Wheel hub bearing puller

londoncommuter

I'm due to swap the dodgy bearings on my front Fulcrum Racing Sport DB wheel this weekend and was pondering a makeshift bearing puller. I guess there's not a lot of need as I could knock out with a hammer and drift but there is a slim chance the bearings are fine so if I could get them out without wrecking them then all the better. No bad thing if I keep my hub shell nice and undamaged as well.

Not worth buying a proper tool but I've seen mention of using wall anchors. Would this do the trick:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/easyfix-shie ... pack/4516g


The bearing is 18/30/7 ID/OD/width.

Is it the right width to pass through the inner?
Is the washer on the top sufficiently wide to not pass through the inner?
Is there enough room behind the bearing for the expandable bit to expand (length and width in the hub)?
Will knocking this out with a drift actually save the bearing much grief?

New to this completely so don't worry about abuse if I've got the wrong end of the stick.

Would be a bonus if I could also use it for other bearings in the future so is this size still right for those with smaller ID?

Many thanks

sungod

if you have to apply any significant impact to the inner race it's likely that the bearing will be damaged

if you can remove the outer seal of a bearing you can see if it looks corroded, if it looks ok use a solvent spray to flush out old grease, then you can feel for any roughness as you rotate it, if it's smooth, squish some grease in and put back the seal, if it's rough knock it out and replace

drlodge

Knock the old bearings out and replace with new bearings. Bearings are cheap enough.

3wheeler

I don't think this method or knocking it out with a drift would leave you with a bearing worth putting back in. If you go to the effort of taking the old one out, put a new one in.

drlodge

£6.75 each here http://www.airevelobearings.com/product ... el+bearing

bondurant

On a similar note can anyone recommend a well-priced, reliable universal hub bearing press?

londoncommuter

Thanks everyone and it's a fair point that they're probably not worth saving (BTW cheaper at Tweeks at £5). Always fun to learn new maintenance tricks but I guess it's not worth the effort here.

Complete aside but cheap Fulcrum/Campag wheels are so shoddy. These are around a year old, have done maybe 2,500 miles and have hardly even gotten wet. No degreaser/pressure washer has been anywhere near them. They've been wobbly for months as well so even this is a huge over estimate. The fact they're a slightly unusual size and £5 rather than £2 a bearing just adds insult to injury.

ugo.santalucia

It seems to me you are trying to solve a problem without actually knowing what the problem is. Once you remove the hub cap, it will be pretty obvious if the bearing needs replacement or not. When they are not smooth, or even worse when they have vertical play, they are shot. Lateral play can be due to other reasons, which might involve hub caps not being closed/locked/screwed correctly

londoncommuter

ugo.santalucia wrote:

It seems to me you are trying to solve a problem without actually knowing what the problem is. Once you remove the hub cap, it will be pretty obvious if the bearing needs replacement or not. When they are not smooth, or even worse when they have vertical play, they are shot. Lateral play can be due to other reasons, which might involve hub caps not being closed/locked/screwed correctly

It's my first time with discs and they've rubbed from day 1 and no amount of straightening the calipers has eliminated it without it coming back. I tightened the hub pre-load collar as much as you can but this never completely get rid of the side to side play in the wheel which I think caused the rubbing.

It's now got a lot worse. Other than bearings what could it be?

I guess that's why I kind of started this thread as if there was a chance the bearings aren't to blame it would have been good not to trash them.

ugo.santalucia

I never looked at bearings as a possible cause of disc rub... typically it is the caliper that slighlty moves, regardless of how tight you bolt it. The side by side play should disappear once you are on the bike, might just be there when there is no load.

When bearings are worn, they feel rough... if you turn the axle and it is smooth, then it's not a bearing problem

svetty

londoncommuter wrote:

I tightened the hub pre-load collar as much as you can but this never completely get rid of the side to side play in the wheel which I think caused the rubbing.

If you added too much pre-load this will be why the bearings have failed prematurely.

londoncommuter

A not overly exciting follow up but slightly rough bearings replaced, pre-load collar snug but not too tight, pads prised apart and calipers re-centered. No wheel wobble or brake rub to report. Fingers crossed that's cracked it.