[Guest]

Ok, went to work this morning and had a wierd thing happen. I'm driving down the road about 40 mph and all of a sudden the truck darts to the right and then straightens back up. It scared me but since I was about 30 yards from work I went on and parked when I got there, no more problems. I get off and start home and about half way home it does it again only this time when it straightens up its grinding a little on the right side. Well, I barely make it home. It keeps on with the grinding getting worse and worse.

I'm pretty sure its a wheel bearing so I jack it up, get the right wheel and tire off and then start taking the rotor and hub off. Now, I just changed the wheel u-joint about 6-8 weeks ago so it should come right off. Nope. I have to pry and beat on the POS for 45 minutes before it comes off. Problem is whats left of the inner bearing is still in the steering knuckle. Well, I just spent 30 minutes getting most of whats left of the bearing out of the knuckle so all that is left is the outer part. I can move it a little bit, back and forth, not much though. So I know its not frozen in the knuckle.

How do I get the rest out without removing the knuckle from the ball joints? Can it be done? I have a couple ideas but I thought I would ask if anyone else has had this problem and how did you take care of it. Please respond.

Chris

 

[Evildriver-3]

Try a screw driver to get the cage from hanging up on anything and then just split the inner part of the bearing with a chisel if it won't slide off

 

[Guest]

I've got the cage and the bearings out of the knuckle. Whats left in the knuckle is the race. It should've slid off with the hub but it didn't. I tried an air hammer and chisel but it just blunted the chisel. It's starting to look like I am going to have to remove the knuckle. I am also going to have to find a shop so I can get the outer bearing pressed off the hub and the new ones pressed on.

Chris

 

[K.C.]

If you have access to a die grinder, you could carefully grind most of the way through the outer race in two spots 180 degrees apart. Then go back at it with the air hammer. Once the race is thin enough, you should be able to split it in half with the chisel.

 

[Guest]

Thats one of the ideas I had, or a sawzall. Problem is, I don't have either one. I'd have to go buy or rent one. I don't think a sawzall is going to work anyway after really looking at it. It might but I think I would go through a lot of blades. I'm giving up for the night, I got up at 4AM today and worked until noon so I am too tired and too pissed off to keep at it. I was getting to the point where I was going to start throwing tools. Tomorrow is another day. Good thing work is only a mile away, I can walk if I have to.

Chris

 

[K.C.]

I think I would try renting the die grinder. It seems as though every time I try and cut anything with a sawzall, I'm up to my armpits in dull blades. That race is pretty hard ! A stone for the grinder may not be cheap either, but a good one will last a reasonable length of time. Can you get the axle out with the race still in the knuckle? If so. you could rig up a puller. The slide hammer type bearing puller, that is used for pulling bearings out of blind holes might work even with the axle still in.

 

[Guest]

Theres nothing there for a puller to grab on to. The race is butted up against a land in the knuckle. I can force it out a little bit (from teh front side) with a screwdriver and hammer but not very far. I either need to cut it in two somehow or take the knuckle off and them go at it from teh back side. No, the axle won't come out, already tried that. If it would I could drive it out without removing the knuckle.

Chris

 

[K.C.]

Although I've tangled with these types of situations, I've never had the pleasure of working on the type of axle that you have….. therefore, this may sound a little rude or even stupid, so I'll apologize now if it does....... Is there any way that you can carefully lever on the universal from behind the knuckle and use the outward pressure of the axle to force the race out? Maybe just enough to get a puller to grab. I'm assuming that the seal has already been removed, if you were able to hit the race from behind.

 

[Guest]

yeah, that might just work. Yep, I cut the seal out with some side cutters first thing so I could get to the race. I might be able to work the race all teh way out that way. I'll try that tomorrow

Chris

 

[IntenseImages]

chris,

we used a dremel on dads blazer when this same problem happened, just cut it in 2 places as wa ssuggested wit hthe die grinder once you get most of the way through the race usually pops really loud from the pressure so dont jump and throw oyur dremel and bounce your head off of any other hard objects. lmfao

after that it just popped right out. just make sure you clean it real well after wards, the last thing oyu need is ground up cut bearing in oyur new bearings

eric

 

[Chump]

If what I'm hearing is what I'm thinking, than the bearing race may have spun inside the knuckle and galled the bore? I wonder if a disk brake cylinder hone or a engine cylinder hone would smooth the bore enough to get the ridge out?

 

[sig sauer]

STOP STOP STOP, this is easy guys, ok firs go at the race from the back side of the knuckle ok just beat the seal out witha hammer and punch then punch the race out. ok as for the outer bearing simple just get a simple mid sized three prong puller and pull it out, then replace both inner and outer seals, take a large punch and hammer and tap going around the edges of the bearing (not race) till it is seated, then place the race spacer and inner bearing on top of the outer make sure there is plenty of grease on the bearings and put hub back on, then bolt her down grease her up and wamo you are done, i have just done this with no special tools or power tools, you can get both bearings, spacer and seals for 70 bucks at napa.

