[emsvitil]

2 questions:

1. Will the rear bearing just slide into the brake drum if I put the bearing in the freezer for a couple of hours and heat up the drum ?
(I have a press, but there's not much outer race to push against......)

and what I really need to know

2. The spindle shaft has a rubber(ish) seal on it that rides inside a metal shield that's pressed on the back of hub outside the bearing: (can't find any reference to the shield, good thing I managed to pop it off without harm)

I don't think it should run dry, so what kind of lube should I use?

I have:

anti-seize
synthetic brake grease
High temp wheel bearing grease with molybdenum
multi-purpose grease with molybdenum
white lithium
di-electric
graphite spray


thanks

 

[sailor]

Got an old bearing shell to use with the press if it doesn't go in all the way?

Might need a tap to go in even with oven heated drum & frozen bearing (always greased the bearings before dropping them in when I did this for aluminum cases).

Wheel bearing grease on the shaft/seal IMHO. You want it on the shaft, and it'll get squeezed onto the seal, so one thing works to smear on all.

 

[amc49]

You have to whack it a bit with hammer. The bearing will go in maybe 1/3 to 1/2 and then begin to seize up as temp equalizes and full lockup in maybe 15-20 seconds. meaning the whacking has to happen before that. You must provide for hitting on the OD of bearing and not the inside race AT ALL. Bearing greased on OD and the bore it goes into perfectly cleaned. If quick enough bearing seats with maybe 4-5 whacks but they must get harder toward the end and dangerous to bearing doing so. The inside race can pop out of the other side from the whacking as well and rendering bearing as junk since you can't roll it past the seal like the factory can. So that side must be restrained as well.

If bearing seizes up too solid I back off with the hammer and press the last bit using all thread with washers. Beating in against full lockup will damage the bearing.

I use a fixture made up of proper sized washers to hit OD on topside and holding inner race on other side and held together with like 1/2" all thread.

Done a bunch since coming up with this and no fails yet, in fact can't kill them.

Use the shield if not damaged but not necessary, none at all on my two cars. The bearing itself is the main seal there.

 

[emsvitil]

No whacking at all with a press.


Used a socket to press it in against out race.


Went in easier than it came out.

 

[amc49]

True, but they CAN successfully be put in with hammer, I've done hundreds of bearings not just wheel ones that way and never damage them. All in the technique and being smart enough to know when to put the hammer down.

They all pretty much come out harder than going in.

Press is useless doing the freezer/heat thing. Too slow. As well, the press job for most people is $20 a side, the hammer and 30 seconds..................based on the $20 is a $2400/hr. pay rate. One can pay them or pay oneself. Quickest steak dinner I'll ever make.

 

[bergz0]

i bought the same stub shafts from advance auto last week and they were too fat for the bearing/drum to fit on. i rechecked the new drum/bearing with the old one and it fit right on. maybe they were machined wrong? idk

 

[amc49]

No telling with modern crap Chinese parts...............

 

[ittakesmoxie]

I am replacing the rear drums on a 2004 ford focus LX w/o abs my question is about the metal shields in the original post. Does anyone know the part number for them?


Thanks