Hub Bearing assembly removal problem

Claliper, axle nut, and 3 bolts on back side are off. Had to use a 3 Jaw Gear puller and got the hub to come off, but it separated from the wheel bearing assembly. Now how in the world do I get the wheel bearing assembly off? There is nothing to grab onto and I am at a stand still. Please help it is driving me crazy.

K9Cop said:

Claliper, axle nut, and 3 bolts on back side are off. Had to use a 3 Jaw Gear puller and got the hub to come off, but it separated from the wheel bearing assembly. Now how in the world do I get the wheel bearing assembly off? There is nothing to grab onto and I am at a stand still. Please help it is driving me crazy.

Click to expand...

I'm trying to picture it but I don't know what's left and what's off.

Anyways, if you can put the 3 bolts in from the back and there is something for them to thread into, thread them in partially and then pound on the bolt heads to get the whole thing moving. That's how I dissasemble (remove) my unibearing if it's stuck: I have 3 sacrificial bolts which I pound on.

OK first thing wrong... you know now why ya shouldn't pull the hub off with that 36mm stub-axle nut off. Chalk that up to experience as that hub is now trashed and junk. This also can allow the wheel to come off, if one tries to drive without a stub axle & nut in there to hold it all together.

Find two or three long bolts... M12 x 1.75 pitch IIRC, by about 4" (100mm) long. Thread those into the bolt holes through the back of the steer knuckle, and start beating. Work on them in an alternating pattern and the hub (or in your case, what's left of it) will come out.

Before you put the (new) hub back in there, sand/scrub all the funk off the conical mating surface, then apply a good coat of anti-sieze in there, and to the bolts. I also coat the splines of the stub with A-S as well.

HTH

Edit... Kejtar beat me to it... DO NOT USE the factory 12 point bolts, unless you are gonna buy some more. They will only get ruined, and don't thread in far enough to get a good beating going on anyway

Another option is just to press the whole shebang back together again, put the nut on the axle, and pull it again. I never had much luck pounding on the bolts with rusty ones, and have had better luck either using a lead hammer on the wheel flange or a big slide hammer. Once you get even a little movement, soak the crack with penetrant, and hammer the whole thing back in. Each atime you do this it will come out a little further.

I also have a few spare hub bolts, and a 13mm 12pt socket I use specifically to beat the back of the bolts with. The socket is pretty deformed, but the bolts will still work as spares if necessary.

Use PB around where the hub seats in the spindle if it's never been off.

Hit it with the air-chisel, get it rotating a little back and forth. Then it should pop out.

Since you are replacing it, use the air chisel/hammer. You want to work around the areas in between the bolt holes. Be sure to wear ear and eye prection when doing this though. When you get the old one out, clean the mating surface inside the spindle and you may want to put a little moly-lube the to ease in disassembly in case yo have to do ball joints or axleshaft joints down the road.

Funny, when I changed my Unibearings they practically fell out. Of course, once they were out, they practically fell apart.

Some basic points.
Folks would have this poor guy believe he did something wrong by removing the axle nut. Truely, not the case. I have successfully removed many a hub and I always remove the axle nut first; well, after the wheel, brakes and rotor anyway
I suspect the problem was the wheel puller combined with a bad and hub. Regardless...

The old hub is junk, so don't worry about it. Loosen the 3 mounting bolts with a 13mm 12pt socket. Back them out so they are flush at point where they stick out of the hub. Spray the area where the hub and brake shield meet with PB Blaster or some other nice penetrating lube. Take your 13mm, 12pt socket, put it over the bolt to protect it and hit it with a 5lb hammer. Do each of the bolts in turn, perhaps repeatedly, perhaps forcefully- very forceably. It should come loose. Once loose, remove the bolts completely.

Do the anti-seize thing. Use it on everything, mounting bolts, axle shaft splines, axle threads, brake caliper mounting bolts. Go to town, just don't get it on your good clothes!

Don't worry about the old bolts. Another "old wives" or should I say "Ol' Jeeper" tale. Reuse as many times as you like. Same folks that disslike Torx heads have an issue with reverse torx heads. Just anti-seize the crap out of them before installing them.

***Update***

Well I got it off and replaced it. I actually didn't get a chance to read any of these replies before I went back out there and started at it again. Patience is not one of my virtues. Anyway, I ended up just banging the hell out of it w/ a BFH until the bearing assembly turned just enough so I could see the bolt hole around the flange. Enough to get a screw driver in and rotate it somemore. By this time I could get the claw of my hammer behind it and it was out. New hub and bearing assembly in and it drives like new. No rattling or screeching when turning corners. I had forgotten what it was like to drive w/ out it. Thanks for all the replies, I know I can always rely on you guys:wave:.