Harbor Freight Hub Puller
 

Anyone ever used the Harbor Freight hub pullers to pull the rear hubs on a 123? Just found out my driver's rear wheel bearing needs replacement. It's wobbles really bad. But I'll need a hub puller to get the job done. Here is what I was thinking of getting.

Harbor Freight Three-Jaw Puller Set

Plenty of parts stores have hub pullers in their free loaner tool line-up.

I can't see how a puller like that will work.

The hubs on the W123 are hollow tubes. You need to have some sort of reaction against the pulling of the hub up against the trailing arm. A puller like that could work if you could build a bridge at the front and around the hub and onto the trailing arm - but you'd need a huge 3 legged puller like that to fit round it all.

You probably don't want to do this but I made one out of wood (!)...

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/277341-w123-rear-wheel-bearing-removal-help-needed-2.html

There's a slightly better metal version that does the same and more shown here

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/general-information/239902-home-made-special-tools-where-members-can-share-how-they-made-special-tools.html

You need a slide hammer with adapters to fit the lug bolts. You'll also need the special socket to remove the retaining nut. You absolutely do not want to damage the threads on that axle.

Answer
 

Like this.
17 Piece Heavy Duty Slide Hammer Kit



.

As stated you do want to remove the Nut with the Special Tool from the inner side of the Rear Hub.
You don't want to try to Punch the Hub out from the inside as the walls of the Hub are thin and a new Hub is $300+.

The large Slide Hammer that Harbor Freight Sells and you can get as a free renatal from Autozone will not work either.

What worked for me is what I have read in the DIY section on removing the Rear Hub is to put an old Brake Rotor on backwards and beat on the Rotor, rotate it to a new position and beat and repeat until done.
If you do not have a used Brake Rotor there might be someone in your Area that has a worn one to give up or go to the Junk Yard.

Beating the Hub out and using a Slide Hammer both damage the Bearings.

I manged to hook something to the Hub so I could attach My Slide Hammer and found that the 5 pound weight/hammer was not enough; and used the Brake Rotor instead.

Read up in the DIYs on how to remove the Bearing Race that is going to still Be on the Hub and how the Bearing End Play is adjusted.

DIY Repair Links
DIY Links by Parts Category - PeachParts Mercedes ShopForum

PeachPartsWiki: Do It Yourself Articles - Mercedes Vehicles

I removed one of mine with the slide hammer and the bearings were fine. Using an old rotor is doing the same thing. IIRC, the FSM shows the use of a slide hammer to remove the axle. I chucked the hub (and bearing) in the lathe and polished them to make assembly a little easier. The axle was a very tight fit on the inner bearing.

I forgot to mention that $25 for that bunch of Gear Pullers is a good price. If you used any of them 1 or 2 time to accomplice something that would pay for them.

I thought it was the Sleeve that gets crushed to adjusts the Bearing clearance that was tight?

Yes. The sleeve does not retain the axle, it merely spaces the bearings. If the OP is lucky, he might be able to use the original sleeve with new bearings, and spare the effort and trial and error of crushing a new sleeve to get the proper end play on the bearings.

FYI
 

The crush - preload is different for every bearing install = It requires a NEW sleeve each time it is assembled.

Rear wheel bearing preload CRUSH spacer
MB# 1153530142
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-parts-reference-library/190218-1153530142-rear-wheel-bearing-crush-spacer.html

This is the FSM rear axle bearing data, look at step# 22.
This link may require internet explorer to load.
http://www.startekinfo.com/StarTek/outside/12265/disc_2/program/Chassis/35-130.pdf

This is the free from MB W123 FSM.
This link may require internet explorer to load.
Untitled Document


.

^^^^ indeed the "crush" sleeve is part of the fun - you need to deform a new one - this is part of the locking mechanism (which from what I can make out is tightness); if you fit an old one not only will you end up getting the bearing clearance wrong but you'll probably find that the hub comes loose.

You need strong arms and a strong back and a long grolly bar to get these buggers adjusted at the correct clearance.

You and whunter are of course, correct. Bearings are made to a standard dimension. New bearings should match the old bearings exactly. It might be worthwhile to try the old sleeve (provided it's not damaged), and see if you can get the proper end play with everything tightened up. If the bearings are too tight, then you need to use the new sleeve. If they're loose, you need only crush the old sleeve a little more.

Unfortunately it doesn't work like that. The amount of lateral play in the bearings (as in the direction of the hub moving inwards and outwards towards the differential) is controlled by the amount of "crush" on the sleeve. You have but one opportunity to get it right - if you over tighten it then you need to start again.

The locking on this hub design is a strange one. Take a look at it (if you want!) - there is only positive locking between the nut and the hub there is no positive locking with the trailing arm => it looks to me like it all holds together because it is so super tight and that's because you are deforming the crush sleeve when you install it. If it isn't tight enough then it will probably start to come loose - which I guess by most standards is considered to be dangerous!

I disagree. What's the difference between crushing a new sleeve and crushing a used sleeve to the same dimension? I recently had one of mine apart to lube the bearings. I returned the lock nut to its original location, as I re-used the original bearings. The purpose of the sleeve is to establish a minimum distance between the inner races while still being able to make the retaining nut tight enough that it won't come loose. Without the sleeve, you couldn't do this- the bearings would be so tight they wouldn't turn.

I also believe that is part of the reason it takes the large amount of effort as it does to get the Hub off.

The Crimped Collar helps holds the inner Bearing against the Nut.

I have not read of one Hub/Bearing failure that anyone has said has been caused by following the Mercedes Service Manual Instructions that required you to replace the Crimping Collar and use a Dial Indicator to set the Clarence/enc play.