Harbor Freight Bearing Driver

[Peteg]

Just bought the bearing driver kit Valker recommended. No instructions, so I watched some video. The cone shape of the drivers appears to be designed to drive the outer race of a tapered roller bearing. I assume we drive with the flat side (since our bearings are sealed and don't come apart) like driving a seal. Since the contact is so precise on the outer race, the rollers and race surfaces are protected by the free play in the bearing even though the inner race is also under the flat side of the driver???

[Valker]

Flat side goes against the bearing. Different sizes are to make the outer diameter of the driver exactly fit the bearing outer surface. The handle fits into the conical side of the driver and is screwed into it. A larger hammer (I use a 3# sledge) is used to drive the bearing down while carefully holding that handle and making darn sure none of your body pieces are on top of it when you hit it. Hold it straight and the bearing will go in straight. When you hear the driver making contact with the wheel, that either means it's all the way in, or the driver surface is slightly larger than the machined hole for the bearing. If the latter, use the old bearing on top of the new bearing to fully seat the new one. The rear bearings on the Valk usually need the old bearing to fully seat it. Mostly the bearing should be inside the edge of the wheel to be fully seated. (I hope that makes some sense.

[Peteg]

Absolutely thanks Valker. I'm still waiting on the second bearing so I haven't used the driver yet. Just to be stupid over kill, I went out and bought an M8 125 40 bolt to use instead of the supplied shorter M8 125. That allows me to fasten the disk with a 13 mm socket sticking out in the center. A mock axel if you will. I'm thinking it will allow me to look down at the bearing while driving it in and the od of the disk will stay perfectly aligned with the outer race without my attention to detail.  Sometimes I can be a little off.

[Valker]

Interesting adaptation of the socket. It's pretty easy to keep the stock one straight though.
The used/old bearing (if the new bearing needs seated below the edge of the wheel) should only be used after the new bearing is seated as far as it will go. Then add the old bearing to finish the seating.