hub grappler style vs press when doing wheel bearings

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WhyMe

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so i decided to do the drivers side front wheel bearing on my 2011 CRV. i have a on car HF style bearing tool seat. its kinda like the high end hub shark grappler style but less expensive i got the hub off with no problem. i put together the kit and started banging away at the bearing. the bearing would not budge. yes i did remove the snap ring i and using a ir 231 impact. keep messing with it for an hour. would not move.

Got frustrated and decide to remove the knuckle from the car and press it out. i have a HF press i got from my AK building days. its been in storage for a while so i put it back together and prayed the pump still worked. used the adapters and stuff from the HF kit. it took a lot of pressure but then a loud bang and i knew it was loose. kept pumping and it came out.

So i'm wondering why the HF on the car tool did not work. Does my air impact not have enough power? Do i need a heavier impact socket? watching south main and others that use that style of tool they make it look easy. i much prefer to do it on the car.

So you pros. Do you do it on the car or off on a press? Also, i have not bought a bearing yet. just get the best? i hope this fixes the whining i hear while driving. i did all the checks for a bad bearing ,but it did not show any of the signs. this was just a shot in the dark


Thanks for any advice
 
On saturns i take the knuckle off. I'm not sure how the on car press works as i have not seen one. I know my 12 ton press can barely remove a bad overheated bearing. So unless your on car press has that much force, its not enough. I wish i had a 20 ton press.

It takes less to press the new bearing in. I clean the hub well and put my bearing in the freezer over night. Seems to go in easier when i do that.


And yes get a good bearing, as much of a pain as it is to press in the bearing and hub= get timkin or skf. You don't want to do it again if you don't have to.

Btw don't press on the center of the bearing. Use a socket of appropriate size to press on the outer ring not the inner. If you do, it will either bust the bearing, or it will fail within 5-10k miles.
 
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Was it a steel bearing in an aluminum knuckle? Those freeze up very very well. Prius ones are the bane of my existence right now.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Was it a steel bearing in an aluminum knuckle? Those freeze up very very well. Prius ones are the bane of my existence right now.


steel on steel. not really rusted at all as no salt used on the seattle area . i am just hoping it fixes the issue

here is a hub grabble kit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kC5SbAj05Vc
 
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Most of the stuff I work on is rusted making the normal grappler useless most of the time, I have the OTC. I usually just pop the knuckle and put them in the press.
If I was younger and going to be in this business for a long time I would invest in the 9 ton hydraulic grappler unit. Not that I still don't invest in my tools just not as much on expensive not so often used tools. Not sure If I want to put another 7-800 bucks in at this point

https://www.tooltopia.com/otc-tools-6575...AiABEgJWE_D_BwE
 
I have removed many by removing the knuckle assy, soaking the bearing/knuckle with pb blaster or just wd40 for a day, sit in a chair, put knuckle in my lap between knees and smack close to the outer edge of bearing with BFH, rotate around and most of them come out. Clean up with roloc black rust buster wheel, file any dinks if you missed with the hammer. The bolts are usually long, grease up or antisleeze bearing and knuckle, carefully pull it in with bolts. "Carefully"



I did my Subaru rears last year, and they where a bit rusty, been in N Idaho for 8 years and they salt the livin day lights out of these roads.
 
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Are you using the removal tool that inserts from the rear where the axle inserts into the hub assy, then you use the axle nut and an impact to pop the bearing out?
 
Wow, I would have thought all newer vehicles would have a non-serviceable bearing where you simply replace the hub assembly and be done with it.

I've only replaced a press in bearing once (on an older Saturn) and I swore I'd never do it again. Every vehicle I've owned since that I've had to replace wh. bearings on have had the bearing integral to the hub. Super easy repair, only drawback is that the whole hub assembly costs about $60 instead of a $20 bearing. I'll pay the extra $40 everytime.
 
