wheel bearing removal Aaarrrghh!

[Fazerruss]

Show caution when heating grease filled ball joints (or near grease filled ball joints). They explode!

I have been doing the job for 32 years, I have seen most things that can go wrong!

+1
I had a ball shoot out like a bullet on a MGTF front hub. Never found it, probably embedded in the garage wall somewhere.

 

[doubleboost]

+1
I had a ball shoot out like a bullet on a MGTF front hub. Never found it, probably embedded in the garage wall somewhere.

How much heat did you put in to it

 

[premmington]

Cars I can get apart! Big lorries are not as bad as you think! Big vans are OK.

The real pain comes when you are faced with a 15-20 year old neglected 4x4.

 

[brightspark]

Show caution when heating grease filled ball joints (or near grease filled ball joints). They explode!

I have been doing the job for 32 years, I have seen most things that can go wrong!

i once remember heating a grease filled bearing and as said it spat a load of molten grease out was lucky realy as it missed me

 

[Fazerruss]

How much heat did you put in to it

Oxy propane... So a lot ! The ball joint housing was about inch n three quarter diameter with a really fine thread well n truly seized in.
And it had a tab washer to stop it working loose.

 

[premmington]

The worst one I have ever done was! Oil filled Merc E class oil filled rubber wishbone bush. Had arm off the car, set it alight out side, let it burn the rubber out of it. Went outside with an air chisel to push the alloy outer bush case out of the arm. One blip of the airchisel, the air tool exhaust ignited hot oil everywhere. En-gulfed in flames. You would not believe the amount of flames caused by such a small amount of fluid.

The error. I did not know they were oil filled!

 

[doubleboost]

Oxy propane... So a lot ! The ball joint housing was about inch n three quarter diameter with a really fine thread well n truly seized in.
And it had a tab washer to stop it working loose.

Fair comment you were heating the housing lol
I still have a deep socket that fits them
Same as the dreaded Metros lol

MOD - fixed quotes

 

[premmington]

1 1/2 AF ????????????

 

[doubleboost]

1 1/2 AF ????????????

Same size as "A" series final drive gear box nut lol

 

[premmington]

Same size as "A" series final drive gear box nut lol

Yes... "doubleboost" that is correct!

Umm... You must be as old as I am? (TeeHee...!)

 

[doubleboost]

Yes... "doubleboost" that is correct!

Umm... You must be as old as I am? (TeeHee...!)

I could even be older lol
Can you remember the size of the nut on the first motion shaft lol

 

[AndyStobbs]

I exploded a ball joint once. Jeeeees did it go with a bang, blew the flame out on my oxy acet torch and my ears rang for fully ten minutes afterwards.
I do all ball joints cold now where possible.

 

[500e]

Picture this http://www.railton.org/gallery/ROC National Shaftesbury 2008/index.html (Pic 6) Railton straight 8 1\2 shaft with bearing & drive flange in place, in our 50 Ton press, had made press tool to fit so as not to damage end of shaft etc, shaft hanging down towards floor we now put pressure on 10t 15t 30t 50Ton has it moved has it hell, heat some one cries Heat that'l do it IT DID!! shaft came out hit floor bounced over the Railton & Alfa Sprint Lusso and tried to escape through window, missed 3 of us as well

 

[mfletch]

Just drill a small hole in the ball joint then use oxy propane

 

[rikrobson]

I run a bead of weld on thexinside face and the whack it with a sledge hammer. Pop straight out

 

[Norm]

Disaster to quote top gear "that went well" this morning I stuck the knuckle in front of the propane garage heater for half an hour and got it real toasty it was too hot too touch and the inners and ball bearings just fell out, I thought that' s good it should move now popped it in the press, a couple of pumps of the handle and the section of the knuckle which holds the brake caliper snapped clean off, so I'm off to buy another in the morning, such is life no point getting upset about it, worse things happen thanks to everyone who offered advice, regards Norm

 

[normspanners]

Nearly every W/B I do I run a bead round WHY struggle ? even if I use the press.
If 'on site' and no press available,make the bead thick and fat then weld bead gives you a ledge to put the drift against especially when the bearing is pressed into a shoulder that prevents a positive clout.
Also giive the hub a LIGHT run around with a fine large flap wheel to clean rust out of it and remove any roughness.
I also think a lot of hubs etc are too tight on the clearance so that when the bearing is pressed in it contracts the bearing too much, causing overheating in the races.
that is one reason why bearings dont last very long.

 

[premmington]

Disaster to quote top gear "that went well" this morning I stuck the knuckle in front of the propane garage heater for half an hour and got it real toasty it was too hot too touch and the inners and ball bearings just fell out, I thought that' s good it should move now popped it in the press, a couple of pumps of the handle and the section of the knuckle which holds the brake caliper snapped clean off, so I'm off to buy another in the morning, such is life no point getting upset about it, worse things happen thanks to everyone who offered advice, regards Norm

Every press is as good as the pile of metal packing laid on the floor underneath of it, to avoid this type of "c##k up".

 

[normspanners]

I forgot to meantion another bonus of welding the outer is that when pressing the new bearing in you can use the old outer to press the new one past the circlip groove, but because the old one is now smaller it doesnt get stuck in the hub and just taps out easily.

 

[rtbcomp]

And if you're going to have the hubs grit-blasted remove the bearing afterwards and replace with new - obviously. The old bearings protect the housing.