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A ******* tool to press in/out front wheel hub press

3K views 4 replies 2 participants last post by  cassleshinn 
#1 ·
Friday I rebuilt the front-end of my recently purchased '96. New wheel bearing and hubs were part of that. I own a 20 ton press, but I didn't know how to support the hub without causing a lot of grief. I searched high and low around the shop to come-up with some type of support device but I couldn't find a way to make the thing level and have enough support to press out the hub (the first thing that needs to be pressed-put).

To make this story longer... a couple of weeks ago I redid the front struts, and replaced the passenger CV axle. At that time I was going to replace the brakes and rotors, just because I was down there anyway, and the kit was $54 bucks, why not? The kit wasn't here the weekend I did the work, and I realized the brakes weren't too bad, so I thought I'd just send them back to the place where I ordered them from and be $54 richer. Then I found out what it cost to ship them back (ouch!), and by then I'd decided to redo the wheel bearings so I figured I'd just put them on. Lucky me!

I had to beat the old rotor off the wheel hub assembly with a sledge, the @#$% was stubborn, but then so am I – and it was that rotor I looked at, after tearing my shop apart, and had the revelation; the rotor could be modified by cutting the center out to support the wheel hub assembly! But how could I do that? I don't have a cutting torch, but I do have a few 4" grinders and I felt I could grind the circle out. Thinking harder, I realized grinding the centers out was going to be hateful work... thankfully that very morning I'd just bought a corded drill for $5 at a yard sale (all my other hand drills are cordless, and useless for any real work) On the drill when I bought it was a great carbide bit and I started drilling holes in a circle, close together, around the outside of the rotor. After creating a lot of empty space, I used my grinder to eat away the metal between the holes and soon had the thing weak enough a good thump from the sledge (I love that thing) broke the center out.

My hole was too small, so back to grinding, but not by much and I soon had the thing ready to try.

I set the old rotor between two thick metal blocks and found a make-shift something-or-other to press-out the hub (a thick washer with a very small hole and a bolt). I carefully applied pressure and as I held my breath the contraption worked! The hub slid out and crashed to the floor.

To press the outer bearing race from inside the assembly I used a 2" piece of pipe and two more bigger washers that fit perfectly into the old inner race. To support the hub from this side I used metal blocks (rather than the ******* rotor tool) and without too much trouble I had the old race out.

YEAH!

I reassembled the hub assembly using the old outer race to press in the new race, you can press the new bearing in without worry that the old race will become stuck (thanks toyota)... also the old race fits perfectly over the front of the hub to keep the lug nut studs from hitting when you're pressing the new hub into the bearing.

NOTE: BE AWARE WHICH SIDE OF THE BEARING FACES THE HUB. The first time I got the bearing stuck on the hub and had to resort to a hammer (not the sledge though) to get it off. Flipping the old bearing around made a big difference. Also, the old bearings seemed to be made of multiple parts (or maybe they just seem that way on my rig) and this is how I was able to use the outer race this way (there was nothing in it, all the bearing parts were out)

Sorry I didn't take photos as I worked... I was greasy as hell and my mind was occupied with trying to fix the car. I'll shoot some photos of the device and how I set it up and post those. I'll probably do it this week when I can use the library's internet because ours is slow. . . . .
 
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#2 ·
Also...

Since I've got your attention... while I was down there doing all this work, I played around with the driver-side (left side) CV axle and I noticed a grinding feeling when I turned it...

I'm not that experienced at mechanical stuff. My dad was a genius mechanic and could often diagnose problems from me telling him over the phone. Unfortunately he ain't here (though I'm sure he laughs at me a lot when I'm working on a rig and cussing).

So I know enough to be dangerous, but not enough to be good.

Back the grinding... it could also be from the transaxle (I hope not) or maybe from the rear driveline (I hope not). It really seems to be the CV axle, but it feels like bearings grinding, and, and, and... Sigh.

I did the same test on the other side (right) after installing the hub and it feels smooth as silk. This is the side with the new CV axle and that's why I think (hope) it's just the CV axle grinding.

Thanks everyone who keeps this site going. In three weeks I've learned so much... I've even got new Diff mounts coming from DM Greentech.
 
#3 ·
Love your enthusiasm and enginuity, good job!
The grinding could be the needle rollers on the tripod inside the rubber gaiter, if so then you would be able to feel it if you jack it up and rotate the wheel with your hand on the gaiter, new driveshafts are fairly inexpensive at rockauto, or you could just buy the tripod, pretty sure that's what they call it, good luck, I'll be pulling mine off in a week or so, where the gaiter fits around the driveshaft it's gone soft and grease is oozing out, much longer and it'll be dry......
 
#5 ·
I still have a lot to learn about sizing images so you can read them in the post. Just click and the image should open bigger.

When pressing in the new bearings be careful not to bend the ears that hold the caliper – that was a big lesson I just learned. My lovely partner and I are gearing-up to float three days on the upper san juan. I've been busy trying to get the thing into shape for pulling our raft... pulled the raft for the first time to do a quick local float Thursday and the thing just didn't seem to have any umph. Kinda seemed like it had a vacuum leak, or it wasn't getting gas. Turned-out to be a vacuum leak.

Seems to be running good now. Monday will be the big test. I've done so much work to the beast in the three weeks I've owned it I'll have to write a post up on it. I've learned a lot of tricks. I think I have a good one for redoing the lower-rear motor mount. That job is kinda painful, at least it was for me (even with all the help here) the thing that saved me was the post about cutting the damn stud, worked like a charm. I'll get more into the details of what I did in the next post.

What I didn't do, and probably should have was this: instead of fighting the steering assembly, it might be easier to simply loosen the rear stud's nut about 1/8th inch, use a C-clamp to hold the mount firm to the frame and bang the stud out of the mount while in place. To remove the front stud: you should grind the rear stud you removed around shaft that sinks into the mount (so it slides easily back thru the mount) and re-install it so you can beat the front stud out the same way. I didn't replace the mount with a new one (filled it with glue and re-installed), and I used my press to remove the studs (or remains of them) and I had to used a bolt to replace the stud I cut. I think bangin' them out might be easier. The studs came-out easy for me in the press, and after grinding the ridge-off you can simply reuse the stud as a bolt. The nice thing is when I do replace that lower mount with a new one, I can easily remove the studs, and then put it on without removing any other parts.

Thanks RAV4 World posters, you've helped a bunch!
 
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