[B10alia]

The Spirit needs new rear wheel bearings on the driver's side (the nylon-cage-made-in-China rubbish on the passenger side was already replaced, good thing too, as the bearing was starting to disintegrate). The FSM seems to think that the races can be removed with a brass drift, while the Haynes manual recommends having the races pressed (which I did last time, but press service is now over $80 for the races at Pep Boys). I know that most drums have provisions for removing races like reliefs in the race seat. Is this the case with the 5-bolt EEK drums/what's the best way to get the races out in a reasonable amount of time? I can't use that nifty welding trick, since I don't have a welder... It looks like you might even be able to get a harmonic balancer puller on the back of the outboard bearing from the cross-section in the manual, but the inboard one doesn't look so easy.

 

[Rickorino]

I have always used a brass drift and never had any problems.

 

[Doug D]

$80? Wow! The last time I had to have the old races pressed out and new ones pressed in for the rear bearings on my '90 Acclaim is was only $25 per drum. I supplied the new wheel bearings & races.

I probably could have removed them with a brass drift, but time was of the essence and I had a local shop do it. Already had the drums removed for the car. I don't trust Pep Boys.

 

[B10alia]

As they say, the fee for repairs is $100- $1 for the hammer blow and $99 for knowing where to hit. Having had no success with a punch last time, where do you hit the races to get them out?

 

[Rickorino]

For the inner, go in from the small end and you can put the drift on the back edge. For the outer go in from the large end and do the same. Put the drift on the edge the the race and pound it in to install the new ones. I always never contact the finished surface of the new race. The brass is so soft compared to the race, I doubt you could damage it. Sometimes the new race fits in too loosely and spins in the drum or rotor. In that case take out the race and put a couple of dimples from a center punch on the surface where the race seats in and reinstall the race. The whole process takes about five minutes.That usually does the trick.

 

[fastfish]

I got mine out with a punch and hammer...had a small engine repair place press the new races in ..cost me $25 for both sides...he said it was beer money*lol*

 

[B10alia]

I guess I'm not really following here... I scanned the diagram from my FSM and marked the spots I was going to try to hit with the arrows. There are little nubs, as you can see. I have no idea, however, how I am going to get that other race out... as you can see, there are no nubs. I think I'm thinking about this wrong... from what I understand, a drift tapers to a dull-ish point, and I don't imagine that it would be fine enough to get in that miniscule gap. I have a piece of thick-wall brass tube that I was going to use instead of buying a punch. I know I could get it on the back of the outer race, but I'm still stumped on the inner...
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