Right rear wheel bearing removal

[CatatonicBug]

Not sure when or how it happened, but I got my tire changed today, and when I went to reinstall, I discovered that the steel balls in the right bearing were rattling around in the hub! As it turns out, I was only able to recover 5 of the 7 balls... I had an inner race, floating by itself, and shreds of the metal that once held the balls. The outer race is stuck firmly to the inside of the hub. I removed the snap ring, and it was crusted in rust, but it came out easily. With the spacer in there, I just can't see a way to get a decent purchase on the back side to hammer it out. Anyone have any tricks to remove a rusted-in-place right rear bearing outer race?

[DiverRay]

Try a propane torch around the bearing, and then hit the race with something to cool it down quickly. If you put it so the race is down, heat and gravity MAY do the trick, along with a spritz of water on the race. For high tech, go with a can of freeze spray, as it will cool the race a LOT in a hurry, and shrink it.

[kboehringer]

Safety Glasses and/or Shield

Catatonic Bug,
Diver Ray's instructions are very good. My technicians remove races in a similar way every day. We usually hit them with a MIG welder putting a little bead of weld on them which gets them very hot quickly. Sometimes they fall right out. If not, they get hit hard with a punch or a shot of water and they will break into pieces. Basically the same thing as using a torch.

Please be sure to wear safety glasses AND/or a face shield when you do this. This is standard and mandatory procedure in our maintenance shop. Frequently, the race can "POP" violently throwing pieces.

Sincerely,
KURT

[ViperRon]

As suggested by Driver Ray spray penetrating oil in heal around the hub till the oil bubbles and smokes and then turn upside down over 5gallon bucket push a screwdriver threw to the race and you should be able to push the race out if it does not just fall out I have done it before, had to do it.

[CatatonicBug]

Thanks guys. I'll get the torch out tonight and see if I can boil the WD-40 I sprayed in there last night. Hopefully, it comes out as easily as you all say it will.

[Bikes]

Heat the race quickly...you dont want to overheat the wheel....usually only takes getting the race really hot in one small spot.....

[CatatonicBug]

Heat the race quickly...you dont want to overheat the wheel....usually only takes getting the race really hot in one small spot.....

Ok, now I'm confused... Should I be heating the race, or the wheel? If I focus the heat on the race, won't it just expand, getting even tighter in the hole? I thought I was supposed to heat the whole thing, but primarily the wheel, then cool the race quickly with a shot of water to make it shrink and pull away from the wheel.

Is that not correct?

[DiverRay]

The mig technique works by getting the race hot, then cooling it quickly. IF you only have a propane torch, the heating the wheel right at the race and cooling the race will work. It's a matter of the tools at hand, and what works for you. You just don't want to try and get the wheel glowing hot.

[CatatonicBug]

Ok, got it out. I heated, then cooled, then beat on it, a total of three times. The last time, it finally started to move, and several whacks later, it came out! I ordered the replacement at O'reilly, and I should have it tomorrow. Now, I just need to clean up the hole where the new bearing will sit, and straighten out the spacer that got bent by my mis-placed punch and hammer...

[trbig]

I like to use the old races to tap in the new bearings. I use a grinder on the outside of the bearing race until it slides easily in and out of the hub. Then I'll place that on the new bearing on install and tap on the old race to tap the new bearing in place.

[CatatonicBug]

I took the old race and used a cut-off wheel in my die grinder to cut a slot in it, just like the pictures in the tech tip. Worked perfectly! Tapped it in with a hammer, and used a pair of pliers to extract it once everything was seated properly. We're on the road again! Or at least I will be on Monday when I head to work...

[motoman]

Not sure when or how it happened, but I got my tire changed today, and when I went to reinstall, I discovered that the steel balls in the right bearing were rattling around in the hub! As it turns out, I was only able to recover 5 of the 7 balls... I had an inner race, floating by itself, and shreds of the metal that once held the balls. The outer race is stuck firmly to the inside of the hub. I removed the snap ring, and it was crusted in rust, but it came out easily. With the spacer in there, I just can't see a way to get a decent purchase on the back side to hammer it out. Anyone have any tricks to remove a rusted-in-place right rear bearing outer race?

Yup.....keep the damn torch away from it....period!. Use a long QUALIYY pin punch........works like a charm my friend.

[CatatonicBug]

Yup.....keep the damn torch away from it....period!. Use a long QUALIYY pin punch........works like a charm my friend.

Well, the torch is what did it, I think. That and a long screwdriver hammered from the other side (I don't own a "real" punch).

[motoman]

Well, the torch is what did it, I think. That and a long screwdriver hammered from the other side (I don't own a "real" punch).

YIKES! whatevr works without too much heat, scoring or damaging housing.

[ViperRon]

Motoman you are right about not using too much heat and mainly not use too much heat in one spot as just heating one side does little to free it up but if heated to high in one spot could distort the hub. Some do come out with a punch easy and others will not. Good circular heat around the inside of the hub till the oil or grease boils and most will slip right out. I imagine that if there is some corrosion it could take more tapping. Mine I just get a bucket ready heat it up watch the grease boil and flip the wheel over and drop on bucket and race goes in bucket.

The welder method actually supper heats the race making it swell the hub quick and then when you cool just the race it pops out but the trick is you have to cool just the race and do it fast. Canned air that has the chemical reaction where turning it upside down delivers a frost will work also to cool it.