KnifeySpoony Posted August 28, 2022 Share Posted August 28, 2022 So I went to install my new 2deg De Dion ears (replacing the standard 1.5deg ears). I can't get the bearing off of the driveshaft. I also note some play in the bearing when I grab/move the drive shaft. It's odd because with everything intact, grabbing the tire and checking for play I didn't notice any. Is my bearing knackered or will it go tight again with the hub/axle nut back on and tight? Also, any tips for removing the bearing? I tried whacking the driveshaft with a deadblow hammer but not sure what else to try other than hitting it with some PB blaster and trying again later. I didn't grease the driveshaft during my build - I wonder if I should have to ease this process? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wemtd Posted August 28, 2022 Share Posted August 28, 2022 Blaster. Soak overnight. Warm with a heat gun for a good while. & if that doesn’t work someone else will hopefully come along with another idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnifeySpoony Posted August 28, 2022 Author Share Posted August 28, 2022 (edited) OK update- i got it off... KIND OF. The fukn bearing split in half. So now the inner half of the inner race is stuck on the driveshaft... I tried to tap it off of the driveshaft- the thin ring came off (and got slightly bent in the process), but the race only moved a bit and got stuck. Looks like a need a proper bearing puller - I hope it will be able to fit into that small gap. Edited August 28, 2022 by KnifeySpoony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnifeySpoony Posted August 28, 2022 Author Share Posted August 28, 2022 (edited) Also, is this bearing salvageable, or not? Is the ring seal being slightly bent a deal breaker? Or will it flatten out if pressed back in? Edited August 28, 2022 by KnifeySpoony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MV8 Posted August 28, 2022 Share Posted August 28, 2022 (edited) Do not use a 2 or 3 jaw puller. Use this kit with all the necessary bits. Clamp the knife-edged clam shells around evenly and not especially tight, then add the H bar and threaded rods to evenly pull it off. Grease the threads. Should pop back together on the hardened inner. No problem if you don't crease the inner dust ring trying to put it back in and it is not stretched, loosening the fit to the inner race od. Tap around the circumference to reinstall. https://www.ebay.com/itm/313569109324?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D241587%26meid%3D06ce783277ce462bae8c7562c757c419%26pid%3D101195%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D312653842810%26itm%3D313569109324%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2047675%26algv%3DSimplAMLv11WebTrimmedV3MskuAspectsV202110NoVariantSeedKnnRecallV1%26brand%3D8milelake&_trksid=p2047675.c101195.m1851&amdata=cksum%3A31356910932406ce783277ce462bae8c7562c757c419|enc%3AAQAHAAABMMFr2e4EmAnM%2ByHZkULYKDIJ4L66fOjNL0iupgt%2BzO1%2F3AE1t3mNirUYB96NktMCicMagiS6mbeTl0xquGODv9mza5EI4qt7uNzzvEoOJav987%2B02NN%2Bku14aeBggJT5Kzvtke0lTQip37Buk3VGsP1PZLzoBPTxf9gIvHs9qf9hwoyihfBzHJMH9qKQZn2cIIjyJe3uzWbH%2FZhgRmP9otRo0aSc15mCLV1kN4RidMJZYZYzCRWywZ%2FUlRLbrJbm%2FkPyrs2QKBxrKerqejqvXAa3glpJ76vBenvlG6lnPlk6IzILL9aK%2BIEr2hBTDMPVgtdrUv8vsije2FHkEdRHdJnt3wwdn%2BmqrCT%2FK2g8Upw6jkBLYde71%2BLqwOPhn%2BqkzyWg%2FCYTipdm3qWxY4mGJMg%3D|ampid%3APL_CLK|clp%3A2047675&epid=23012962892 Edited August 28, 2022 by MV8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnifeySpoony Posted August 28, 2022 Author Share Posted August 28, 2022 Thanks, that is my plan. Fingers crossed! Supposed to drive the car this coming Friday. Don't want to forfeit trackday fee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MV8 Posted August 28, 2022 Share Posted August 28, 2022 If you can't wait for the tools, some of the auto parts stores have tools they loan out for free, such as a bearing splitter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastg Posted August 28, 2022 Share Posted August 28, 2022 Or do you have a local Harbor Freight https://www.harborfreight.com/bearing-separator-and-puller-set-62593.html Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashyers Posted August 28, 2022 Share Posted August 28, 2022 I'm not sure how far you are from San Leandro, but if you get in a real pickle you can pull the axle and I may be able to help you pluck the race off the stub shaft. If all else fails careful use of an abrasive cutter and chisel will do the trick, but you don't get to reuse the bearing ! Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnifeySpoony Posted August 28, 2022 Author Share Posted August 28, 2022 (edited) Update - OK I bought the HF puller and drift sets. I was able to get it off easily with that. After reassembling the bearing, the inner race turned with significantly more friction than the outer. A bit concerning. So then I went to the other side - used the puller to pull on the bearing housing rather than hitting the axle with hammer. Worked a charm although... the bearing split apart again. However now with the housing out of the way I could use the puller to engage the inner race and easily pull it off the driveshaft, with the seal still in place. I reassembled again, and even though it popped in nicely, and the undamaged seal was not binding at all, the inner race once again showed increased friction. Edited August 28, 2022 by KnifeySpoony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnifeySpoony Posted August 28, 2022 Author Share Posted August 28, 2022 Also, I put copper grease on the axle to prevent this from happening next time I disassemble. Hopefully this is not contraindicated. However, next time I pull the bearing, it will likely be to replace the bearing anyways, so even if it splits, no biggie. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnifeySpoony Posted September 2, 2022 Author Share Posted September 2, 2022 Bad news. Sonoma day tomorrow, took the car out this evening to fill up the tank for the AM drive. At walking pace could hear a high pitch squeal (kinda like a brake squeal), not super loud. At speed, couldn't hear or feel anything. It was only a ~2mi drive there and back to gas station, Vmax ~50mph. When I got home I pushed the car forward and back in neutral (without excessive resistance, btw), and pinpointed the sound to right rear. Felt the hub and brake disc and they were quite hot. Much hotter than the left rear, and the fronts, which were barely lukewarm. Pretty sure the bearing is toast. I don't have any reason to suspect this is from brake drag. So my day is shot tomorrow. Will order new bearing and proceed... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MV8 Posted September 3, 2022 Share Posted September 3, 2022 Interesting to see what you find as the cause of the squeal. Was there a washer/spacer between the inner and outer inner races to maintain the bearing alignment when the hub is installed or do they just butt together? Perhaps the inner inner did not seat against the shoulder/step in the shaft, causing it to be slightly further outboard compared to the inner balls and outer inner race held by the bolt on casing. Did you rotate the hub after torquing the axle and check for bind or noise in the hub? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnifeySpoony Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share Posted September 3, 2022 There seems to just be a gap between the races - images on CC parts site shows it as well. After putting the hub back on, the bearing felt like it turned fine without resistance or noise. I never actually turned the airborne wheel after torquing the axle nut, but I just rolled the car back and forth once back on the ground (I figured under load would be a better test), and it rolled without noise and without any extra perceptible friction. In fact, once everything cooled down, it rolls again without squealing. It only squealed when it was hot. I'm not sure I understand what happened, but I'll be replacing both sides just to know they are healthy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MV8 Posted September 4, 2022 Share Posted September 4, 2022 Based on your observations, my first though would be the parking brake lever on the caliper is not releasing fully or new pads too tightly without spinning the pistons back. I assume no brake smell though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnifeySpoony Posted September 4, 2022 Author Share Posted September 4, 2022 That definitely crossed my mind. I did not push the pistons back, but the caliper/pads slid easily back over the disc. Also, if the disc was dragging enough to heat like that, wouldn't I feel resistance to rolling? And yeah, no brake smell. And to me the smoking gun is the extra resistance in rotating the inner bearing race on the bench. Like, if it took 5x as much force to turn as the healthy outer race, then it stands to reason that it will produce 5x as much