you got me curious now
you might want to PM Trav
you might want to PM Trav
Replace Bearings in Pairs?
- Thread starter gathermewool
- Start date
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
I might need to pull the CV shaft and bang it out from behind that way. I’d have a TON more room without it there, too!
Might be able to get a slide hammer attached to the front via the bolts?!?
you may.
process of elimination tells me its frozen in place (most likely corrosion )
I would try a straight removal with a crows foot attachment with the slide hammer from the front
If that fails then its probably time to break it down and find a press
process of elimination tells me its frozen in place (most likely corrosion )
I would try a straight removal with a crows foot attachment with the slide hammer from the front
If that fails then its probably time to break it down and find a press
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
No room for a slide hammer, unfortunately, at least not the one I have. Besides, I just screwed those threads up...
I hit a large landscaping brick a few months later bad wheel bearing. I did both just because milage was at 205k. I have a spare now
Can’t the whole backing plate, with the remaining partial hub, just come off now, at least off the axle shaft end...a few inches away from the car. Then you can just hold it and beat it down with no axle or car in your way.
Not the same car, but have the backing plate assembly like this off the car partially, only still “attached” because of the brake cable. Then just smack it with your bfh with a good direct hit now that you aren’t under the car awkwardly or have the axle in the way.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
Good suggestion, but the backing plate is sandwiched between the knuckle and the hub that’s still stuck.
I’m honestly hoping that a night soaking in PB Blaster will be the difference. I’ll be back from work at around 1600 to have at it again tomorrow.
I feel bad making my wife and kids get up just to drop me off at work, but thems be the breaks... I’d feel worse if I’d actually botched the job.
I’m honestly hoping that a night soaking in PB Blaster will be the difference. I’ll be back from work at around 1600 to have at it again tomorrow.
I feel bad making my wife and kids get up just to drop me off at work, but thems be the breaks... I’d feel worse if I’d actually botched the job.
What I usually do when the hub is recessed like this one into the plate from behind is remove the axle if possible and put 4 long hardened bolts into the hub and smack them alternately from behind, if its solid with rust as is usual, you heat it with a smoke wrench not a mapp or propane torch (you may as well use a bic butane lighter really). Are the hub threads all buggered?
You may end up sacrificing the backing plate at this point, I don't know if you can get the cv axle out. You can drive a couple of wedges in there in the form of a couple cold chisels between the plate and hub. This is something I wish I could see.
How hard is it to remove the entire knuckle and take it to a machine shop to press it out? I never worked on anything subaru, but looking at the pics, at this point , is that an option?
Up here they get pretty rotten but that would be ideal. I would just hate to see him get into a even bigger fiasco than he is in now, without a real smoke wrench things can go sideways real quick when it comes to rotten parts.
when the hub is still attached, we’d also use that as a place to hit. Hit down on it, sideways on it, up on it. All to break that hub away from the knuckle. Do you have enough of that snout of the bearing assembly to hit on? Maybe that’s why we didn’t use slide hammers, I’m not sure. It’s been years since I was in the dealership but I can’t remember using a slide hammer on this job.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
Firstly, thank you all for your input and support!
Unfortunately, I tweaked the hell out of my neck yesterday and have a decent amount of pain while tilting it left or right from center. I thought I was taking my time and being careful, but I guess hammering away at something for hours while on in various uncomfortable positions'll do that to a man.
I know I've said it a hundred times, but man do I miss having access to a lift!
One good piece of news...maybe: after I finished chiseling away at the front of the hub (with my new Ridgid hammer chisel) to maybe break some rust free I noticed that my sacrificial fastener no longer threaded in by hand - it was just too tight, but was able to wrench in easily. I had literally unthreaded it by hand just prior to this, so I nothing changed there. MAYBE something shifted. Maybe not; thought I'd share.
I've been doing similar to what you say, but I only have OK access to one point of the four with a hammer and chisel or hammer and punch. I realize the best way to get this thing off is to hit each point equally, if possible, otherwise, I might just be putting a lateral force that would tend to wedge it in there instead of only axial.
The hub threads still have 5-6 unscathed threads on the back-side. I'm going to thread all four in when I'm able and hammer at each a couple of whacks at a time.
I like your idea of trying to wedge something between the knuckle and the backing plate. That may just do something and is obviously worth a shot!
