Ok, Now for the second instalment.
Nice and bright in the morning, I rigged up the piece of tube, socket and washer and studding through the bearing etc, and started pulling.
Absolutely zilch. I put on so much weight that the piece of tube that the bearing was supposed to pull into, began to crumple like a concertina, and considering it was quater inch thick wall, I was astounded.
Plan B
Although retired 6 years now, I used to work in engineering and plant repair, so I went to the dear old firm to seek a few favours, fortunately there were still a few blokes left that I worked with, and they turned me a mandrel out of 3" round bar stock to replace the piece of tube. A nice neat fit around the outside dia of the bearing, as the bearing housing only has a land of about 5 mm.
I set to again with this never fail bit of gear. I dread to think what torque I put on, but still no move, the studding just started to stretch, and this was a piece of 3/4" HTsteel studding.
Plan C
Back to see the old firm again. No one could believe a bearing could be so tight.
I came away with 4 pieces of 100x50 mm x 15 ins long heavy gauge channel iron, 2 of 26mm dia HT 500mm long HT cylinder head bolts from a Sulzer marine diesel engine, and the 50mm AF spanner to fit the nuts.
The idea was to put two pieces of channel 100 mm sides back to back on each side of the bearing like strongbacks,bolted together with 10 mm bolts, with the studs sandwiched between them, just apart enough to straddle the brake back plate. this arrangement with a spacer of a large socket pushing on the inner of the bearing, and the mandrel on the outside for the bearing to be pushed into. This all had to be supported on a plank of wood and blocks, because it was too heavy to hold and get into position.
I started putting the pressure on, expecting the bearing to capitulate in the face of such "force majeure". No such luck.
I put on so much pull that the pieces of channel started to bend. This was really serious, I could see no alternative but to take off the suspension arm, and use the 400 ton press at the old firm.
I took off all the gear, and took off the hand brake shoes and back plate and was looking at what else had to come off, and where I was going to have to put axle stands and jacks to take off the suspension arm.
I then had an "on the road to Damascus" moment!!
I could now move the studs much closer together, just either side of the bearing housing, instead of straddling the backplate. Surely the pieces of channel couldnt bend over that short distance, could they??
I rigged up all this gear again, there was now only about 5" between the studding. I put the pull on, I got to the stage where I couldnt tighten any more on the 18" long ring spanner.
I resorted to 36" Stillsons, with a 6ft scaffold pole on them.
I was pressing about a foot from the end, and as I go just over 20 stone I make that about 1400 lbs/ft on the studs, and still no go.
I was so "hissed off" I left it and went in for a cup of tea.
I had been indoors about 10 mins, when there was a terrific bang like a cannon. I dashed outside thinking the car had collapsed off the axle stand or something, several neighbours had also come out thinking there had been a gun shot.
The pulling gear had fallen down all loose, and the bearing had come out of the housing about 1/2 inch. I could hardly believe it.
I put all the gear back on and although not easy, the bearing pulled out. It had been fretting in the housing and was all brown and rusted around the outside.
I cleaned up the housing, it was pitted in places. I was concerned in case the housing had cracked under the pulling pressure, so I decided to crack test it.
So once more back to the old firm for the crack test gear.
This was no super ultrasonic gear. Just quick dry white paint, some solution which is iron dust in a light oil carrier, and some big horse shoe magnets. You paint where wou wish to check and when dry paint on some of the iron solution, and then put the best size magnet around on the housing, any crack will attract the iron dust to form a line. I couldn't detect any cracks.
I was unhappy with the pitting in the housing, and that this may make the bearing not a tight enough fit, so I decided to use some Locktite bearing fit on assembly in case.(I don't expect to have to try and remove it !!"
The assembly is using the same sort of ideas to pull the new bearing back in. To pull the hub back into the bearing, you need a piece of tube up against the bearing inner centre ring that the splined shaft can be pulled into, or you will just push the bearing inner ring out of the new bearing if you just try tapping in the hub shaft assembly.
When you put the inner drive flange back, you need to try several positions. I found one position where I could push it almost completely back on the hub splines, probably its original position.
I don't know the correct torque for the hub holding nut, and I don't have a torque wrench that goes up to what it probably is, so I just did it as tight as I could with same extension on wrench as I had to undo it.
You also need a piece of light gauge tube that just fits over the hexagon of the fixing nut to tap in the locking ring. I expected to use the 32mm socket, but this is too big around the outside diameter to allow the lock ring to spring in. I used a piece of electrical conduit.
I wouldn't advise any one to try this job unless they have a lot of bits and pieces to make up pulling gear or back up where they can get it if needed. Normal bearing pullers will not help. I'm not even sure that the pukka Vauxhall special tools would have coped with what I had. But I don't think mine could be that common a problem.
If you didn't have all the problems I had, you can do it without removing the suspension arm. But you need to bear in mind, it could all go pear shaped. All this took me 4 days.
HTH
Roger
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Topic: Replacement of Rear Wheel Bearing 2002 3.2 Estate (Read 724 times)