Spindle Bearing Removal (Inside Spindle)..

[Greggsr219]

Spindle bearing removal on a 77 CJ7 , with drum brakes....I had some vibration in the front end, so started rebuilding it...I've taken this jeep one section at at time..bearings are relatively cheap..and since I had it down I decided to change them all out including the ball joints.The bearing inside the spindle according to (Haynes Manual)..calls for it to be pressed out...surely someone has found a way to get the bearing out without a hydraulic press. Need some successful ideas....

 

[Hedgehog]

Are your bearings bad? Clean-em up (degrease) and check. If they are good leave them alone. Mine had definite flat spots on the bearings (Torrington bearing) or the bearings were crooked and missing.

I've done it a couple ways. First a modified screw driver with the end blunted and bent or curled in a bit. Place the spindle in a vice with the outside up. The end of the bearing has a gap between the bearing and the spindle. Stick the curled end of the screw driver in the gap and drive the bearing out. The other way is to use a clutch pilot bearing puller and pull it in the same way you would a pilot bearing.

Resetting the new bearing doesn't require a press. Find the right size socket and set the bearing with a hammer or draw them in place with a long bolt and some washers.

 

[Old Dog]

I use a bearing puller.

 

[Torxhead]

For a front end vibration, the first thing I would look at is the wheel tightness, then wheel bearing condition, wheel balance, and alignment. Hedge and Old Dog have good methods for pulling out the spindle bearings.

 

[Greggsr219]

Thanks for the info....I've replaced the inner and outer hub bearings (one race was getting rough) and the u-joint on the axle..(Which were shot)...the bearing inside the spindle appears to be fine. No missing needle bearings, no flat spots so I may just leave it alone. It's just that I have it all the way down and hate to not replace it while I have it apart. Maybe I'll flip a coin. I have a race and seal install tool, but not a puller. I have several other pullers but not one that small that pulls from the I.D. I even thought of trying to push it out from the back by using my steering wheel puller. I'm afraid I'll end up with a mess that I never needed to have and then have to pull it. I'm going to grease it up, place it back over my axle and see how it spins..if it spins freely...it stays. Thanks again...

 

[DHugg]

This is a help to me........... I am exactly at the point of front-end rebuild after starting at the back axle.

Thanks for bringing up this topic.

 

[Hedgehog]

Remember, the only time this bearing spins is when you are in 4wd. When in 2wd it just sits there doing nothing. Lazy darned bearing. Even bad ones don't seem to harm much, but it's always good to do the job right if you can. In my opinion you have done the job right.