Stuck bearings

Northern Tim · 19 February 2006, 19:01

It seems to be the day for things gettin stuck!

I'm trying to change the bearings on my trailer (unbraked) for the first time. I've not had the boat long, and decided that as a winter treat, I'd overhaul the trailer (which was secondhand) including new bearings.

Part of the inner bearing is stuck on the axle. The bearing has actually separated, leaving just it's outer casing firmly attached to the axle. It's the bit in the red box in the pictures. You can see the replacement bearings on the floor next to the axle, on the picture without the bricks!

I've tried hitting it from behind, all round. I've tried WD40. I've tried a kind of corkscrew gadget to drag it off. I've even tried to hacksaw through it.

I'm beginning to wish I'd just paid the guy £70 to do it for me!
Any thoughts/ideas would be gratefully received.

Thanks,
Tim.

Paul F · 19 February 2006, 19:16

First of all clean shaft up so its easier to get off when it does release.
Put a 3 leg puller on it.
If it dont shift put some heat on it then try again with pullers
It will give,rarely do we have to grind them off
Paul

yoyo · 19 February 2006, 20:18

I had to grind one of last year for the brother in law.
Gently does it with a small angle grinder. Two separate grinds is best making sure you don’t grind the shaft if at all possible . It should then "ping" off with a sharp rap from the hammer & chisel. Dont forget your goggles!

Nos4r2 · 19 February 2006, 20:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by yoyo

I had to grind one of last year for the brother in law.
Gently does it with a small angle grinder. Two separate grinds is best making sure you don’t grind the shaft if at all possible . It should then "ping" off with a sharp rap from the hammer & chisel. Dont forget your goggles!

Yep.... use the thinnest cutting disc you can as well-I get mine from a welding suppliers and they are only about 2mm thick. That way if you do inadvertently grind the shaft it limits the damage. The thin ones cut much cleaner too.

Ian Sharlot · 19 February 2006, 20:32

I'd heat it up (the bearing), It should expend and come off with little problem, if you can.

Swifty · 19 February 2006, 21:05

See its not just me...

Seems heat is the wonder cure all at the moment. Personally I would gring it off, done it before, would do it again.

ATB
Tim'mers.

Downhilldai · 20 February 2006, 00:41

I have had reason to reach for the cheese wrench (Stillson) to remove seized inner bearing races. Once you get it turning, it should pop off with a bit of gentle persuasion from a hammer and punch from behind (or a three legged puller if you want to be posh!)

andy9466 · 20 February 2006, 00:50

hi
had the same prob many times, a good sharp chisel will split the old race to make it easy to get off .

andy

jwalker · 20 February 2006, 11:04

Yer reckon?

jwalker · 20 February 2006, 11:06

Get out the angle grinder and be done with it. Five minutes work, max.

Simon B · 20 February 2006, 11:24

If you are bit nervous using the grinder here's a reasonable way of doing it;

With suitable protecion,
Get one of the already mentioned slitting discs (welding suppliers do them)
Cut part way through the stuck race in line with the axis of the axle and bearing race.
Next get an assistant to either support race and axle with something imovable and hard like a dolly on blocks of wood
or
Get them to wedge a hammer underneath it (not the safest of ideas)
Then use a sharp cold chisel in the groove and hit it with another hammer it should shatter, however, if heat has been applied up to cherry red then you may have annealed it so it could take a bit more of a whacking to crack it.

Hugh Jardon · 20 February 2006, 11:29

i guess some people just dont use big enough hammers these days

Mark Halliday · 20 February 2006, 14:05

The proper tool is one of these. A bearing splitter. You tighten it behind the bearing and then use a 2 arm puller to heave it off.

A good hire shop should have on the right size.

Simon B · 21 February 2006, 18:08

Quite correct, however, I've seen pullers jump right of at the worst time when you've wound up a right load into them, they also need to be bought and can be quite expensive (usually the best quality that actually work)

Northern Tim · 22 February 2006, 21:44

Thanks for all the advice guys. I've already tried the pullers, so heat next!
Just need to find a friendly neighbour to nick a heat gun from.

I'll give it a crack at weekend - when I've caught up on sleep.
Tim