I'm super bummed about this because the biggest car show of the year is this Saturday. I was driving my 32 roadster yesterday when I heard a noise coming from the front wheel, and then the car pulled in that direction. I pulled over and saw smoke coming from under the hub cap. Pulled the grease hub off and sure enough metal flakes. I got it towed home. Now I'm trying to disassemble it so I can order new parts asap, to get them installed for the show. I can order new spindles so that's not the biggest issue. I can't get the the outer part of the bearing freed from the drum. Both inside and out. I've tried heat, and a big hammer but they're not budging. Any suggestions. Can I get new drums? I can't seem to find them online, and I'm sure the shipping will be an arm and a leg. Also, how the hell did this happen? Everything was greased with hi temp wheel grease. The inside of the drum is packed. But it doesn't seem like there's much on the outer bearing now.
In industrial applications we've often welded a bead of weld, on the inner part (roller area) of the bearing shell. This "shrinks" the OD of it, an the shell is able to come out.
It was set too tight. Or not packed fully. Grinder wheel is OK,but should be both top n bottom=the heat from grinding,most of time,lets it losen up. If not two BFH,one bang from each ;at same time from each side often pops it. So spindel is saved/as long as spindel nose can clean up OK,an new bearing feels right..
I'd take a good sharp heavy duty chisel and a 2-1/2 lb hammer and split the inner race right where you made the cut. Or if you have a Dremel tool or clone with cut wheels you can make a better controlled cut from that spot. just cut through the bearing and you should be able to knock it loose after you have a slot all the way through it.
This is good info. Thank you guys. This might be a dumb question as I'm new to this car. But does the outer roller stay in the drum? I ask because on the diagram it shows it as a separate piece.
Item 1217 and 1202 are the cup portion of the bearing. Yes they are removable, there is often a notch in the hub, where you can get a punch on it, to help drive out. If not, narrow punch, catching the lip of the cup race, will knock it out. You're driving it out, from the backside of bearing.
They're frozen in there pretty hard. Tried some heat and a chisel and hammer. Didn't budge. Would you suggest to keep working it or leave it. They seem undamaged. Maybe Ill do that after the car show.
Heat stuck it there; heat shall set it free. I'd put the nut back on the end to protect the treads, put a good three fingered puller on that bearing race, crank it down tight and then hit it with the blue tip wrench. Have a buddy keep tightening the puller. Make sure you do the other side, it's about to do the same thing.
Like others have said , More Heat , No Cherry, Or a Sharp Chisel Sneak up on a deeper cut , On cup / race in hub , if unable to get to with A dial driver to knock out , a bead of mig weld 1/4 to 1/2 around race / cup it will fall out after cooling
I'd just take a cutting torch and "skin" one side of the race, then "skin" the other side and slowly cut it away until it was real thin in those 2 areas. At which point I've taken a hammer and a couple sharp blows then at that point the race either splits on one side or its came loose enough to come off. Working and living in a farm community had several of these thru the years, mostly on trailers.... Farmers are not always the keenest at maintenance and upkeep.... ...
While that would work; in this case the bearing more than likely spun and tore into the spindle some. If you split the bearing, you may have a better chance of filing & sanding down the spindle without possibly doing more damage if you drug it back off over the spindle.
If you have a welder, or a friend with one, the easiest way to get the bearing races out of the hub is to run a couple short beads in the center of the race. When the weld cools it will shrink the race. I would not recommend leaving the races in place and run with a new bearing.
I’ve recently repaired 2 different cars with almost welded front bearings. Each was owner installed, new to old cars . They installed the bearings as they came out of the box . Never knew that they needed packing . They packed the cavity between the inner and outer bearings.
