Bearing Extraction

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

OK This is a bit sneaky…perhaps we should have another ‘general workshop issues’ topic?

 

I have to change a front wheel bearing on a 1987 renault Trafic There’s about 1.5mm(!) play at the bearing and you can feel that at least some of the balls are less than spherical. No such thing as a Haynes manual  for this vehicle

 

I’ve finally got the hub and ‘carrier’ off, thanks to stud extractors etc. but I’m stumped at how to pull the bearings. I reckon that anything I bodge with 1″ angle and 10mm studding is going to be too flimsy.

 

I’m even considering getting the bearing then finding an engineering firm to swap teh bearings over.

 

Does anyone have any advice ?

 

Thanks

Neil

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

Not familiar with your motor, but in general, modern expensive stuff is worth paying local garage to press out and replace. Some require all the hub + bearing as an assembly replaced. I usually wack em out with big hammer, if outer ring stays in, weld a piece of scrap inside, then will usually drop out ,or hit that.

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Hydraulic puller or press tool is MUCH more kind to the pieces you do want to keep.

[Frank DolmanParticipant @frankdolman72357]

     Unable to get puller jaws under a race, I had success with cutting one

   off with a cutting disc in a hand-held drill.  A nice neat cut down a radius

   was not possible, so I cut in an odd direction that I could “get at” so that

   I had some sort of control.  When the cut was as deep as I felt I could

   safely go, I whacked a wedge into the cut.  The race broke at the bottom

   of my cut, leaving me to lift it off between finger and thumb.

 

     Idea useless if you can’t get a disc at the stuck bit of race.

 

                        Sincere wishes

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

Frank, Assuming you mean bearing inner stuck on shaft :-find disc with hole slightly bigger than bearing, weld to bearing, bearing expands and drops off, or at least you’ve something to hit. NB protect shaft etc. from spatter. Failing that they will often shatter if hit smartly. Eye protection etc.

[LADmachiningParticipant @ladmachining]

So is the bearing still complete within the suspension leg/hub carrier? 

 

Easiest way is to find a local garage with a hydraulic press and give the bloke who does it something for his trouble….

 

Much quicker, less chance of damage, but less fun!

[WearyParticipant @weary]

Have you tried this Renault forum?

 

It is pretty extensive, and although it has no specific Trafic section it is searchable, and I guess many parts are similar thoroughout the product range.

 

They suggest taking wheel to dealer for a clio bearing removal as it needed about 7 tons press to get the bearing to move, probably similar to your arrangement.

 

If you ‘google’      Renault trafic forum      there appear to be a couple of model specific fora out there. 

 

Regards,

 

Phil

 

[Richard ParsonsParticipant @richardparsons61721]

Front wheel bearings are usually pushed in from opposite sides. Once you have the axel out of the hub and the hub off the car, have a feel around inside the hub. If there is a distance piece (which is often used if you have tangential ball bearings) between the bearings you will have to knock the centre out of one bearing to get the distance piece out out. Inside the casting you should find two or three groves cast into the housing. These allow you to get a ‘drift’ at the race ‘outer’. Using a good quality drift, a good hammer and a suitable support drift the bearing out by punching into each groove one after the other. This is to ensure that the bearing does not ‘gripe’.  To need a 7 ton press to shift a bearing myst show that the hub is under a very high stress.  Good Luck.

 

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Hi Everyone,

 

My apologies for askinga question and taking so long to reply. i only got to start on the job today, along with a few other bits and pieces.

 

Thanks for all the advice; it’s a double race bearing, rather than two with a spacer. Pulling the hub from the bearing caused the two inner races to separate from the outer, leaving one inner race on the hub and the outer in the carrier.

 

Yes, I found the forums. Not much specific stuff, but it seems you need something like a 10 ton press No wonder my home made puller bent under the strain of trying to extract teh outer race! Perhaps owners of french vans are less into DIY – I find the Vauxhall forums really good.

 

I’ve used a cut off wheel to get a washing machine race off, but this is a seriously BIG race and I’m worried about scoring the carrier and creating a stress raiser. Too big to try cracking it off, I think.

 

I like the welding idea, but I’m a real beginner at welding and I don’t want to screw up.

 

So.. I’m raising the white flag as I’ve found someone who has said they can do it for £20.

 

Thanks again for the ideas; I’ll file them for reference for when I tackle something smaller than two rows of 5/8″ balls(!)

 

Neil

 

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

The garage got it out for me – turns out there was a sprung C-ring hidden in the rust so there was no way i was going to press it out!

 

They had to snap the end off the   C-ring, and there wasn’rt a re[placement with the bearing, so I brazed a bit of 3mm stell on to match the tab at the other end of the ring.

 

Job done now, phew!

 

Neil

PS: Where has the cursor gone?

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