replace bearings, races in sets always. it isnt worth saving $5. do it right.

i bet if you can bring the assy inside and let it warm up(oven?), you will be happier. it sucks working on frozen parts. patience is key.

good luck.

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1984 123.193 372,xxx miles, room for Seven.

1999 Dodge Durango Cummins 4BTAA 47RE 5k lb 4x4 getting 25+mpgs, room for Seven.

Take one of the new bearing races with you to a pawn shop and buy a 1/2 drive socket a smidge smaller in outer diameter to use to drive the race in.

That is the cheap way out, and it does work.

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RRGrassi


70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car

13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete.

91 W124 300D Turbo replaced, Pressure W/G actuator installed. 210K

90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K

Actually, wouldn't it be cheaper to drive it in with the old race

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1989 300E 144K

Good idead just grind down the outside of the old race just a bit so it wont get stuck on the bore. Also to drive in a race you should use a brass drift so you cant damage the race. WEAR SAFETY GLASSES! Sometimes stuff flies in the wrong direction. To the best of my knowledge there is no brail version of this site.

Well, I got the inner race out with a large chisel resting on two points of the race as mentioned above. Came out no problem, although I would use a brass chisel if possible since it did ding the hub a little. I never had trouble installing races before, that I can remember anyways, but just in case I put the new races in the freezer as mentioned, and put the rotor/hub inside next to the base heater. I used the old races with a block of wood on them and drove the new ones in with a dead blow hammer. It took only a few good wacks, very easy. I also put the bearings on the base heater before I greased them. This seemed to help with squeezing the grease into the rollers.

I've noticed a lot of talk about setting the bearing on the hub. As mentioned I tightened and loosened the nut a few times as I was spinning the hub both directions. I tightening it maybe 30-40 ft-lbs, I'm not sure. When it came time to set the adjustment nut I noticed that you can hear the pitch of the bearings change as you spin the hub while you tighten the nut. When the bearing is very loose the pitch is low, when the bearing is very tight, the pitch is high. The pitch changes from low to high in maybe a quarter turn of the nut. I would think that a combination of feeling the drag of the bearing and listening to the pitch change you should be able to get the adjustment dialed in perfect. That is of course if you knew what you were listening for. I tightened the nut until the pitch just began to change but it still spun like it was loose. I figured it's not too loose because I could hear it tighten because of the pitch change, and it's not too tight because I couldn't feel any increased drag. I hope I'm close because I know there shouldn't be any preload on it.

BTW, the bearings looked pretty good, but my inner race had a glob of weld exposed on it. That was causing the nasty mud tire noise. So apparently the races can go bad as well.