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Rear Wheel Bearing Install (pics)

9K views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  gtr1999 
#1 ·
This is my progress so far on replacing my rear wheel bearings. After taking everything apart I sandblasted and painted all of the parts. I inserted new cones in the bearing support with a bearing race driver.





I had a local machine shop make me a setup tool. It cost me $60 CAN cash. I then welded a piece of 1-1/2" tubing to the setup tool so I could hold the tool in a vice while tightening the nut to 100 ft.lbs. If anyone would like a drawing of the setup tool send me a PM.



I used my large vice to hold the bearing support and a dial indicator to check end play. I ordered new spacers and the thickest shim and had a machine shop grind the shim to size, giving me less than .003 play. The 2 pieces of wood allowed me to hold the support tight while I checked end play.



I greased and installed the outter seal and filled it with grease. Since I didn't have the proper size pipe around I used an old spacer and welded it to some small angel iron to be used as a press tool.





I used a 2 x 6 with holes drilled thru to suport the spindel during the outer bearing install. I used a marker and coloured the ends of the wheel studs then pressed the studs onto the wood to mark the locations to drill holes.



To make it possible to install the bearings without a press I heated them in my oven for 1/2 hr at 300 deg.



With the bearings hot it only took light taps from the hammer to drive the bearings home. I didn't require the size of hammer in the pictures but I wanted to make sure I drove the bearing home.





I will post pictures of the rest of the assembly of my trailing arms as I do them.

Mark.
 
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#3 ·
Your doing a great job FLEXUSMARK. A few words of caution. Just taking a couple of bearings and using the setup tool for checking end play doesn't always work out to find the true end play.
Try this. Take two bearings, dry of course and use the tool to check end play. Now with the exact same setup with your hand grab one side , push to load the bearing and make 50 back and forth rocking motion while applying pressure to seat the bearing rollers. rock back and forth about 90 degrees. Check the end play again. Try it again pushing from the other side. Check play. See if it changes.
I have consistently seen an extra .004 clearance picked up by just rocking the bearing back and forth to properly seat the rollers. This rocking the 50 times is recommended by the bearing company. You will not find that in a book. A professional bearing installer taught me that after proving he could get an extra .004 out the a bearing and spacer combination I had just set at .001.
Also when final assembly and gease and seals are added the bearing assembly will appear seized or overly tight. This is normal, don't change the spacer and in a few miles it will loosen up.
Once again, Great Job.
 
#5 ·
Joe
while this thread is almost 8 years old and you could setup bearings like that I wouldn't advise it. The method of installing the seal on the spindle first requires you carefully install the seal as you press fit the spindle assembly. A press will be better to use then the heat but that will work.
Read over my thread on setting up rear bearings that will help you as well.
 
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