I might attempt this prior to giving up on the project as a DIY. I don't fear the removal of large fasteners as much as this, since they're usually pretty robust. Worst case, it comes out really rough (even after back-and-forthing it on the way out), I chase the threads and buy a new stud set. Heck, I recently replaced the sway bar brackets and links without much issue - the fasteners came out surprisingly easily, in fact.
"smoke wrench" that's a new one to me lol I'll have to steal that from you!
I don't have one, but I DO have my wife's prized hair dryer!
Welcome to the first half of the thread, friend. We'll all wait while you catch up.
Yea, the front of the hub (that remains) protrudes enough to be smacked right in the face, which I have done 50-100 times by now. I've smacked this thing seven ways to Tuesday and it's still holding on!
What would you use if you didn't use a slide hammer? I was under the impression going into this job that the rust would break free before the pressed-in bearing.
//
I called my mechanic, who discussed options with me. Long story short, he wants me to hammer the bearing back in as much as possible, get the CV shaft spindle nut torqued on, then restore everything for towing to his shop. I asked why I couldn't just PUT everything in the hatch and tow it as is and he had vague concerns of damaging something.
Any thoughts?
Unfortunately, I tweaked the hell out of my neck yesterday and have a decent amount of pain while tilting it left or right from center. I thought I was taking my time and being careful, but I guess hammering away at something for hours while on in various uncomfortable positions'll do that to a man.
I know I've said it a hundred times, but man do I miss having access to a lift!
One good piece of news...maybe: after I finished chiseling away at the front of the hub (with my new Ridgid hammer chisel) to maybe break some rust free I noticed that my sacrificial fastener no longer threaded in by hand - it was just too tight, but was able to wrench in easily. I had literally unthreaded it by hand just prior to this, so I nothing changed there. MAYBE something shifted. Maybe not; thought I'd share.
I've been doing similar to what you say, but I only have OK access to one point of the four with a hammer and chisel or hammer and punch. I realize the best way to get this thing off is to hit each point equally, if possible, otherwise, I might just be putting a lateral force that would tend to wedge it in there instead of only axial.
The hub threads still have 5-6 unscathed threads on the back-side. I'm going to thread all four in when I'm able and hammer at each a couple of whacks at a time.
I like your idea of trying to wedge something between the knuckle and the backing plate. That may just do something and is obviously worth a shot!
I might attempt this prior to giving up on the project as a DIY. I don't fear the removal of large fasteners as much as this, since they're usually pretty robust. Worst case, it comes out really rough (even after back-and-forthing it on the way out), I chase the threads and buy a new stud set. Heck, I recently replaced the sway bar brackets and links without much issue - the fasteners came out surprisingly easily, in fact.
"smoke wrench" that's a new one to me lol I'll have to steal that from you!
I don't have one, but I DO have my wife's prized hair dryer!
Welcome to the first half of the thread, friend. We'll all wait while you catch up.
Yea, the front of the hub (that remains) protrudes enough to be smacked right in the face, which I have done 50-100 times by now. I've smacked this thing seven ways to Tuesday and it's still holding on!
What would you use if you didn't use a slide hammer? I was under the impression going into this job that the rust would break free before the pressed-in bearing.
//
I called my mechanic, who discussed options with me. Long story short, he wants me to hammer the bearing back in as much as possible, get the CV shaft spindle nut torqued on, then restore everything for towing to his shop. I asked why I couldn't just PUT everything in the hatch and tow it as is and he had vague concerns of damaging something.
Any thoughts?
You cant get an air hammer in there? He probably just wants to start the job from the beginning and make sure nothing falls off in transport.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
I bought a Ridgid battery-powered hammer. I beat the heck out of it from both sides with no real movement.
If I could get the CV shaft out of there easily, I'd be able to hit the recessed part of the hub from the inside - I bet that would make the difference!
If I could get the CV shaft out of there easily, I'd be able to hit the recessed part of the hub from the inside - I bet that would make the difference!
I honestly don’t remember exactly how I did these. It probably varied by how it went. Sometimes they’d fall apart with a couple smacks of the hub or wheel studs, if not I think we ran the bolts back in them and air hammered them out (I know toy can’t in your situation). I don’t remember ever having a problem getting the hub bearing and backing plate assembly off the car then separating them in hand, but yours sounds really stuck.
Unfortunately that tool isn't doing this sort of work with much effectiveness, it just doesn't have enough hitting power.
You need a hard hitting air hammer with the correct bit.
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