Topic: Slick Trick for Wheel Bearing Removal

[Popwood]

I didn't see this in a forum search but perhaps it has come up. If so, just ignore.

So the trick is to use a concrete wedge bolt to remove wheel bearings. I knocked out my 750 rear wheel bearings this way this afternoon and it was sooo easy. The link below is a video showing how it's done. So simple.

I picked up a 3/4" wedge bolt at the ACE store earlier today that did the trick. The video mentions grinding back the nipples on the bolt sleeves. Don't overdo that, as I did. Had trouble getting the mushroom head sleeves to tighten in the bearing. My work-around was slipping two pieces of aluminum flashing between the sleeves and mushroom head. Worked like a charm. Also, this removal method has zero risk of damaging the inner spacer between bearings.

Check it out if you haven't seen this.

[CB650CPastor]

Good way to get it out as long as you're not going to reuse it. Never hammer the inner race.

[evanphi]

I was all excited to try this when I did my bearings last year... just kept slipping out.

I ended up using a long punch and a screwdriver to wedge in there.

[Popwood]

The hammering is pretty straight forward. I used a two pound hammer striking a short length of 1/2" galvanized pipe. The first bearing took 8 or 10 blows, the second only five or six. You are striking the bolt, not the bearing itself. As such, its driven straight out and you don't have to fuss with inside spacer, trying to shift it enough to get a punch or drift on the edge of the bearing.

[Popwood]

I had trouble with it not grabbing at first, too. It only worked when I inserted the thin strips of aluminum flashing between sleeve and mushroom head. I think this became necessary because I ground off too much of two nipples on the sleeve. I ground them all the down to flush.

[evanphi]

The hammering is pretty straight forward. I used a two pound hammer striking a short length of 1/2" galvanized pipe. The first bearing took 8 or 10 blows, the second only five or six. You are striking the bolt, not the bearing itself. As such, its driven straight out and you don't have to fuss with inside spacer, trying to shift it enough to get a punch or drift on the edge of the bearing.

You still wouldn't want to re-use the bearing, as it would be potentially causing nicks from the inner race hitting the balls when you hit the pipe.

[Popwood]

No, you wouldn't want to reuse the bearing. In most cases, I suspect, the bearings are being removed and replaced with new ones. My 40 year old bearings are only good paperweights now.

[Powderman]

So this method would be used by who? Some one who doesn't have a socket set and an extension? I also want to know how he got the first bearing out?

[evanphi]

So this method would be used by who? Some one who doesn't have a socket set and an extension? I also want to know how he got the first bearing out?

Same method. With the spacer in between the two bearings it is harder to get a socket in there.

[henrikm]

So this method would be used by who? Some one who doesn't have a socket set and an extension? I also want to know how he got the first bearing out?

Different video showing the first bearing

I have used this method a few times and it works really well. Think it is crucial to get the right size of anchor bolt to make it grab, think the one I'm using is 16mm.