Michael Chaffee,
You don't mention if you've got wire wheels or not. My '69 Midget
has wires, and replacing the LF wheelbearing was mostly easy with
one big exception. Getting the inner race out of the hub was a
real pain. I ended up cannabalizing a battery terminal puller to
make a custom tool, and then proceeded to destroy said tool with the
big hammer I had to use to get the inner race unstuck.
Hint: Save the old outer race. Using a hacksaw or preferably some
kind of cut-off wheel in a powertool, cut a slot in it so it is C
shaped. Drill two holes thru it so that if you stuck a piece of
coathanger thru it, it would look like the cent symbol. c . Bend a little
so that the OD is minutely less than it was. You want a slip fit, rather
than an interference fit. Reverse your new tool so that what was the outboard
face will rest against the outboard face of the new bearing. This lets you
push against the outer race ONLY, when installing. Use a VERY large socket
and this modified race to drive the new bearing home with a press or vise,
instead of hammering on it like a maniac. Once the new bearing is home,
you should be able to remove the old race/tool with a bit of
stiff wire bent into an omega shape by fitting the ends into the
holes you drilled, and pulling.
Order of components when pressing
Vise Jaw:Hub back:new bearing:old race:big socket:extension:Other vise jaw
Warning: Exceptionally bad ASCII art follows
Hopelessly not to scale
Body of hub
-------------------------------------------------------
| --------- ---- ----
| | --- | | - - |
| | / \ | | / \ | <--- Socket pushes here
| | / -- -- \ |
| - - -
------ - / | ^
| \ / | Tool you just made from old inner race
| ---- | with hole for extraction
---------
Center-line of hub
God I miss my CAD package !
John F. Kolb - I wish my computer was made by Land Rover. Why ?
KolbJ@ymv5.ymp.gov - The information superhighway is mostly unpaved.
|