutt

Elder User

Joined: Jan 2005

Posts: 656

Likes: 1

From: Houston

I took my hub to a hole in the wall mechanics shop that works on american cars and trucks. The charged me $20 to replace them. They used a special tool to press them in and a nice punch to get them out.

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Nov 22, 2008 | 05:13 AM

hayden01

Mountain Pass

Joined: May 2008

Posts: 241

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From: Oregon

yup, yup. Just be gald that you didn't have to replace the roter, brake calliber, shoes, berrings, wheel seal, spindle, and the hub!! That's what haponed to me!! I was driving and my brakes got realy spungy all of the sudden. So I limped her home and jacked up the front end and did the "wiggle test" it failed.
It turned out that the berrings, both inner and outter, were disinitagrated and my spindle was chewn all to hell, my brake pad on the back side of the roter fell off so when I braked the piston was rubbing on the rotor, and the guts of the hub were disintagrated as well.
Its amasing that my tire didn't fall off!!!! When I took the hub cap off it looked like somebody took a lathe to the inside of my hub with a lil TNT.
I recon that that was one of her darkest hours.

Just be glad that you cought it when you did!!