I , too have used a torch op for this. Get the bearing metal hot and melting, then pull your torch away from the bearing while still melting it. This will keep the torch from cutting the spindle! Back in 1979 I was hired by the Muskogee Fire dept, shortly I was promoted to Master Mechanic. Several months in my job , I had to cut some seized bearing out of a pump transmission! I did not know it at the time, but the Chief came into my shop and saw the new kid inside one of the newest fire engine with a cutting torch! Years later he told me he just went back to his office to figure out how to buy a new fire engine! Then he told how happy he was to see that fire engine working agian in a few days! lol Bones
To be clear...are we trying to get the race of the spindle (use @Bandit Billy's or @RICH B 's method) or out the drum/hub (use @Algoma56's method)?
Exactly and the method I posted above will work wonderfully, like I've stated I did it many times.... ....
Re the inner race. The heat has probably softened the bearing material so it will not crack like a bearing normally does when first grooved with a grinder and then hit with a chisel. It is too pliable. I would carefully weaken it as much as possible and then try and chisel it off, all the time being careful not to damage the spindle. Looking at it you are lucky the whole lot didn't weld itself together and twist the end of the spindle off.
Also a safer way would to grind / sand East to West L to R one flat spot down to spindle surface , would be better then a accidental cut in to spindle North to South . That way Not a chance to put a cut mark then have to blend out to relieve so it would not have a chance / easier possibly to started crack, There a few Several ways to remove whats left of bearing,
Use complete new bearings. The outer races in the drum have been affected by the heat and may have lost their hardness.
""Farmers are not always the keenest at maintenance and upkeep."" Hey, I resemble that ! Yes, we hit the bearing race with a pencil tip on an oxy-acetelyhne torch. Then dump some cold water on it. Really cant over heat the hub any nor the spindle within reason.. Burn the grease yes but that is about all. This is not a problem, try taking apart a hub assembly that has been laying in the mud for a couple of years. Can be done. Or make a couple of cuts at 90 deg out from each other. That takes the spring tension out of the bearing race. As they said, hammer and chisel.
As for the cause of the bearing failure, I would point to lack of lubricant where it was needed. As noted above, make sure you clean, then pack the new bearings with grease prior to install. Without lube, roller bearings make heat, real quick fast in a hurry. Also be careful buying the new bearings, there are plenty of Chinesium knockoffs out there. Make sure the box has a Made In The USA label on it. We see a ton of counterfeits coming into the market everyday. If you are concerned, send me a pic and I can verify.
To answer the "how did this happen", the grease needs to be in the bearing, not around the front and back of it, or between the inner and outer bearings or in the cap. The wheel bearings need to have the grease packed in between the rollers and the inner race, and between the roller cage and the outer bearing race, on both the inner bearing and the outer bearing in the drum/hub. Contrary to popular belief, filling the area between the inner bearing and the outer bearing in the drum/hub, or packing the cap full, does nothing to help the bearing. It just creates more grease to clean out with every bearing repack. The friction the bearing lives and dies under is between the rollers and the two bearing races on that bearing. If the bearing has the grease properly pressed into and around the roller surfaces areas, and then both of those bearing races are covered with grease, no extra grease is required inside of the hub. The purpose of the grease seal and the dust cap are to prevent dirt, water, and other contaminants from getting between the bearing rollers and the bearing races those rollers run against. Then those bearings (both bearings in the hub/drum on each side of the vehicle) need to be repacked at least every two - three years. If you are not doing that, your not properly taking care of your wheel bearings, and you are inviting bearing failure to come. Packing the wheel bearings are not a once and done deal.
With modern cars and trucks bearings are sealed and “bolted” on. I dislike it as now no one knows how to pack bearings any more. As I remember it was about 15,000 mile maintenance job. I still do my at 10,000 or maybe before… my car trailer may see 1500 miles a year and the bearing are packed every year!
Can’t argue with anything you posted….but if the cup had been filled with grease , the heat would have melted the grease and flooded the bearing…..and the OP would have been able to make it to his event and get back home! Bones
As to packing bearings, I’ve switched to using a grease needle, which I sharpened to fit smaller bearings. Insert between each roller and pump til it comes out the other end. Then a smear around the outside of the cage. Done.
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