Sinking Creek 4WD Association

forum is slow and i need to figure this out eventually...

What is the best way to get it out/ put a new one in?

once you remove the hub screws and the snap rings, use the huge 4x4 hub socket and remove the nut. Then the spring, retaining and lock washer, and bearing should all pull out. I used a tiny 90 degree angle pick out of this old craftsman set. Just pack the hell out of those bearings when you re install.

This might be helpful:

http://www.pavementsucks.com/tech-article-14.html

Are you talking about the little bearing inside of the spindle, or the wheel bearings? For the one inside of the spindle, it can be a bitch but once you have the spindle off, using a small pry bar or even a seal remover works ok. Depends on how seized in the spindle it is.

I assume you're talking about the inner spindle bearing john. You can either use a slide hammer with a pretty fine hook on the end (or make something similar that you can smack with a hammer).

Or if you take the spindle off you can use something to drive it out from the back.

yeh im referring to the inner needle bearing. and i have the spindles removed from the knuckles one of them took a day to beat off cause it was a little rusty...And the needle bearings are toast and look like they are thirty years old.

But it can be done with a hammer and pry bar from the outside and knock it out. And then drive a new one in?


-dont have any kinda slide hammer.

jstables wrote: But it can be done with a hammer and pry bar from the outside and knock it out. And then drive a new one in?

I don't see any reason why that wouldn't work. Just look down the length of the spindle if you can get a bite on it then smack it out.

May not help in this situation but if you have an old shock laying around stretch it out and cut off the ends with a cut off wheel. The rod makes for a decent punch.

alk1174 wrote:May not help in this situation but if you have an old shock laying around stretch it out and cut off the ends with a cut off wheel. The rod makes for a decent punch.

not sure that will help here. but it sounds like a good idea so i'll try it just to have one. and it's free

I always cave the bearing in on itself with a chisel and it will fall out. It's trash, no need to be gentle with it

Arya Ebrahimi wrote:I always cave the bearing in on itself with a chisel and it will fall out. It's trash, no need to be gentle with it

i was thinking about this but don't i have to be careful to not tear up the inside of my spindle where the bearing sits.

If you drive inwards towards the center of the spindle, you won't really risk fouling up the bearing surface. Regardless, the bearings don't rotate on that surface anyway, the exterior of those bearings is closed. In other words, the needle bearings rotate inside the assembly and don't roll on the spindle itself.

ok i got it. never done any of this stuff before and i've read what to do but that doesn't help as much as experience.