 

[Guest]

STOP STOP STOP, this is easy guys, ok firs go at the race from the back side of the knuckle ok just beat the seal out witha hammer and punch then punch the race out. ok as for the outer bearing simple just get a simple mid sized three prong puller and pull it out, then replace both inner and outer seals, take a large punch and hammer and tap going around the edges of the bearing (not race) till it is seated, then place the race spacer and inner bearing on top of the outer make sure there is plenty of grease on the bearings and put hub back on, then bolt her down grease her up and wamo you are done, i have just done this with no special tools or power tools, you can get both bearings, spacer and seals for 70 bucks at napa.

Well, Sig, that would work real easy if I could get to the back side. The AXLE is in the way and won't come out until the race comes out. I've tried your suggestion, many times from many different angles. However, I will go out and try again.

If what I'm hearing is what I'm thinking, than the bearing race may have spun inside the knuckle and galled the bore? I wonder if a disk brake cylinder hone or a engine cylinder hone would smooth the bore enough to get the ridge out?

Yeah, Chump, I thought that may be the problem too. It may have spun enough to do this. I only drove it a mile and a tenth after symptoms but it may have been spinning before the first jerk of the wheel. I'll try this if I have to.

Thanks for all the help, gentlemen

Chris

 

[sig sauer]

i under stand what you are saying cowboy, but, i have had to do this with the axle in and the seal is larger than the axle, the race is larger than the axle and the knuckle hole on the backside is larger than the axle, so you just punch the old seal out be forcefull, then force the race out with the punch or get a seal puller from auto store and pull the seal out it is thin metal and will tear easily, then you just use what space you have and punch the race out , this will work i assure you

 

[Guest]

Sorry sig, neither the seal nor the race are bigger than the axle. I pushed the seal out to the rear and then cut it to get it out. I then tried to pull the axle out with the race in place, not happening no matter how I tried it. Now the problem is that I have no room to PROPERLY get on the lip of the race and drive it out. I can get on it at an angle but it isn't good enough, the punch keeps slipping off. After banging my knuckles and fingers a dozen times I quit trying it this morning. I did go to Home Depot and bought a Dremel tool that came with some accessories and that cut through the race pretty well. It isn't out yet, I used up the two heavy duty cut off wheels and teh thinner ones were disappearing faster than I could replace them so I will go to Walmart tonight and get some more heavy duty ones so I can continue tomorrow. I hate to quit now but I have to go to work soon. First time I've had to walk to work in years

I really appreciate your help though sig. Everyones help. This is the greatest site on the web!!!

Chris

 

[BrianT]

Well hope u get it fixed Chris . Well u can probably use the exercise though . The dremel is a tool u realize u need more than u think u do .

 

[IntenseImages]

Sorry sig, neither the seal nor the race are bigger than the axle. I pushed the seal out to the rear and then cut it to get it out. I then tried to pull the axle out with the race in place, not happening no matter how I tried it. Now the problem is that I have no room to PROPERLY get on the lip of the race and drive it out. I can get on it at an angle but it isn't good enough, the punch keeps slipping off. After banging my knuckles and fingers a dozen times I quit trying it this morning. I did go to Home Depot and bought a Dremel tool that came with some accessories and that cut through the race pretty well. It isn't out yet, I used up the two heavy duty cut off wheels and teh thinner ones were disappearing faster than I could replace them so I will go to Walmart tonight and get some more heavy duty ones so I can continue tomorrow. I hate to quit now but I have to go to work soon. First time I've had to walk to work in years

I really appreciate your help though sig. Everyones help. This is the greatest site on the web!!!

Chris

chris, should have used the little grinding stones instead of the cut off wheels, they work pretty well

eric

 

[Dork]

all these suggestions sound like a lot of work.
Wouldn't it be a similar amount of work to just slide a Dana 60 under it?
Will the wife mind you selling her car to pay for it?
(Sorry, don't have any actually practical suggestions)

 

[Guest]

Yes, I have finally got the race out of the knuckle. What I did was cut some lines at an angle through the race from outside to inside. I made these lines intersect at about the middle of the race. Once I was pretty sure I had cut all the way through the rac e I got the air compressor going and hooked up my ait hammer with a punch bit installed. A little hammer ing and I had three small triangle pieces out. I then got a hand punch and a ball peen hammer and started working at it. A couple minutes later it was on the ground. I had to go into the knuckle with the Dremel and a sanding wheel to smooth out the knuckle where I had cut a little too deep but they weren't bad so now I am off to a machine shop to get the outer wheel bearing pressed off the knuckle and get the new ones pressed on. Thanks for all the help guys. If I can ever help anyone here, let me know.

Chris