any interest in a e30 rear wheel bearing rental tool?

[Snowmann]

I have made my own e30 rear wheel bearing installer and puller. However this only works if your bearing is not completely shot as It removes via the inside race. I couldnt justify 75 dollars from koala for one weekends use plus additional shipping back to them. Also there tool is booked til then end of May. The tool will install the bearing perfectly and will also install the hub without splitting the bearing into a $40 dollar piece of scrap. However removal is dependant on how long ur bearing has been completely shot. The proceedure is not as hard as everyone makes it out to be and taking my sweet time I did the one side in about 3 hrs, that was filled with many breaks and a lot of fabricating to make the tool work the way I needed it. Keep in mind the tool is in no way pretty but gets the job done. If anyone is interested I would rent for a weekend for 20 bucks plus whatever it costs to get it to your residence. Shipping back to me is your responsibility. I would need a deposit everytime the tool went out of 40 dollars as to possibly keep people from keep the tool. If pictures are needed I can send them to someone needing a host.

[Z3Jonathan]

Re: any interest in a e30 rear wheel bearing rental tool?

I have made my own e30 rear wheel bearing installer and puller. However this only works if your bearing is not completely shot as It removes via the inside race. I couldnt justify 75 dollars from koala for one weekends use plus additional shipping back to them. Also there tool is booked til then end of May. The tool will install the bearing perfectly and will also install the hub without splitting the bearing into a $40 dollar piece of scrap. However removal is dependant on how long ur bearing has been completely shot. The proceedure is not as hard as everyone makes it out to be and taking my sweet time I did the one side in about 3 hrs, that was filled with many breaks and a lot of fabricating to make the tool work the way I needed it. Keep in mind the tool is in no way pretty but gets the job done. If anyone is interested I would rent for a weekend for 20 bucks plus whatever it costs to get it to your residence. Shipping back to me is your responsibility. I would need a deposit everytime the tool went out of 40 dollars as to possibly keep people from keep the tool. If pictures are needed I can send them to someone needing a host.

I always cringe when pulling off a bearing by the un-supported (in this case inner) race. Just gives me bad visions of the bearing splitting, balls going everywhere, and then the outer race is stuck. But as long as the bearing isn't completely shot (which isn't always the case, since many people wait till its too late), and you aren't taking it off like an ape, this probably won't happen. When it does, it can be frustrating tho!

Also, I've always been taught to never install a bearing without supporting both races. Whether or not this is practical, I don't know... never changed an E30 wheel bearing, and don't own one anyways.

[nando]

you got a picture of it?

I'll trade you the use of your wheel bearing tool for the use of my subframe bushing tool. :)

[De //m3]

Its not hard ot remove the bearing with some AutoZone rentals. You can do a side in under an hour with some easy steps.

You need:
1) Slide Hammer
2) Small 3 jaw puller
3) Pipe or socket to push in new bearing
4) Normal tool to disasemble down to hub

Remmber to unbolt the driveaxle from the diff first then dissasemble down to the hub. Simply pull off the hub with puller and then run the thread of the slide hammer through the bearing and screw its cap on the other side. Once screwed on you can simply slide hammer the bearing out without risk of the bearing splitting because it pulls from the other side. My wheel bearings were badly shot and this worked perfectly, quick and simple, and the tool rental is free. Then use the pipe or socket with a hammer to knock the new bearing in. Once you hammer the hub back on you can tap the driveaxle splines back in with a rubber hammer. Then reassemble everything and your done. NOT HARD.

[Snowmann]

Re: any interest in a e30 rear wheel bearing rental tool?

I always cringe when pulling off a bearing by the un-supported (in this case inner) race. Just gives me bad visions of the bearing splitting, balls going everywhere, and then the outer race is stuck. But as long as the bearing isn't completely shot (which isn't always the case, since many people wait till its too late), and you aren't taking it off like an ape, this probably won't happen. When it does, it can be frustrating tho!

Also, I've always been taught to never install a bearing without supporting both races. Whether or not this is practical, I don't know... never changed an E30 wheel bearing, and don't own one anyways.

To these two points I have 2 defenses,

The machined piece is almost as large as the inner lip on the outer race, meaning ur pushing almost all force on the whole bearing, however its just a tad smaller, You can not push on the outer race AT ALL on e30 wheel bearing removal! the bearing is pushed all the way up against a lip meaning there is no way to contact the outer race, you just need to apply force on the inner section (seal and inner race)

Point two... the tool is multi sized with many different sized spacers similar to the standard tool. for removal you use the machined piece that presses on the inner race from the inside, you then also use a large hollow spacer on the outside of the hub to push the bearing into and have force to use, For installation there is a piece machined exactly to the OD of the outer race, it is slightly smaller so it does not bind in the hub and slides in and out. You then flip the machined piece around and use the smaller side to install the hub, This is the same mandrel you use to remove the bearing initially, It pushes on the inner race area, and you put a plate on the outside of the hub and start wrenching inserting the hub with no force on the bearing at all.

I have no where to host pics. I have pics however. let me know if interested, Im not emailing sorry

And to the point of using autozone tools, I used a rental tool from Oreillys, (personal oppion on autozone is its crap ;) ...I work at Oreillys) I used there slide hammer to remove the hub out of the trailing arm/bearing assembly.

I dont believe you would have had any luck using these tools if you would have ran into any trouble. I was going to attempt this but as I had been driving on the spent bearing for almost 6 months I was not sure if the bearing would be a pain. I would not attempt this if you dont have time for your car to be on stands. [/quote]