Guys I have a 2002 Ford Explorer 4x4 4.0 engine with independent rear suspension. The driver side rear bearing is gone and there is movement with the spindle as well. Tire when mounted moves up/down/left and right about ¼ inch play all the way around and no play on the other rear wheel. I can push the spindle in and out with my thumb and see the CV joint moving on the other side of the knuckle. I was using a 5 ton puller to remove the bearing and knuckle and the knuckle is coming out not the bearing. It came to a point that the puller failed and broke one of the three sides, the puller went flying off in the drive way. I am now sitting with a 1/3 way pulled out knuckle and the bearing is still in the housing. Any ideas where to go from here?

I can take pictures if needed.

Andrew

 

The last time I worked on one of these I uses my die grinder with a cutting disc to cut the outer race out of the knuckle . I didn't even use a puller

 

well, i didnt know you could do it on the truck. when i did mine i took the entire knuckle, bearing and hub off. seems like there is a snap ring on the back. then you press the parts apart in a 20 tom press. you get a new bearing and maybe a hub and reassemble. takes a big press. dont put the bearing in a bind when pressing. push the outer race into the bore and push the inner race on the shaft. dont push across the bearing.

 

here are my notes from 3 years ago-------

• Disconnect the brake cable from knuckle
• Pull tie rod bolt out of hub holder and remove tie rod stud
• Remove the 32 MM nut holding axle shaft in hub
• Pull top A- frame bolt out of knuckle and remove A-frame ball socket stud. (you pound wedges in groove to remove stud).
• Remove knuckle bolt to lower A-frame
• The knuckle is now free, but splined to the alxe shaft
• Set knuckle on 2 x 4 on lower A-frame to support it up.
• Use 3 point hub puller, mount to hub studs, and push axle shaft out
• Take knuckle and hub to bench.

The bearings is a two piece tapered roller bearing mounted into a
One piece outer race. The 32 mm nut holds the two inner races together on
The axle. The nut should not be loosened when tire setting on the driveway.

• Set two 2 x 6 one edge on the hydraulic press
• Set the knuckle, studs down on the 2 x 6.
• Shim level as needed, put 3/8 plate under the sheetmetal ring
• Press the hub out of the knuckle.
• I pressed to extremely tight, then smacked the hub on top to move 1/16”
• After the hub is out, remove the snap ring inside the knuckle
• Clean the knuckle outside the snap ring area
• Pound out one of the inner bearing races.
• Pound out the second of the inner bearing races.
• Weld 4 stringer beads on the outer race
• Pound out the outer race toward the snap ring groove
• Wire brush inside the knuckle where the bearing sets.

The bearing must be install into the hub holder first, use the old outer
Race to press aginst the new race. (push on the outer race only)


• Press the new bearing into the knuckle with outer race.
• Install the snap ring ontop of the new bearing
• Find a pipe that will side over the new hub shaft
• Support the knuckle in the hydraulic press with the
Pipe above resting on the bearing inner race.
• Set the hub ontop of the bearing and press the hub into the inner races
By supporting the bottom of the inner race. This puts no load on the outer race.
• The hub will bottom out on the bearing shoulder.
• Clean the socket holes where the tie rod and A-frame studs set
• Reinstall knuckle unit on the truck
• Tighten the 32 mm nut prior to putting load on the bearing.

 

Steve you are correct on having to remove the entire knuckle. I guess I did not read correctly I thought he already had the knuckle off . I used no special tools to remove the knuckle assy. from the truck . And had no press available so I cut the outer races out of the spindles.