have used a long pipe that fits inner race and drive on like a slide hammer.. drive the brg retainer the same way. like driving a fence post it's the hillbilly way..
Use a cold chisel to "split" the retainer in a couple of spots; it won't completely split it open, but the ring will be stretched/sprung enough to remove it. New retainers get heated up in a rod end oven, then dropped/pressed on. I just had my NEW Yukon axles/bearings/wheel studs done for my 56' sedan Delivery. It's too bad they will never really be seen, they sure are shiney/pretty! Butch/56sedandelivery. And I love 56', 150, Handyman Wagons!!!
I don't know that I would "beat" a new bearing/bearing retainer on, especially with what the bearings cost. It would have to be a tight fitting length of pipe being used. The other thing is, virtually ALL bearings are made offshore now, and there are problems with quality, and longevity with them. To have my new, NOS bearings pressed onto my new axles, and to have my new wheel studs pressed in, was $50.00 total; it was low priority on the machine shops list, so it took several days to actually have them do the work. They media blasted and painted the bearing retainer plates for me; those they had to remove from my "old" axles. I think I got a bargain overall. Butch/56sedandelivery.
gonna try chisel method. would napa carry these bearings? i've found prices from 40 to 85 bucks each. are yukon axles a direct bolt in? love sedan delivery as well. very unique hot rod.
Just do it one at a time. Drive the bearing on first, making sure to only press on the inner race, and not on the outer, then drive on the retainer. I've seen impatient people try to do the bearing and retainer in one shot and get them in a bind. I personally always use a press, but a pipe will work in a pinch...
You can use a cut off wheel to cut part way through the bearing and retainer before you hit it with a cold chisel, then it will split completely open and slide off with ease. Napa has the bearings.
Chisel or grinder to weaken the bearing. Then press it off. place axle in freezer over nite. set bearing and retainer in the hot sun or oven and warm then up just enough that you can barely stand to hold them in your bare hand. Then press them back on one at a time they wont ever come apart using this method.
Lay the axel on your work bench with the bearing on like a brick cover with a shop rag and hit it with a big hammer it will shatter like glass
Put the bearing end of the axel in a cooler of dry ice. You could give it a blast of Lp also. Just warming the bearing will help.
The Yukon axles come "pre-shortened" the 1/8" so they can be used with the 55-64 DANA Arma Steel Positraction; this is not necessary when the EATON Positraction is used, but does't make any difference that they are. They do take a "special" wheel stud however; smaller than the stock studs (the holes in the flange are smaller). And, no one makes them in long stud version, only stock length. Butch/56sedandelivery.
wow never knew that. i finally gave up and took axle to napa to have bearing pressed off. was going to buy bearing from them, but the picture showed two o-rings on o.d. of bearing. mine only has 1. don't know if that makes a difference?
I just went thru this with a local machine shop. They had the bearings in stock but were $90 apiece + $45 to R&R the bearings. Not having any other option , I went ahead and picked them up later the same day. Not good , the managed to bend and warp the axle flange retainer plate , not only that but they also pressed one on backwards , got the O-ring groove one the inside rather than the outside. Took them back and let them eat the cost of a new bearing and the labor to R&R them again. Be careful because the seals are directional.
lol, now i'm totally confused. my o-ring groove was on inside (towards diff.) when i removed axle. is this incorrect?
I have seen guys drive new bearings on with a long piece of pipe. (same with retainer ring) All three (2 Chevs, 1 Ford 9") that slipped an axle out while driving (!) had wheel brgs driven on with a pipe. Use a press, gentlemen. Pounding a new bearing on stretches the retainer ring unduly, as well as the hardened bearing inner race.
try to find a shop with some uh older guys in it. not being a smarta-- here but a lot of younger guys have never seen a 55-64 axel BEARING,much less pressed one on. also if your going to be hard on the car,a old racer showed me how to just barely spot weld the inner bearing to the axel to keep it from running out. a LITTLE SPOT WELD!! good luck
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