Hints for removing wheel bearings

[mello dude]

Hi
I am replacing wheel bearings and I went ahead and bought the Honda tools in the factory manual thinking that would make removing the bearings the easiest. But the tool to remove the first side bearing is moronic. It depends on how well you pound the wedge bar into the other piece to create enough friction on the inner race to grab it enough to drive it out. --- Doesnt work worth a damn. I ended up pounding on the inner spacer with a chisel little by little and after about 45 minutes, finally the bearing is out. Now with the other side open, it was easy to get a bar in there to pound the 2nd bearing out, 2 minutes flat.

Ok gang,  the front is the same design, with the spacer between 2 bearings. - I still have to do the front, what are your tricks?

Thanks all!  

[N8171S]

I have  always used a long punch and tapped them out from the back side.  No special tools needed.  Use a socket the diameter of the outer bearing part to press the new ones back in.

[Chrisj CMA]

The easiest and SAFEST way is with a slide hammer.  You can rent one cheap from AutoZone.  The guy at our store doesn't even charge me, I bring in the wheel he lets me use the slide hammer right in the middle of the store to remove the bearings.  The slide hammer pulls them out straight and even.  Pounding them out cocks them crooked and stresses the seat sides, do it that way too many times and the bearing wont even fit tight enough to work properly.

[hubcapsc]

I love the Honda tool... sorry you had trouble with it...





-Mike

[saddlesore]

 Slide hammer is the way to go but first time I did it I had to heat the wheel too.

[mello dude]

Ok here is the mystery - the assembly has the steel spacer in the middle and that butts up against the bearings. So how do you get to the inside surface of the bearing to impact a force to knock it out?

[Chrisj CMA]

Ok here is the mystery - the assembly has the steel spacer in the middle and that butts up against the bearings. So how do you get to the inside surface of the bearing to impact a force to knock it out?

Without the axle in place, the spacer has quite a lot of space to move around.  It's not easy, but there is just enough room