Rear wheel bearing tool for about 20 bucks

[TS87325IS]

This is my home made rear wheel bearing tool that I made from parts you can get at lowes or home depot , someone asked me to post it up so here it is . it is 3/8 threaded rod aprox. 18 inches long , (2) 2 inch galvanized pipe caps , and asorted 3/8 washers in diferent thicknesses and sizes , (2) 3/8 nuts ,and a 30 mm socket.

It has been about 8 years since I used it last , so I can't recall exactly how I used it , but it should be self explanatory once you are ready to press the bearing out , use the socket to press the bearing into one of the caps , it should fit , I know it isn't too pretty but it saves you some money for a tool you may use once or twice. good luck.

[De //m3]

You can also do it pretty easily by renting a slide hammer, for free, from Autozone. Not knocking your design, and Im sure it works well. With the slide hammer you put the "hammer" rod through the bearing and thread the cone on the back side of the bearing and "hammer" the bearing out. The conical shape means that you get a suare shot at it every time. After figuring it out with my M3, we did my friends E30 in 30 minutes a side. Just my .02...

[mattdk318i]

You can also do it pretty easily by renting a slide hammer, for free, from Autozone. Not knocking your design, and Im sure it works well. With the slide hammer you put the "hammer" rod through the bearing and thread the cone on the back side of the bearing and "hammer" the bearing out. The conical shape means that you get a suare shot at it every time. After figuring it out with my M3, we did my friends E30 in 30 minutes a side. Just my .02...

how would you go about pressing the bearing in straight?

[De //m3]

The way I did it?

I found a large socket to match the diameter of the outer race and drove it in with a dead-blow hammer.

PM me if you have any questions about it..I need to jsut do a write-up on it...

[jrobie79]

The way I did it?

I found a large socket to match the diameter of the outer race and drove it in with a dead-blow hammer.

PM me if you have any questions about it..I need to jsut do a write-up on it...

a write up would be great, im gonna tackle this sometime soon before it starts getting cold

[Jparkr]

jesus, don't hammer in your bearings, just rent the press from shucks, its $20 a rental and it comes with all the sleeves, presses and the huge "bolt" you will need to pull/push the bearing in or out.
Criv and I bought one from shucks for the PRO3 car and other clients. Its downstairs ill take a picture


here you guys go, kit #27

[Jparkr]

so basically, undo the retaining clip, slide hammer the hub out and the bearing with separate.

Use a hammer and punch (or air hammer) to knock away the inner bearing off the hub.

The outer bearing is still in the trailing arm so find a sleeve that will fit over the front hole in the trailing arm. (this will allow the berring to be pushed all the way out and into the sleeve)
Next find the plate that is the right size to come into the back of the trailing arm and push the bearing toward you.
Finally Cover the sleeve with another plate and insert the large bolt
(Use a spacer to decrease the amount of threads you will have to go through to get tightened up)
Add the large nut to the other end of the bolt and start tightening.

As you tighten the bearing will be pushed out and into the sleeve.

To install its fairly reversed. you'll no longer need the sleeve.

important Make sure you coat the outside of the bearing and the inside of the trailing arm with Anti-seize grease.

Find a bigger plate to hold the back of the trailing arm (you don't want to go through the arm this time)
Find a plate that is very close the outer diameter of the bearing (make it alittle bit smaller so you doesn't impact the trailing arm).

DO NOT push from the inner bearing! The bearing will separate and you'll be out a bearing. There is no fixing them. So make sure the plate you choose puts the pressure on the outside of the bearing.

Just as before, Tighten the bolt/nut but this time you will be pushing the bearing in.

Re-install the retaining clip
Now lube up the hub with anti-seize and press it in using a simular method to above.

Thats it you just did wheel bearings

Congratu-fucking-lations on completing one of the most annoying jobs out there.:drink:

[Aptyp]

i use sliding hammer as well, but that self made tool is neat, and has it's place. I will make one for home use, I need to do one of the bearing real soon.

[Jparkr]

Umm yeah, everyone has to use a slide hammer to get the hub out.
I don't know how that home made tool works without a sleeve for the bearing to be brought into.

That thing looks like it would just tighten onto the bearing and do nothing. idk.

[De //m3]

Yeah, it is an annoying project for sure...I also use a three jaw puller around the hub to press the CV Axle out if its stuck.(Obvious, but make sure to disconnect it from the diff first) Definitely use anti-seize, especially if you plan on driving your car another 100,000 miles and having to do the bearing change again...

The hammer could definitely do some damage if you aren't careful, so a press tool is a safer bet...it was checked out when I did mine, so I took the risky path, but it worked out ok.

[SpecM]

"This is the press , you use the socket , which fits in the hole on the trailing arm , and put the cap with the cup facing the bearing so it will press into the cap , nuts and washers on both sides and start turning the nuts , and it presses it out , to press it in , you put the bearing in the freezer for a bit to shrink it up , then put one cap on the back side of the trailing arm hole , slide the bearing on to the rod , then the socket , then the other cap , then a washer or two , and a nut , start turning the nuts and it will press it in"

quoted from the other thread in the subframe sub-forum

I'm doing this tomorrow, wish me luck!

[///M42 sport]

^^writeup with pics?

[whysimon]

anybody use this method as of yet?

[b*saint]

I use an enerpac

[Adrian_Visser]

I had a mother of a tool made by a machine shop for $50. 1'' ready rod in the centre. My wheel bearing was a waffleswaffleswaffleswaffles though should have heard the snap when it finally let go, if it was that 3/8 ready rod in the OP's pic it would have snapped way before the bearing moved.