How to seat outer bearing onto front hub?

[WmWatt]

The axle works great to get the outer bearing started onto the front hub, nice and straight. But it only goes until the bearing is flush with the top of the cylinder. Any ideas on how to get the bearing the rest of the way down the cylinder to seat on the hub? Unfortunately the the axle spline isn't long enough to take the knuckle and hub with the outer bearing on only part way. Thanks.

BTW when I got the wheels from the junk yard the guy who removed them cut the axles with a torch (aka blue wrench) and the remaining axle stub makes a handy press for getting the bearing started.

[FestYboy]

use a large vice?

[Christ]

Find a piece of tubing to use as a mandrel that has an id slightly larger than the hub cylinder, and put it atop the bearing while you tighten the axle nut.

[Safety Guy]

Could you use a stack of thick, flat washers to keep using the axle stub threads to seat it? Just an idea.

Karl

[WmWatt]

Thanks. Large vise and plastic plumbing pipe did it. Probably could have used pipe with axle too.

Didn't think plastic pipe would be strong enough. So took parts to bike shop where I volunteer to try to press hub and knuckle together in large bench vise but not enough clearance for rotor. So put hub in vice alone with piece of plastic pipe and pressed bearing rest of way onto hub no problem. Looks like axle spindle will now accommodate hub, rotor and bearings with some axle thread showing. Hope to be able to pull everything together on axle tomorrow.

[WmWatt]

The axle pulled the wheel together fine. There is one thing I don't like about this method and that is seating the outer bearing grease seal into the knuckle. To help it go in I wound some rope around the hub under the seal before pulling the knuckle on, thinking I could just leave the rope in there. But it bound under the knuckle acting as a brake on the wheel. Luckily I was able to grab the end of the rope with a pair of needle nose pliers and work it out again, saving having to pull the wheel apart to get it out. I now suspect the seal may be pulled into the knuckle enough to keep the grease in place and clean. Hope so as I don't intend to use rope on the other wheel.

For clarification, the Ford manual says to install the spacer, bearings, and seals into the knuckle before pressing the wheel together. That way you can make sure the two seals are properly inserted into the knuckle.

[rcottle]

Does anyone have any pictures of this process?

[denguy]

Just curious about why you changed the front wheel bearings. What was going on?

[boydg1]

"ditto"
.

Just curious about why you changed the front wheel bearings. What was going on?

[WmWatt]

Denguy: I am building a pair of replacement wheels for the car from a rusty set I got at a junk yard. It's cheaper and more interesting than paying someone to do it. I only have the one car so continue driving it until ready to put on rebuilt wheels. I'm takign my time. I am taking photos and plan to post eventually. I don't have anywhere but Facebook to post photos now. Will have to learn how to use Flikr or Photobucket.

BTW the bearings I got from Canadian Tire (he said they were SKF but are National from China and not Cdn Tire's economy line, God only knows what they are) were good on one wheel but the other one won't turn so I've made an extra shim from the lid off a tin can and will press knuckle on again tomorrow to see if it will turn.

[nitrofarm]

Denguy: but the other one won't turn so I've made an extra shim from the lid off a tin can and will press knuckle on again tomorrow to see if it will turn.

You made the shim to go in conjunction with the original shim?

[WmWatt]

nitrofarm: Yes, that's correct. I put the original preload spacer back on the hub and added the spacer/shim I made from a tin can. Pulled the knuckle onto the hub again and now the wheel turns but not as freely as the other wheel. I'll have to pull the wheel apart again and add another shim or remove the bearings and races and try and exchange them for SKF (Mexico) or NSK (Japan). The bearings I got from Cdn Tire are National brand (China). Decisions, decisions.

[nitrofarm]

nitrofarm: Yes, that's correct. I put the original preload spacer back on the hub and added the spacer/shim I made from a tin can. Pulled the knuckle onto the hub again and now the wheel turns but not as freely as the other wheel. I'll have to pull the wheel apart again and add another shim or remove the bearings and races and try and exchange them for SKF (Mexico) or NSK (Japan). The bearings I got from Cdn Tire are National brand (China). Decisions, decisions.

You can get the spacers at KIA.

[js_og]

Btw WmWatt, if you ever do that again, get the Timken SET11. I was told many times Timken has same quality as SKF but almost half the price. I personally bought the same ones you got but cannot comment on the quality of National-China bearings since they were put in in a non-conventional matter.