wheel bearings...

[fwappy]

I have a basic wheel bearing kit, but there's one thing it doesn't include that i need. I need the 3 1/4" diameter 'cup' to push the bearing into. This is really getting aggravating. Errrr....

[Bmjpv]

Rear bearing removal

We use the SIR tool in my shop and It WORKS! Heat does expand! Expands on the inside (bearing) ,I would never used heat on the inside, outside yes. Them heating/welding on the bearing most likely expained the bearing and bearing housing. They got results and they got lucky! Next time heat the outside and cool the inside. When I INSTALL these rear bearing I'll throw in the freezer (hour) and they almost slide in with your hand! joe

[87-325ic]

i planned when i did my own rear wheel bearing, to have an extra car/ ride on standby,

and to just go to the hardware store, and get a bunch of washers and threaded rods, hopefully finding a combination of things to fit the sizes of the bearing races..

thats all the sirtools kit is.

[fwappy]

BTW, anyone got a Sir Tools B-90 i can borrow/rent?

[bimmer8604]

nope, pretty sure shit shit expands when you heat it up. we always used to torch stuff that was really rusty, but thank god for access to all BMW special tools for any car! I bet they used the welder to break the rust/crud loose so they could pull it out.

Now if you would have took a torch, and heated the surrounding area, and then froze the bearing with like, liquid nitrogen or something, and then if you added the thickness of the bearing to the radius of the bearing + the square root of 348483928101 and subtract the weight of the earth, and add your total square foot of the interior of the car, and submerged it in petroleum jelly and dont forget to add 12, then you could just pull it out by hand............this isn't rocket science, so however he got it out(or they got it out) just means they got it out. might not be the best way, but hell, it worked for him.

I'll stick to using the right tool for the job thankyouverymuch.

kyle

[vr4boy]

yep,i bought the tool also as it has paid for itself in all the rear bearings i have done plus,it'll work with other cars too...

[fwappy]

I think I'm going to break down and buy the Sir Tools B-90. I have a few cars that I plan to keep for a while, and although only my e30 is in need of the change now, I'm sure I'll be doing it again. I hear you can do both in 45 minutes or less. For only $200, it's totally worth the ultimately repeated hassle. Anyone got a used one for sale? :)

[E30_fiend]

It occurs to me that since THEY were the ones doing the job, and not you, they probably have a little bit better idea of what they were doing than you, seeing as how you ummm.... weren't there, smart guy.

thank you!!

[Mr Deagle]

Frozen water contracts when it is heated. It's the only natural compound that expands when it freezes.

i was hoping nobody would catch that, but you get an A+ in science, but when it turns to steam, it expands

[euroshark]

Maybe the welding wasn't for attaching anything at all, maybe it was just to get the thing hot enough to loosen up so it could be popped off? It's possible, since it would probably not be a good idea to be shooting a torch at everything in the vicinity and a welder would heat up the bearing without heating the other pieces nearly as much, unlike a torch.

Frozen water contracts when it is heated. It's the only natural compound that expands when it freezes.

[Mr Deagle]

It occurs to me that since THEY were the ones doing the job, and not you, they probably have a little bit better idea of what they were doing than you, seeing as how you ummm.... weren't there, smart guy.

nothing contracts when you heat it, so an explanation for the welding would be to attach something to the bearing so you can pull it out

[Jand3rson]

I think you were just welding something to the bearing so you could pull it out easier, not making it smaller

It occurs to me that since THEY were the ones doing the job, and not you, they probably have a little bit better idea of what they were doing than you, seeing as how you ummm.... weren't there, smart guy.

[Mr Deagle]

true but in this case we are super heating the metal and in order to create a weld that will penetrate enough into the metal to create an optimal bond, the metal is pulled toward the weld.
If you dont believe me then next time you do your wheel bearings, if you do them yourself, try this trick and you will see how it speeds things up.

E30Fiend

I think you were just welding something to the bearing so you could pull it out easier, not making it smaller

[E30_fiend]

Good to know. I've already done both my rear bearings, but pulling the old bearing out was by far the toughest part of the job.

exactly. if getting the bearing out was as easy as getting it in, it woulb be like a one hour job for both sides combined

E30Fiend

[redhatpat]

Good to know. I've already done both my rear bearings, but pulling the old bearing out was by far the toughest part of the job.