heat, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MV8 Posted September 4, 2022 Share Posted September 4, 2022 Right. I guess I could have asked how much rotation effort was "significant" and how the race was installed. It should have snapped back together with minimal, even effort around the center with a threaded rod through the center and a large washer on the inside against the race and through a board across the cap outboard face. That is how the bearing was originally assembled. Since the bearing is recessed into the bearing cap by a flange in the cap, and any normal bearing splitter is going to be flat, I don't see how it could be removed without the inner popping out. The only way would be with a specially made, stepped bearing splitter. Isn't working on cars great?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MV8 Posted September 16, 2022 Share Posted September 16, 2022 (edited) Yesterday, I replaced the wheel bearings on a car with a virtually identical hub design. There must be a small spacer ring that slips over the hub tube that is positioned between the inner and outer caged bearing assemblies. After installing the races, caged bearing assemblies, and seals into the carrier, the hub tube had to be installed. To do this, I used a one foot 7/16" threaded rod (1/2 inch is more common to find and may fit the arbors), a few washers stacked for more thickness and a standard home construction, low grade/strength nut on each end. I selected arbors from an aluminum bearing race and seal installer like the one linked below that would fit well yet press against the caged bearing inner races ONLY. The threaded rod made assembly very easy and perfectly aligned everything; no hammering. If the spacer ring is left out or is too thin for the bearing tolerances, once the rod is tightened (with minimal effort), the hub won't rotate easily or at all because the caged bearings are clamped too tight into the pressed-in carrier races. The threaded rod lets you know what will happen when you install the axle. This should be a check if there was a factory manual for service. Selective spacers should be offered due to variables in the replacement bearing tolerances / clearances. Steel driver sets are better but this is what I used: https://www.ebay.com/itm/300930042361?hash=item4610d409f9:g:Z~wAAOSwM4xXYI40&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAsFaYjr2V6l1cWgL%2FxFeoTOUhVLqFyiZYnTrcfWuNJJFi4ggJ6mFDslPrCtdV2xdWRFiMVDOI%2FvO1gBMAHj9kbMJpOAgGT%2BLoP3DaWggZ91w2%2FhY7O1m6qpt%2F7e6rLumPxcgrIRWF8EPAqCuRQakyZZqmns1pLI4ds5IqPaEVwnBfFmmvJ%2BM7cX7qAtdmeuV%2BDTr%2F1zi%2FBpyH9lMwoXpJ4cpJ9HZk3vetshSMwQ6XPrPz%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR5aa8troYA Better: https://www.ebay.com/itm/393110706383?hash=item5b873958cf:g:fugAAOSwyd1gENjO&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAsN%2F1NGB%2FtROLlCa5vNUiz8GvJ%2BCV3mS3ObuHLuoly1wrz5n0ryCGKSqzhzz2fonlzMyV%2FC0vxqNQXpyqLEElFJXyiJCPko%2BfbhHIKFZGqlDjVmHtqC5zfkf7lDJfOhXIt4UmNwzbGKIunwEAtTqWZ0F8Yw9r7ajC25EO%2FeVS22y%2F2YOFgPhIH6yn7Y9uqn60gSxSgCzPNckpk38QXcrDY7ONqKMnVeI6GZpchdLRfrCU%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6qa8troYA 7/16 threaded rod (home depot, tractor supply, lowes, online, etc): https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm=threaded%20rod&refinement=4224552713&view=List I think I found waldo in one of your picks. Edited September 16, 2022 by MV8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnifeySpoony Posted September 21, 2022 Author Share Posted September 21, 2022 (edited) Ok so I got new bearings installed. Pushed back the caliper pistons this time just in case. Old bearings out on bench - they seem fine TBH. Not really sure now - maybe it was just pad drag the whole time? Either way, peace of mind is easily worth the cost of bearing and 2 hrs for swapping them. Except now I noticed a small weep of brake fluid from right side rear caliper piston... so ordered a new caliper from CC. Rebuild kits aren't cheap and swapping the whole caliper is easier, and I'm lazy. Hoping to get back to Sonoma 10/6 and 10/15. Edited September 21, 2022 by KnifeySpoony 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sltous Posted September 22, 2022 Share Posted September 22, 2022 6 hours ago, KnifeySpoony said: Hoping to get back to Sonoma 10/6 and 10/15. Hoping you'll make it 10/6. HoD or another group on the same day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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