Axle Bearing removal tool:: rented from Autozone

[Garageaholic]

Has anybody tried this before from Autozone (or a place equivalent to it)? i'm going to go today and see if they have what I need in order to change this rear wheel bearing myself.

[ldsbeaker]

I have not. I am this () close to buying the real tool. $250!!
Let me know what you find.

[Garageaholic]

Yeah, i'll report back this afternoon to see if they have it. They claim it's a $40 charge to rent, for as long as you want, and you get the complete charge back to your account, tax and all. So if you take care of it, it's like you can have it for free...

[Jand3rson]

Yeah, Autozone is the bomb for renting tools. Jordan and I rented a 3-point puller from them one time, and it was very hassle-free. Great resource.

Be sure to post your experience using it to change that rear wheel bearing, I need to do mine.

[e30sd]

i did the rears w/ the bmw special tool/brysons dad custom piece. it was still a bitch.

[Garageaholic]

I went to autozone and the tool they had there was balls. It wasn't even meant for sealed bearings. it was meant for bearings in a hub type wheel and it was chinsey. Sorry, but buying the BMW tool is definitely the main option here

[bmmf]

If your not 70 with a bad back get a large diameter pipe that is the same circumference as the bearing. Use that along with at Minimum a 10 lbs hammer and hammer that bearing out from the back, you'll get a work out so I suggest eat a lot of carbs. Only special tool I used was a puller to get the hub off.

[e30sd]

you have to exercise caution when pressing the hub back in. it deforms very easily, which leads to untrueness and vibrations and shit. of course there's the special tool for that...

[bmmf]

Left out the part where I didn't hammer back the hub into place. I just reversed the puller I used to remove it the hub. Installation is opposite of removal business. It gently push the hub back into place and didn't need to waste any money on a special tool of sorts. If you have the money buy the "special tools" but you can always fab something up to work.

[ldsbeaker]

Classic hack mechanic.
I'm the kind of mechanic who ALWAYS manages to break something...
I'm going to go ahead and buy the tool. It's supposed to make the job a 1000% easier, and I have 2 cars I have to do it to, so it's worth it to me.
(plus I can rent it out like autozone)

[Jand3rson]

How much is the tool?

[bmmf]

http://www.bavauto.com/shop.asp Part # : B90-BMW Is this the tool in question? 250 seems worth it if you have multiple cars. I used a slide hammer on the first bearing and it popped right now no sweat then the second bearing was stuck beyond belief but managed to bang it out, this probably would have saved a bloody knuckle.

[ldsbeaker]

Yup, that's the one I'm going to buy.

[jht3]

i used a big slide hammer to pull the hub off and a harbor freight bearing puller kit to do the rest. it had all the proper sized dies and worked great

[Jand3rson]

And how much is that Harbor Freight bearing puller kit? I might just have to go snag one of those.