TheSamba.com :: View topic - Rear outer bearings

Tue May 01, 2018 1:47 pm

Trying to get the outer bearing off my '77. Does it pull out of the race and hub? It doesn't seem to want to come out and I don't want to force it. Manual doesn't say anything about a circlip holding it in...

Tue May 01, 2018 1:52 pm

Loosen axle nut while wheel is on the ground - both sides if both are coming off
Remove CV joints
Use a block of hardwood or LEAD hammer to drive the axle out to the inside
Remove nut and finish removing axle
You can now remove the inner outer bearing
Pull the outer bearing race
Remove the spacer
Remove the inner bearing circlip
Remove the inner bearing

Remove the axle seals when appropriate. Usually before the bearing comes out.

Use brass tools and drifts if you are going to hit anything. If you use lead which is softer, pieces of the hammer may get lodged in the bearings so clean well if you plan on using them after inspecting everything.

Tue May 01, 2018 1:57 pm

Wow, thanks for the quick response SGKent.

I'm just doing a brake-job and cleaning up the backing plates as well. I thought I might be able to just pull the outer bearing out (without the race) and repack it and save the inner for another day. Is this impossible to do, without the instruction you provided?

Tue May 01, 2018 2:15 pm

For a repack you can leave the outer race in the hub, but the axle has to come out so why not do the inner as well?

Tue May 01, 2018 2:53 pm

Argh, every time I listen to you guys and pull things apart, I find something I don't want to see... :shock: :wink:

So, following SGKent's instructions, can I unbolt the whole housing after the shaft is out to clean? Anything I need to know before I do?

Tue May 01, 2018 3:08 pm

stop. You donot need to remove the whole axle housing. Why would you do that? If you go to remove it, it must be marked/reinstalled in the exact same spot or you will have to do rear wheel alignment. Do you have a Bentley manual?

In the photo below all I would need to do to get to the bearings is pop the seals out., then slide the outer inner race out, then the outer outer race and rollers or simply clean them, the spacer, then the inner circlip and inner bearing. Clean and reinstall or replace. FYI - your out bearing may be better than many of the replacements these days. Don't replace the backing plates if you can avoid it because the new ones need the new spacers which are longer than the old ones.

Tue May 01, 2018 3:22 pm

Ok, leave the housing in, but the axle still has to be removed to pull the bearings, correct?

My back-plate is sitting in CLR as we speak. There are a few small pin holes that I'm going to get welded up before I paint, reinstall.

Tue May 01, 2018 3:31 pm

Goach2 wrote: Ok, leave the housing in, but the axle still has to be removed to pull the bearings, correct?.
Correct, also an ideal time to repack the CV joints since they are already out.

Tue May 01, 2018 3:36 pm

The axle has to be removed to pull the inner seal as the seal is hidden behind the stub axle's flange. The stub does not necessarily need to be removed to pull the outer seal.

Because of bearing fragility, if there is no evidence of galling, why not just needle in grease between the balls on the ball bearing, the rollers on the roller bearing, and in the housing?

Tue May 01, 2018 3:40 pm

klcarrie wrote: The axle has to be removed to pull the inner seal as the seal is hidden behind the stub axle's flange. The stub does not necessarily need to be removed to pull the outer seal.

Because of bearing fragility, if there is no evidence of galling, why not just needle in grease between the balls on the ball bearing, the rollers on the roller bearing, and in the housing?

you can do that. Just don't remove the axle housing because it will affect wheel alignment if it goes back any different. Do you know how to hand pack grease into a bearing? you can do the same kind of thing on the rollers with your fingertips. Clean hands

Tue May 01, 2018 5:39 pm

I can hand-pack, or I have a packing tool for those that come out. So I remove the inner bearing without much trouble, but the outer should stay in the housing? I don't want to punch anything out, just clean and pack.

Tue May 01, 2018 5:58 pm

outer inner is a race that slides out. Rollers are on the outside part that stays in. Drive the outer outer with rollers out & you may damage the outer.

Inner whole bearing can be removed with a few light taps all the way around once the snap ring is removed and packed by hand or with a tool. You can use your fingers together with grease on them to hand pack both the bearings without disturbing things too much. Getting the old grease out of the hub is challenging that way though.

Inner bearings on CV side

Tue May 01, 2018 7:39 pm

Ya, so I may have just stripped one of the drive shaft bolts with the hex heads... Can these be easily replaced? Argh, figures.

Tue May 01, 2018 9:51 pm

Are you absolutely sure they are hex heads?, most are a triple square (looks like torx, but not), you'll need a bit from the "help" or Lisle display at your FLAPS. Clean each one out completely with a dental pick and brake kleen before attempting removal, they should be tighter than a bulls ass at fly time.

The stripped one may co operate with the correct bit, if not real Vise grips (not the Taiwan facimiles) usually work, a few hard whacks with a hammer square on the head first also improves thier attitude. New bolts are available, don't cheap out, they do alot of hard work, you want the good ones.

Wed May 02, 2018 8:35 pm

Had to use a bolt remover to get the one out of the shaft, so will be looking to replace it, unfortunately. After the stub was removed, the inner 'outer bearing' sleeve came out, as well as the spacer behind it. Sounds like the outer bearing should stay in the hub and get cleaned/greased, but the inner will come out after the circlip is removed. Make sense so far?

Wed May 02, 2018 8:38 pm

The inner race of the outer bearing is loose and comes out easily, try to remebber which end faced out if it's not obvious. So far it all sounds good, clean everything well and repack, follow the instructions in your Bentley for reassembly.