Pulling front wheel bearings

[Heezea]

I had to remove the front wheel bearings but don't own a bearing puller/pusher. I came up with a little contraption that made it possible. It's kind of hard to describe so I came up with a couple of diagrams that should help illustrate. Basically I used a piece of pipe that I cut in the middle so that it could be spread open. The pipe gets spread inside the bearing, forming a tapered cone which provides good hold on the bearing. Then, you can tap against the bolt/washer supporting/spreading the pipe and the bearing will come right out. Once you get the first bearing out, the other one can just be tapped out easily.






Here's what i actually used. The top bolt was actually reversed, with the head on small washer side, which I drove in using a deep socket. I didn't have threaded rod so I used two different size bolts. It would have been a lot easier with the right length threaded rod. You can see that small washer caved in once the pipe bottoms out on the larger washers. This helps it spread the pipe out, giving good grip on the bearing. I ended up using 3/8" bolts with 3/8" washers, which were almost perfectly sized for the bearings.


Bearing puller 1.jpg (22.43 kB . 768x434 - viewed 377 times)


A couple other tips:
Use penetrating oil.
Use a heat gun or torch around the outside of wheel to allow it to expand relative to the bearings.

[Laitch]

You should insert your images into your post.

[Heezea]

Laitch, I agree. Still getting used to the image posting process. I thought I previewed my post but guess I missed some stuff still. So the first three pictures are displaying in the post right? Just not the last one, which is really just a repeat of the first embedded picture....woops. I don't see a way to edit the original post.

[bizzaro]

Hit modify

[Laitch]

Hit modify

I don't think he has posted enough to have earned a modify button.

Make another post, Heezea. Follow johnny's instructions and post the missing images.

[jsngrimm]

I work at a bicycle shop and we use a very similar tool for knocking out bearings and cups, the expanding pipe is a good way to go

[Laitch]

I had to remove the front wheel bearings but don't own a bearing puller/pusher.

Both NAPA and Autozone in Vermont offer the use of certain tools at no cost if a full replacement cost deposit is provided with a credit card and the tools are returned in good condition. Among the tools I've used from them are a blind hole bearing puller which would work for this job, and a ball joint press I used for replacing driveshaft u-joints in my truck.