Hi all. In the next couple of days (if i get time) im going to be replacing my rear wheel bearings & seals. Would any one be interested if i posted some shots & step by step guide on how its done using only general tools @ home ?????
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Hi all. In the next couple of days (if i get time) im going to be replacing my rear wheel bearings & seals. Would any one be interested if i posted some shots & step by step guide on how its done using only general tools @ home ?????
Not a job for home mate sorry, they really need to be pressed off and on. Front no probs but the back are not
The seals are easy to replace but the preload on the bearing is something like 240ft/lbs...
I'd be interested if you do have a way that can be easily done at home.
Hi im a field service plant mechanic & have been doin this sort of thing for 30 odd yrs on site with out any presses etc & never had a failure. As i cant carry everthing on my truck i need to improvise with what i have on board granted sometimes ive had to make some tools along the way but always get it done..Quote:
Originally Posted by MudRunnerTD
Hi parksy. Hopefully all going well tomorrow ill knock it over & take a heap of pics & explain what im doing & post it obviously things can be made easier with presses ETC but not all ppl can afford to buy a press or send it to a shop ive been working field service for over 30yrs on earth moving equipment ETCQuote:
Originally Posted by Parksy
hi mate I am keen to see some pics
Hi mate, I read your post to mean you were asking for advice on how it can be done at home? a second read today and your offering to produce a DIY on the process.Quote:
Originally Posted by jgoose
Sorry i responded to you as a newby, which is reasonable and this is generally not a job to be attempted as a newby to tools and home maintenance. Your obviously Not a newby as you have since explained.
Hell yeah mate, show us how its done at home. would be very keen to see it laid out as i recently had the rear diff stripped and stopped short of attempting that in the driveway.
Look forward to the pictorial.
Cheers MR
Hi ALITIS007 From memory. The bearings get tensioned up to about 350ft-lb. Then lock it off. Then use a spring tensioner gauge & check the rotational torque which needs to be around 5 lb.Quote:
Originally Posted by Alitis007
Hi Mud. All cool mate its not that hard really just time consuming if you dont have a press etc but it is possible. Ill try n get some good clear picsQuote:
Originally Posted by MudRunnerTD
Hi all. Ive knocked it over all went well i even changed the diff oil no more noise on the RH SIDE when turning left. I will try to load the pics & details tonight. @ the moment i have an appointment with whats left of a cube of rum
Looking forward to the pics jgoose.
Keen as for a DYI on this. Very handy info to have
It will be great to see the pics and write up..
Mic
Looking forward to this, I've been putting off a rear diff rebuild.
Must have been a good cube of rum.
Hi all sorry for the delay ive had to return to the coast & havnt had time to start with the run down on how ive done the job. Im assuming that every one knows how to remove the calipers & that they should be supported & not just left to hang via the brake line. If i miss something or dont explain something right just ask. Im going to do this bit by bit not just one long story & hopefully ill work out how to add the pics so stay tuned
As i said before i assume everyone knows how to remove the brake caliper & support the caliper so i does not hang from the brake line & remove the disc
Then remove the bolt that holds in the A B S pick up & remove it from the housing im a big fan of put the bolt that i removed back into the bolt hole so that it wont get lost or damaged to the bolt or thread
Then remove the 6 nuts that hold the axle bearing housing to the diff housing DONT USE THE PALM OF YOUR HAND TO HIT THE SPANNER TO LOOSEN THE NUTS use a nylon hammer
Then tap the with a nylon or copper hammer & the axle should slide out
Im doing this repair on my property so i dont have a shed or work bench at this stage so im just using my car trailer as a work bench. Stand the axle on your bench & to remove the A B S stator i use a heat gun & heat the stator & then using a pair of tyre levers under the stator from each side just lever it up there is no need to use a hammer it will be tight just take your time
To remove the axle nut flatten out the tab washer that stops the nut from undoing if it gets loose i have made up a long tube spanner out of a 36mm tube socket. (Made by S P TOOLS) welded to a pipe that slides over the axle & i have welde an old socket to the top (ive used an old 3/4 drive socket but a 1/2 drive will work) then heat the nut with the heat gun again while the axle is laying on its side & undo it again it will be tight nut it will come undone with the right amount of heat to help. To help Break the seal of the nut you can use a copper drift to hit the nut on different sides then undo it. Using the socket. Then on thewheel side remove the 3 phillip head screws holding the backing plate on & just slide it out.
