Front Wheel Bearing Race Install

[4Peanut]

I'm in the process of putting everything back together after tearing down and inspecting my front wheel bearings and races (there was some contamination on the DS due to a bent oil seal so I decided to hammer out the races to get everything 100% clean). I started with the larger inner race and got it as far as I could with a brass drift before the drift started to chip/flake from the thin edge of the tapered end of the race. [Is this normal?] I rented a bearing/race/seal driver kit and it includes a properly sized driver for the outer race, but the largest driver (3.180") is just a little too small to catch the lip of the inner race (see attached).

I started with a frozen race. I still have the other inner race to reassemble and my wife would prefer I not bake the hub in her oven.

Thoughts? Ideas? Just go for it with the smaller driver?

Thanks in advance.

 

[PhrogsPhorever]

Take the old race and grind off enough that you reduce the outer circumference of the old race do you can drop it in the hub, that way you can use the old race to drive in the new race. Works pretty good.

Sent from my iPhone using IH8MUD

 

[4Peanut]

Thanks for the suggestion. I am reinstalling the old races and bearings (they looked fine, grease was just contaminated), so I don't have an extra race to use as a driver.

 

[PhrogsPhorever]

Then brass drift it in. It's a PITA, but it will get in there eventually.

Sent from my iPhone using IH8MUD

 

[scottm]

I've gotten in the habit of using bearing retaining compound on tight bearing presses. It helps lubricate the sliding parts.

 

[badlander]

Absolutely DO NOT use the bearing driver as you have it positioned in the photo. It is positioned on the race surface which will damage the surface. Use the brass drift or a brass hammer instead and tap it in using light taps all the way around. Start at the point where the race wants to pivot from when you position it and apply pressure with your fingers. That is the tight spot which needs the first tap. Tap it there lightly then directly opposite that point and then start working you way around. Keep going in a circular pattern around and around until it bottoms out. You will feel and hear the difference when it is bottomed.
And yes, the brass drift will chip and flake during use. Let it form a notch shape and it will hold on the thin edge of the race better. Make sure you use safety glasses and maintain a bevel on the hammer end of the drift to reduce the chance of major brass chips flying. When cracks start to form in the hammer end re-grind the bevel until the cracks are gone.
When you get ready to install the seal, cut a piece of nice clean hard wood so it clears the inside of the hub and use that as your driver and use the same exact tapping method as above but with a regular hammer. Just make sure you clean off all dust and debris from the wood before hand.
Good Luck!
cp

 

[4Peanut]

badlander, thanks. The picture was for illustrative purposes only to show that the largest driver in the kit is too small to drive the inner race. Took the hub to my local independent and they didn't even have a driver large enough.

I can't find a kit online that has a large enough driver (3.5" if I measured correctly), so now I'm looking at buying a brand new bearing and race just to sacrifice the old race so I can get this truck put together and back on the road.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Brass drift. And yes, it's supposed to deform, it's softer metal.

 

[4Peanut]

Well, I took both rotor/hub assemblies and the inner races to Koons Toyota in Westminster, MD, prepared to pay whatever they asked. Before I could sit down in the customer lounge they had both races seated. No charge. Thanks Koons!

Time to repack and reassemble.

 

[1loudLX]

I've been to that dealer, nice place! Glad to hear it's all taken care of.

 

[4Peanut]

I've been to that dealer, nice place! Glad to hear it's all taken care of.

All taken care of in terms of the inner races being reinstalled. I still have a lot of work ahead of me. This -- and the PS CV reboot which led to breaking the ABS sensor which led to disassembling the PS axle which led to disassembling the DS axle for good measure -- is by far the biggest [and longest] shade tree project I have attempted to tackle. I felt a little defeated when I brought the races to Koons to ask them to reinstall them, but I now know so much more about how the front end of this truck works.

BTW, anyone within 45 minutes to an hour from the Baltimore/D.C. area have a Slee Spindle Grease Tool I could borrow? I want to put this back together right and not have to reopen it for 30,000 miles.

Edit: Good news, Slee just called to say a new batch of tools came out of the shop. Bad news, mine won't be here until Monday at the earliest. Would love to borrow one in the meantime, and I'd be happy to loan mine out in the future.

 

[rusty_tlc]

A lot of shops will press on bearings and races for no charge. Just remember them when you get a job that is beyond you skill level and you want a shop to do the work.

 

[4Peanut]

A lot of shops will press on bearings and races for no charge. Just remember them when you get a job that is beyond you skill level and you want a shop to do the work.

Word.

 

[agaisin]

I can't find a kit online that has a large enough driver (3.5" if I measured correctly)

I was planning to replace my inner/outer races/bearings in the near future and got a race/seal driver kit only to read your thread and realize that the largest driver isn't big enough for our inner race so thanks for the heads up (hate thinking I'm prepared to find out I'm not)!

As others have posted there are alternative approaches...

However for those that were considering purchasing a race/seal driver set here's what I found (summary):
- Alltrade (Powerbuilt) Kit 66 (648996) for $63 on Amazon. On paper it's a good fit - disc is 3.530" for a race with 3.543" O.D. In person It also looks like a good fit as I put the disc in place on the race and while I haven't used it to install yet it appears to be perfectly sized (i.e. disc sits on the top of the race and can be shifted side to side slightly so it's not making contact on the race surface either).
- This company Quad4x4 Bearing Cup Installers also makes a race installer, QT1808, for the JLM506810 for under $25 (I think you'd need a handle).
- You should be able to buy the individual Lisle 59460 disc (3.5") for < $10 (you'd need a handle)

------------
Here's more detail if interested:
- As a frame of reference Timken's part number for the inner race is JLM506810 and the published O.D. is 3.543" (yes every thousandth of an inch matters ).
- Every single 9 disc kit (9 discs + 1 handle sometimes referred to as 9pc and sometimes 10pc kit) I have seen has the same sizes, and the largest is 3.180" which is not nearly large enough for the inner race.
- The lisle 12800 has 11 drivers but don't be fooled b/c the 3 largest are still no good for our inner race as they are 3.180", 3.813", and 4.625"
*- The lisle 59400 (pinion bearing race driver set) has a 3.5" disc so it should be fine but it's relatively expensive at $100 plus. Also, I don't know if it makes a difference that it's designed for pinion bearing races?
*- The Alltrade Kit 66 (648996) has 10 drivers and the largest is 3.530" and can be had for $63 on Amazon.
*- This company Bearing Cup Installers has the QT1808 at $23 for the correct sized disc.
*- In theory you should be able to buy the individual Lisle 59460 disc (3.5") for < $10.