wheel bearings

[lake]

Do I need a puller to remove and replace the rear wheel bearings

[skyjeep50]

To remove the bearings themselves you do not need a puller, the challenge is to remove the hubs from the tapered axles so that you can get to the bearings. Some are stuck tight and the proper puller and technique is absolutely needed. On my M38, one of the hubs came off in my hand, the other needed encouragement - I used a slide hammer but a puller would have been a better tool. According to other posts I've read here, my "stuck" hub came off pretty easy with a few taps. Good luck with yours!

[wesk]

If the hubs are installed correctly and the nut properly torqued to the correct value then you will need the correct type puller. Using claw type pullers on the rim of the brake drum will bend the drums. The correct tool is priced under $90 and is readily available at most tool rentals so there is not any good reason for not using the correct tool.

[skyjeep50]

Wes is right, the puller is the right tool. My hubs were not installed correctly by the PO so were probably looser than they should have been. You can remove the brake drum from the hub by backing out the 3 flat head screws - that will give you access to the brake shoes, etc. plus the back side of the hub. A little solvent can help loosen the hub and with the tapered axle, applying it from the rear of the hub is more effective.

[idiocrates]

And pay partcularly close attention to Mr. K's picture......see the axle nut still in-place? There's a reason for that. If your hub is good and tight its going to take a lot of tugging to get it off and when it finally comes loose its going to come off the axle with a lot of energy. Without the nut there to stop it you could be dialing 9-1-1 and wishing you'd have never started this little project. Two other things.......grease the bolt on your puller prior to use......and don;t be surprised if it still takes a good sharp rap on the end of the bolt to finally get the hub to break free.

As for taking the drum off and applying solvent to the inside of the hub.....wouldn't have worked on mine. The grease catcher thingy prevents you from being able to get to the inside end of the hub.....and it has a seal in it that would more then likely keep any solvent from ever getting to the axle. I did take my drums off though...just to limit the weight of the hub when it finally broke free....and so I could clean them up and repaint them.

Finally.....once you get the hub off....you do realize you are going to have to "pull" the axle as well....right? The outer axle bearing is held in place by the cup which is driven in from the outside and depending on how tight it fits dictates how much umph is needed to get the axle and pressed-on bearing cone out. I found the simplest thing was to lightly slip the hub back on the axle taper once all the other stuff was removed....screw on the big axle nut....and use the hub like a short stroking slide hammer. Worked well for me.....or I'm just real good at short stroking.....but we won;t go there. Good luck and remember.....safety is no accident!

[captw]

I have pulled the rear axles on mine more than once...first time to replace all the bearings/races, incl. those in diff. and pinion, second time to install Powertrax Lockright locker...I removed brake drums, brake lines at wheel cyls., six 3/8" bolts on each flange, then placed a short stout chain over 2 opposite wheel studs on the flange, with some slack in the chain, and slipped a pry bar through the chain...by popping the bar against the chain, was able to pop the axles out of flanges, then used the three jawed puller to remove the hubs from the axles, on a bench with the diff. end of the axle shaft wrapped in a "pillow" of rags so that it wouldn't shoot like an arrow when the flange came loose...Wilf