Boat trailer hub bearing tech question

[mitt]

OK fellow gear heads...

I am replacing bearings, seals, races.  I got the hubs off, apart, and 1/2 of the races knocked out.  The inner races are being *&^@#.  It is like there is not enough of a diameter difference between the hub and the race for me to get any bite on the race to knock it out.  I even bought a couple longer skinny flat screw drivers to get a better angle on the race, and still they just slip off when I strike it.

Any ideas?


mitt

[ducpainter]

No notch in the hub for driving out the races?

[mitt]

No notch in the hub for driving out the races?

Not that I see.  Do they usually have a notch to get things started?

mitt

[ducpainter]

Not that I see.  Do they usually have a notch to get things started?

mitt

Not sure about trailer hubs, but automotive hubs do.

[mitt]

Not sure about trailer hubs, but automotive hubs do.

I just looked again, and for sure, there is no groove. 

It has been a while since I have worked on hubs - does heating them up with a torch ever get the race loose enough to come out easy? 

If I am putting new races in, is there any "destructive" way to get them out - dremel, etc?  I have seen welding a bead on them to shrink the diameter, but I don't want to get that crazy yet.

mitt

[ducpainter]

I just looked again, and for sure, there is no groove. 

It has been a while since I have worked on hubs - does heating them up with a torch ever get the race loose enough to come out easy? 

If I am putting new races in, is there any "destructive" way to get them out - dremel, etc?  I have seen welding a bead on them to shrink the diameter, but I don't want to get that crazy yet.

mitt

I suppose if you can get the hub hot enough without heating the race they'd come out.

It's worth a try.

Also I suppose if you could cut a slot in the race...even if you 'nicked' the hub it wouldn't make much of a difference.

Dremel with a rotary carbide cutter maybe?

[gage]

your hubs are more than likely not designed to be rebuilt. You can get replacement hubs with bearing seals etc for under $50 bucks each

I like this site

http://shop.easternmarine.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=catalog.catalog&categoryID=187

[sno_duc]

Got access to an arc welder. If so lay a hot bead all the way around the bearing race. When everthing cools down it'll fall out.
You're going to throw the old race away, so a bead of weld won't hurt a thing. Ever laid a bead across a flat plate, when it cools, not flat any more. Same thing.

[mitt]

your hubs are more than likely not designed to be rebuilt.

That could be, but what a waste of parts. I am 80% of the way to finishing them if I can get these inner races out and buy a $20 rebuild kit with bearings, races, and seals.

If you buy a pre-greased assembly, then what grease do you use to top it off?  I thought one recommendation was not to mix greases.



mitt

[mitt]

Got access to an arc welder. If so lay a hot bead all the way around the bearing race. When everthing cools down it'll fall out.
You're going to throw the old race away, so a bead of weld won't hurt a thing. Ever laid a bead across a flat plate, when it cools, not flat any more. Same thing.

I don't have a welder, but maybe I could get someone at work to do it.  I had read that method, and it sounds promising.

I am going to work on them a little more tomorrow with a fresh start and some sharper punches and see what happens.

mitt

[gage]

That could be, but what a waste of parts. I am 80% of the way to finishing them if I can get these inner races out and buy a $20 rebuild kit with bearings, races, and seals.

If you buy a pre-greased assembly, then what grease do you use to top it off?  I thought one recommendation was not to mix greases.

Any good grease and you'll be fine

I also lied about the price - they are 36 bucks... I gladly spend the extra 16 bucks to save all that hassle and the good chance of having to buy the complete assembly anyways

[sno_duc]

I don't have a welder, but maybe I could get someone at work to do it.  I had read that method, and it sounds promising.

I am going to work on them a little more tomorrow with a fresh start and some sharper punches and see what happens.

mitt

I've used it, it works well . The other welder trick is to weld a hunk of scrap across the bore of the bearing race, then you can put a large punch against it and beat the puppy out. 

[GAAN]

are the inner races F'ed up?

if not just use em

[mitt]

are the inner races F'ed up?

if not just use em

The bearing kit will come with new races, so I would rather get the old ones out. 

mitt

[Speeddog]

I've heard of the weld bead trick, luckily never had to use it.