Here are the other pics it would not allow me to post all of them at once
Now this is the hard part. If you have acess to a press use it it mite cost you a six pack at the local mechanic to use his as i said im out on my property & dont even have a dunny let alone a press. Ive set up the axle on timbers to support it via the bearing housing then i heated the housing for about 15-20 mins then using a block of timber & a copper hammer i held the timber on the axle end & hit it a couple of times & the axle slide out of the bearings. Im doing all of this on my own so it can be a bit hard to do it would be o lt easier with 2 ppl
When it has come apart remove the old bearings & support the housing on timber so the outer bearing shell can be knocked out. Using one of the old bearings place it in the top of the housing & heat the housing then using a piece of timber hit the bearing down which will push the outer shell out
If the inner race has stayed on the axle very carfully grind a flat onto the race & then give it a sharp hit with a hammer & chisel on the flat to loosen it
DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE IT USING THE CHISEL BETWEEN THE RACE BEARING SPACER AS SHOWN IN THE PIC AS IT WILL DAMAGE THE SPACER i use a copper drift to tap off the race
No matter what the myth busters say hitting a hammer against another case hardened piece of steel does chip & becomes a bullet ive had it happen to me & also have seen it happen to a work colleage with very bad results
Remove the tin plate that is held on via the axle studs & clean & inspect all the seal faces if you can catch your finger nail in a groove worn by a seal you will need a SPEEDY SLEEVE to repair it (google SPEEDY SLEEVE to see what it is used for) Fit the plate back loosly & clean up all the bearing carrier
With the new bearings i myself dont think they come with enough grease packed into them so i always repack them with high temp bearing grease
I also take the new outer bearing race & put it back in the box by itself & put it into the freezer while im repacking the bearings & cleaning all the parts
Great shots and a good write up
Joe
Hay Joe. Great write up. Just goes to show what can be achieved with a little hands on approach with a little thought and some basic tools..
Top advise on the removal of a tight inner race to..
At work we have a few no spark areas, and on a break down you need a why to remove a bearing its a big chisel and a bigger hammer.. they shatter..
So a little tap at a time is advised.. you only want to 'stretch' the ring enough to free it..
Keep up the write up mate. Top job so far..
Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories
When every thing is cleaned sit the bearing housing on a block of wood with the side that the seal goes into face down. What i do now is heat the housing for 10-15 mins & take the outer race from the freezer all going to plan with the housing hot & the outer race cold it should just drop straight into the housing all the way to the seat if it doesnt just give it a gentle tap on the outside edge with a brass drift (DONT USE A HARDENED PIN PUNCH OR CHISEL) untill it sits on the seat
Now this part is very important with the housing still sitting on the timber go back to the fridge & grab a rum & let the bearing housing cool enuff to handle
Turn the bearing housing over & drop in one of the greased tapered bearing take the housing seal & gently tap it into position if you dont have a socket or tube the same diameter as the steel of the seal us a copper drift & very gently tap the seal in by tapping opersite sides of the seal until it is all the way in. Apply a heap of grease arond the seal & the face that comes in contact with the back of the axle flange that was cleaned earlier. Stand the axle on the studs & make sure the tin plate that is held on via the studs is in position but loose. Slide the bearing housing over the axle( seal down ) until it stops against the shoulder that the bearing is pressed over. Slide the other greased tapered bearing over the axle until it is sitting in the bearing cone. I like to pack some more grease into the bearings at this stage then cover the bearing with a rag for the next step