Originally Posted By: KneeGrinder
Are you using the removal tool that inserts from the rear where the axle inserts into the hub assy, then you use the axle nut and an impact to pop the bearing out?


not sure which one you are speaking of, but a link in one of my post shows the tool being used
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
Most of the stuff I work on is rusted making the normal grappler useless most of the time, I have the OTC. I usually just pop the knuckle and put them in the press.
If I was younger and going to be in this business for a long time I would invest in the 9 ton hydraulic grappler unit. Not that I still don't invest in my tools just not as much on expensive not so often used tools. Not sure If I want to put another 7-800 bucks in at this point

https://www.tooltopia.com/otc-tools-6575...AiABEgJWE_D_BwE


yeah i was really surprised my gun could not move the bearing. i have seen that kind of tool being used in a few euro bearing vids. really slick with lots of power.
 
Originally Posted By: 92saturnsl2
Wow, I would have thought all newer vehicles would have a non-serviceable bearing where you simply replace the hub assembly and be done with it.

I've only replaced a press in bearing once (on an older Saturn) and I swore I'd never do it again. Every vehicle I've owned since that I've had to replace wh. bearings on have had the bearing integral to the hub. Super easy repair, only drawback is that the whole hub assembly costs about $60 instead of a $20 bearing. I'll pay the extra $40 everytime.



yeah it seems so odd. i think honda still uses this system in the newest vehicles. Even GM went to the all in one bearing and hub in the late 90's.
 
I watched a few minutes of the video, its 30 minutes long... The method with the axle shaft, you can either cut an old bad axle and make your own, or you can buy the proper tool. It works on the same principal without the grappler contraption, just picture the axle shaft stub end that goes thru the bearing "cut" off of the axle. Insert from the rear, install axle nut, tighten with impact, the back side of the axle that was cut forces the bearing out. Done


Let me go find it...
 
Guilty of not reading enough! I could not find an example of the stub axle method I referred to.

Since you have the hub removed, I would suggest replacing the whole hub assy with an SKF or 2nd a Timken. I don't think anyone actually messes with trying to relace the bearing in a hub assy, although they do sell just the bearing. Its just not worth the aggravation!
 
That is not possible, the bearing goes in the knuckle separately and the hub stub shaft goes into the bearing, it cannot be replaced as a unit.
The reason manufacturers use these is they are extremely durable, they can use a larger double bearing in a much smaller space as opposed to a bolt on sealed unit.
 
Originally Posted By: WhyMe
Originally Posted By: Trav
Most of the stuff I work on is rusted making the normal grappler useless most of the time, I have the OTC. I usually just pop the knuckle and put them in the press.
If I was younger and going to be in this business for a long time I would invest in the 9 ton hydraulic grappler unit. Not that I still don't invest in my tools just not as much on expensive not so often used tools. Not sure If I want to put another 7-800 bucks in at this point

https://www.tooltopia.com/otc-tools-6575...AiABEgJWE_D_BwE


yeah i was really surprised my gun could not move the bearing. i have seen that kind of tool being used in a few euro bearing vids. really slick with lots of power.


It is a slick tool and puts out 9 tons of pressure, I have the main unit just need the add on set but its still pricey. Well worth it for someone who does a lot of them.
 
Originally Posted By: 92saturnsl2
Wow, I would have thought all newer vehicles would have a non-serviceable bearing where you simply replace the hub assembly and be done with it.




It's worse now, more and more cars have press in front bearings
 
What was the matter with the old school style like on my Mercedes cars?

Undo the nut, pull the rotor, pull the bearings, etc. Only downside is the press/removal of the outer race. But doesn’t seem as challenging as what I’m reading, even if play is set with a dial indicator.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
What was the matter with the old school style like on my Mercedes cars?

Undo the nut, pull the rotor, pull the bearings, etc. Only downside is the press/removal of the outer race. But doesn’t seem as challenging as what I’m reading, even if play is set with a dial indicator.


Nothing wrong with that in my book. But its not what they are making now. Plus you probably have to repack regrease every 30k or with the brake job.

The press in knuckle, hub bearing is more of a pain and near impossible for the average diy. I have done several on saturn s-series, but i have a press.
 
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