Outer CV joint stuck in hub, what next?

[Lugy]

Hi folks, I've a front wheel bearing to do in a Honda Jazz I recently acquired, the problem being I can't get the CV joint free from the hub. Started out with a hub puller (the type that bolts to the hub) and impact wrench (half decent CP air powered one), then hammered the hell out of the puller, then engine on and brakes pressed on and a breaker bar with extension lever on the puller, more hammering, heat, WD40, air hammer, bigger air hammer and finally a drive round the yard full lock/heavy braking with the nut on very loosely. It's still not budging!

Any more suggestions? Thinking about parking next to a wall and using a Porta-power against the axle though not sure if the WW2 walls of our garage will cope .

Thanks in advance!

[Lugy]

I'm fairly confident there's nothing else holding it in place. This is the tool I'm using, in the 10 or so years I've had it it's never let me down!


To answer the question about the bottom ball joint, nope, it's still on. The nut started to round with the open end of the spanner so my initial plan was to get a bit clearance between it and the C V joint to get the ring on (I've always used this method on Vauxhall, Saabs and probably a few more without issue, can't see this jalopy being any different). I don't want to cut the nut off and make the car unmovable yet - plus the added cost of a new arm!

I've thought about getting a 10 ton hydraulic puller like this, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Generic-Hydraulic-Bearing... but from what I've read online it might not be man enough. I guess the other option could be split the outer CV if I can or pull the shaft , cut the ball joint nut off carefully and try and find a man with a bigger press!

[Lugy]

I've come across a work sheet which would confirm there's nothing else holding it on, it seems to imply it should come apart easily .

There's a 10 ton puller on Amazon with quite quick delivery for £40 which could be worth a punt, I'll not get back to the car until Friday now but will report back.

Cheers again!

[Lugy]

battered said:

Joys of home mechanicing. I remember as a kid changing brake discs with my dad. Haynes said "remove the caliper, remove the disc retaining screw, lift off the disc". Real world said "do all this then apply a bloody big puller that will bend the edges of the disc over, then smash hell out of it with a hammer, you may need to take it off in bits". We nearly did. Since then "lift off the disc" has had mythological status and been used to describe anything that needs smashing into small bits to work.

Tell me about it, just about every job I do I'm left wondering why I shouldn't wander down to the local BMW garage and do what the rest of the people do!

M32guy, I borrowed a decent air chisel from the garage next to us, that was his suggestion.

Thinking about it, I might just detach the suspension arm and remove the whole shebang then dodge away with that. The hydraulic puller would be nice to have though..... .

[Lugy]

I've tried a bit heat from a propane torch but unless my physics has let me down (entirely possible!), I only want to heat the part of the hub inside the bearing, otherwise the stub axle will expand and be even tighter?

[Lugy]

Yup, doing it off car is definitely they way I'm going to go for. No idea when to be fair due to work commitments but I was hoping to put it in for an MOT next week!

[Lugy]

I'm ashamed to say I've still not managed to do anything with the poor wee car, in my defence, I've been working 12 hour days/nights though!

Going to hopefully do something about it when I finish up on Friday though, the liquid nitrogen idea sounds fun though I don't think I'd be trusted not to freeze everything then smash it .

[Lugy]

kev b, I think a BMW rear wheel bearing is just one of those jobs destined to become a ball ache! I had a nightmare doing it on one of my 740s, took quite an effort to get the shaft out but in the end brute force won! IIRC a mate had a similar problem on his 540.