If you have acess to a press it makes it easier at this point to fit the bearings in the past i have put the bare axle in a cool room to help shrink it i have also used my hi lift jack with a long pipe & plate & pressed the bearings on what ive done this time is after covering the bearings. I use an old socket that has had the top cut off a slide it over the axle down till it rests on the inner bearing cone i then took a length of steel pipe & use it as a slide hammer & bang it against the old socket as the seal on the bearing housing gets closer to axle flange face i keep rotating the housing so the seal doesnot get caught on the loose tin plate & so as it seals on the flange i can see between the plate that has been left loose you can make sure that it is seated properly keep tapping the bearings down & when it is all the way down you will hear a different tone & feel that it has gone all the way
Remove the rag & make sure everthing is clean fitting a new lock wasker is best but if you dont have a new one clean up the old one & put it into position clean up the nut & screw it down then lay the axle down & slide the long socket spanner on & tension the nut & make sure the bearing housing turns freely it will be a bit tight as its all new bend the lock tab over & stand the axle back up & heat up the A B S gear & slide it all the way down if it doesnt go all the way just GENTLY tap it with the brass drift it should not need to much to get it home
Make sure that all of the axle assembly is clean including the splines. Remove the the old seal in the axle housing i use an old slide hammer that i made up but you can get away with a screw driver BUT BECAREFULL NOT TO DAMAGE THE SEAL HOUSING if you do it will need to be cleaned up with a fine stone on a drill to make sure that there are no rough edges. Find a socket the same size as the seal & put grease over the end of it so the seal with stick to it & then line it up with the housing & gently tap it in. Try to tap it in evenly then check to make sure that it is all the way in & even all round if it isnt gently tap it flush with a brass drift but try to avoid going down this road. Make sure the outer oring is in good condition ideally it should also be replaced but ive never seen a bearing/seal kit come with everything thats required
Now that you have made sure everything is clean slide the axle back in BUT DO NOT REST THE AXLE ON THE SEAL THAT YOU JUST INSTALLED INTO THE HOUSING as you slide the axle into position rotate it as you push & try to lift the slpined end up as you push it in so it will slide into the planetary then tighten all the nuts up & refit the disc & caliper
When doing this repair just take your time & think ahead theres no rush & remember its easier to fix a stupid question than it is to fix a stupid mistake
Any questions just ask
My next job hopefully will be to rebuild a 5speed & transfer box & replace a 5th gear shaft
Jgoose, this is a job I hope I don't have to do, but nevertheless I thank you very much for posting as you have. I now have a much better idea of 'what's in there' & if I were ever in a situation where I had to undertake this task could do so with greater confidence. Good one mate.
Cuppa
Great write up , it's always great when guys like you share your knowledge ,
Steve
Great post Bloke, I'll be running my axles down to my local mechanic to get the pressing done I recon, how long did it take to do the job and get back to that box of cans? Excellent photos as well.
Great post JGoose, and some great tips for all of us which we can apply to a multitude of jobs, and with some more agricultural tools too.
mic
Hi all thanks for the kind words i relise its not a job for everyone i just like to show ppl how things can be done without paying top dollar at least a lot of the job isnt too hard to tackle at home then take the axles to the mechanic for the pressing side of it
this took me around 4-5hrs plus i greased the car & changed all the oils as well. I Smashed the rum had to grab another couple of cubes ill be fitting wheel sensors soon if anyones interested.
. If any one needs any help all you need to do is ask
Thanks jgoose, I'll give it a go !
That's a great job, much appreciated.. Thanks for taking the time and sharing that procedure. :D
Hey sorry to dig up an old post, I have just done a wheel bearing on my gq axle, the torque spec was around 450nm, then back off and preload to spec. I have backed off the lock nut and the preload is still 120nm, this seems waaaay to tight or will it loosen up as the new bearings break in. Do I just lock the nut so there is no play in the axle and hope for the best or is there something not quite right here?
Thanks for any help