Knuckle Bearing Separator Tool - Quick and Easy (1 Viewer)

[KelVarnson]

I needed to come up with a quick and simple knuckle bearing separator tool, using something I already had in my shop. So I used a turnbuckle. I removed the right-hand threaded hook part, and replaced it with a short piece of threaded rod that I had ground to a sharp point (wrench included for scale):

I kept the left-hand-threaded loop end in place. I stuck it between the center points for the bearings, and turned it with a wrench. The point keeps the top centered, and the curvature of the loop keeps the bottom centered, better than I had imagined it would, it actually works quite well. I used a long phillips screwdriver through the loop to keep the bottom from spinning. The threads on the top point were bunged up enough from the grinding to prevent it from spinning in the turnbuckle, plus I was turning the body in the direction that would have extended it anyway, so it still would have worked, I think. Note that I left one or two of the bottom bearing cap nuts on to keep the bearing from just dropping to the ground:

Once one of the bearings let go, I put the knuckle on the bench and used a large fender washer as a base to push out the other bearing.

This took me about five minutes to fabricate, and it worked great right off the bat:

 

[Rigger]

Great idea!

 

[Blue77FJ40]

What is the body length of the turnbuckle, and what is the thread diameter, please. That sounds like a plan, rather than pounding on the outside edge of the top cap w/brass drift.

 

[KelVarnson]

Great idea!

Thank you.

What is the body length of the turnbuckle, and what is the thread diameter, please. That sounds like a plan, rather than pounding on the outside edge of the top cap w/brass drift.

I hear you about the pounding. That is a PITA, and I'm always afraid I am going to mess up one of the surfaces.

This is a garden-variety hardware store turnbuckle, 3" long aluminum 7/16" hex body, and the threads are 1/4-20. It's typically a hook on the right-hand threaded end, and a loop on the left-hand threaded end. There "may" be enough length to get a jam nut in to hold the pointy end in place, but then again you may not need that. I didn't.

Pretty sure this is the one I used:

Hooks/Eye Turnbuckle - Zinc Plated N221-861 | National Hardware

Shop Hooks/Eye Turnbuckle. Designed for tightening or drawing together various lines and cables.

www.natman.com

I was actually amazed at how well it worked, but then again I was re-removing a freshly-installed set of brand new bearings (during a knuckle setup). I don't know for sure that it is strong enough for an old set of bearings that are really stuck on there, but it is a starting point. You could probably get a steel-bodied turnbuckle.

It will also not take up much space in a toolbox, for on-trail knuckle work.