Topic: Rear Wheel Bearing Retainer Stakes

[devriems]

I've read that the retainer is staked and that you need to drill out the stakes in order to remove it.  Can anybody confirm that these are the stakes (circled in red in the pic)?  I don't want to drill the wrong thing.  Also, if these are the stakes, 1/8 in bit seems too large.  Can anybody comment on that?

[steam-powered man]

yes, those circles. 

dimples are the result of "staking", need to drill them out.  have done a few, 1/8inch is ok.  no need to go deep, just remove enough material from the hub and retainer to allow movement.  even when drilled out, the retainer can be a bear to spin out - make your own spanner if you can.  good luck,

ps: re-stake when done  

[rhinoracer]

Even if the dimples seem small it's best to use a larger bit (3/16") and don't worry about drilling too deep. You want to drill larger and deeper to let the retainer spin freely, and it will if you drill it just right.

Consider that if you don't drill enough it may not spin freely afterwards. The problem is you can only find out if you did by rotating the retainer and if doesn't spin freely you'll need to drill 8 holes instead of four once they're not aligned.