Remove hub without damaging wheel bearing - possible?

[itiejim]

Hi folks. I am building up a bespoke rear suspension set up for my Triumph Spitfire and have had my local engineering shop machine the vertical links to take MGF bearings (and hubs).

I gave them all the bits including bearings etc so that they could see the dimensions and clearances required. Anyway, I picked them up today and found that they've pressed the bearings into the vertical link (fine) and also pressed the hubs into the bearings - this causes me a problem as I need to remove the hub in order to fit the brake back plate to the vertical link.

Whenever I have removed hubs in the past it has been with a big hammer, with little regard for the bearing as the purpose has always been to change them. However, I now have new bearings in place which I need to remove. Can anyone suggest a way of doing this without causing damage or have I got to scrap £60 worth of Timken bearings?

[radical78]

proper hub puller sykes/pickavant or similar should do it ok

[jimbob82]

can you post a pic so we can see what it looks like?

a hub puller won't do it, it's pressed in so has to be pressed out.

[itiejim]

Any point bunging them in the freezer do you think, or will I just shrink everything (and upset SWMBO)?

[jimbob82]

if you can support the bearing between the hub and carrier it can be removed without borking it but you need patience and care. I have a tool that can do it but im in south wales

[itiejim]

Photo as requested - Can't get a leg type puller into the gap between the hub and the vertical link. The only option I really have is driving it out with a big hammer, which doesn't seem terribly bearing friendly...

[itiejim]

[jimbob82]

Unless you're very lucky I don't think you're going to get it out in 1 piece.

[itiejim]

OK, thanks for the feedback.

[PaulKemp]

I had to remove a similar looking bearing on a Mondeo, ended up giving it to my cousin who works on artics, he had to plasma cut the outer and grind the inner thin to get the bearing out, he said the new one took several tonnes on an industrial press to get it in.
From this I deduce a home mechanic would struggle

Freezing the lot won't help, it will all shrink.
For fitting ( I did this on my Mondeo centre drive shaft) the shaft went in the freezer for 24 hours and the bearing on the radiator for just a few hours.
I still had to drift it on but it was not difficult

[itiejim]

Paul, I'm sure I can get it out without a plasma cutter, but I was hoping to do so without destroying the brand new bearing - I never wanted it pressed in just yet!

I'll pop it back to the machine shop on Monday and see what they can do.

[andygtt]

jimbob82 said:

Unless you're very lucky I don't think you're going to get it out in 1 piece.

agree with this... bearings are usually not that expensive, are these pricey? if you are paying the machine shop to look at this then would it not be cheaper to buy new ones?

[Sardonicus]

With a press you may be lucky to press out that hub stub without the far most part of the bearing inner race coming with it I would go 50/50 IMO its certainly do-able

[jimbob82]

Sardonicus said:

With a press you may be lucky to press out that hub stub without the far most part of the bearing inner race coming with it I would go 50/50 IMO its certainly do-able

it "might" come out, but from the picture there's no way to support the race so it's highly likely IMO that it'll come with the hub

the only way to save the expense of buying new bearings is o cut the backplate and create a 2 piece backplate

[226bhp]

Take them back to the people who put them in and ask them to remove them.

[itiejim]

226bhp said:

Take them back to the people who put them in and ask them to remove them.

I reckon that's the only answer...