My rear wheel bearing went out on the way to work this morning and locked the wheel. Freed it up and nursed it back home. Took out the axle to find the Nylock nut melted and the outer metal part of the bearings smashed up. I am working on it right now trying to get the outer bearing out of the hub! The heat somehow seized it to the axle tube.

My question is, is there a way to get the bearing out by heating it and banging on the hub or any other way without ruining the axle tube and threads.

Please help, I don't want to have to call a flatbed to have the shop screw me!
Thanks in advance. I will check the post to see if anyone replies.

 

If it welded it to the hub most likely your going to replace it.
It may help to strike it with a cold chisel. I had one on a old dodge that the bearing failed. It welded the AXLE to the tube before I got it stopped. Had to have the tube repaired.

 

Yes, I am going to replace both bearing and the races and the wheel seal. I just can't get the outer bearing out of the hub. So far that is the problem I am having. I got my axle out and don't see nay damage to it. Do you know if there is any type of puller that I could use to pull the hub off while pushing against the end of the axle tube, since the bearing is seized in the hub on the axle tube?

 

I haven't seen a puller like that. Where are you located? Are you close to Steubenville or Carrollton?

 

Do you have heat? Heat the bearing to expand it or carefully slice part of it without scarring up the spindle.

 

A slide hammer may help, if you can find an attachment to bolt it to the hub. Otherwise, as mentioned, I would use a die grinder and carefully slice through the bearing race, then tap it away with a chisel.

Also have a good look at the hub. If the outer race spun in the bore, the hub may be trash. Good luck.

 

X2. Slidehammer was the first tool that came to mind.

 

Thanks everyone for your responses, I got the hub & bearing off, Finally!
I used a Dremel tool to grind the sleeve of the bearing to get the roller bearings out one by one, then after that I pulled on the hub like a slide hammer and everything came out the back of the hub. I used a grinder to cut off the rest of the bearing sleeve.
I knew I should have changed the bearings when I changed the wheel seal!. Part of the bearing sleeve metal is still on the axle tube, but I will grind it down some and the new bearing should slide right on.
Now all I need to replace is the inner and outer bearings, outer race and another wheel seal, add some fluid and I'll be back on the road in no time!
Thanks again!, Brandon

 

If you change a bearing, change the corresponding race. They're kind of a set. Don't forget to put a little rear end oil in the cavity of the hub when you put it all back together. Maybe, (just a thought here), you forgot to do that when you replaced the seal and the bearing got no lube? That would definitely make a bearing fail!

 

X2

At work when I work on 18 wheelers, after having any hub off and cleaning it, once together I jack up each wheel about 3"-6" for about 5 minutes a side. This lets needed lubrication oil into each hub so as not to burn up a bearing.

 

The setup procedure on the spindle nut is very critical too. Basically, you want to tighten the nut until all the end play is gone, then add just a slight amount of preload. Leaving that nut too tight will burn up those bearings very quickly.

 

The only way to set up a hub is to use a dial indicator, big trucks and coaches take .001-.005 to last any time at all. The closer to .001 you are the better. That is end play not preload. A small amount of preload is best but because it is hard to determine how much preload you have, the heavy duty industry has gone to .001-.005. That will work for all opposed tapered roller bearings.

 

pack the wheel bearing with grease, some people will say you shouldn't because of the different kinds of grease.....but iv'e done rear wheel bearings that way for years with no comebacks

 

I would like to turn my daytime running lights off on my 2007 dodge ram mega cab