Hub/Rotor Removal

[TSielski]

Trying to get the hub/rotor off my 95 4x4 to replace ball joints seems like mission impossible. Spindle nut came off relatively easy, as did the 4 12pt bolts that hold the rotor to the knuckle. Bathed everything in liquid wrench, used some longer 14mm-1. 5 bolts in place of the stockers on the back, and have wailed on them to no effect. Hub/rotor seems rust-welded to the knuckle. The stub-axle moves freely in and out of the bearing, so that isn't the problem. Have a large 2-jaw, bar puller, but it grabs the rotor and am leery of cranking on it. Would using a slide-hammer 3 jaw puller acting on the flange behind the lug studs be useful? If the bearing separates as the assembly comes off, how does one get the remainer of the bearing out of the knuckle. With the stub axle still in place there isn't much room to work. Hoping the wealth of experience out there can suggest something I've missed. Hate to button it up and take the truck to hammer mechanic central (dealer).

 

[BigYellowIron]

I used a large 3 jaw puller, grabed the rotor kinda where the studs are on that lip. put the center bolt on the puller on the end of the stub axle. i ran that in with the 1/2 inch ingersoll rand impact and it still would not move. with the pressure still on the puller, i hit the end of the center puller bolt with a big hammer, tighen it, hit it, tighen it, hit it, ect. then it just fell off like it was not even stuck. ,

Just don't hook the puller on the rotor it self or beat on the rotor.



Adam

 

[HEMI®Dart]

I had to do what BigYellowiron did. I used a big 3 jaw puller I had to rent. I had to put a lot of torque on it to pop the hub bearing off the axle shaft. Give the axle a few hits with a hammer when you are using the puller. I have never had a bearing come apart. I have read in the forums that they can be put back to together and work fine.

 

[bighammer]

Used a 3 jaw puller on mine, too. My bearing separated, leaving the inside half still stuck. With the hub & rotor out of the way, I got the liquid wrench where it needed to go and pried it away.



I cleaned up the bearing and managed to press the whole mess back together with some new grease inside. All is well so far.



A lot of work all because of the lack of a grease zerk on a (factory) U-joint

 

[Jeff Knight]

I used a brass drift and hammered on the stock bolts. It took some time but they came off. I used anti-seize on them when I put them back together. They came right off the second time I had my front end apart. Hop this helps. Jeff

 

[td96ram]

I ALSO RENTED A SNAP ON 3 ARM PULLER THAT BOLTS TO YOUR WHEEL STUDS AND PRESSES ON THE STUB SHAFT,BOTH SIDES HAD THE HUB SEPERATE FROM THE ROTOR BUT I CLEANED THEM UP GREASED THEM AND PRESSED THEM BACK TOGETHER AND THEY SEEM OK SO FAR!!!!!!

 

[TSielski]

Thanks for your suggestions guys. Did rent a large 3-jaw puller and attacked the hub/rotor as BigYellow Iron suggested. Torqued the devil out of that thing, alternately using a bfh on the center screw. No Joy. In fact broke the puller (while torquing with a breaker bar, not hammering), which I now have to re-imburse the rental shop for. Hate it when that heppens. Time to get serious, it's personal now. Going to fabricate a Paul Bunyan slide puller using some 3/4" cold rolled plate, that I will cut into a doughnut, drill for all eight lug studs, and weld/gusset a 4' length of 2" steel pipe perfectly centered on it. Bolt that monster to the lugs, and with about a 10 pound slide weight, two handled, smacking into a stop welded on the end, that hub will come out, or the bearing will separate, but it's gonna move! A lot of fabrication, but it beats $65/hr shop rates, for what would be approx a 12+ hr job to replace all 4 ball joints and the steering u-joints.

 

[BigYellowIron]

Did you use an impact on the puller? When something requires so much torque to pull it is better to use a impact so that it won't torque the puller sideways. when you have a force on the puller other than stright they will slip or they will break. there is just something about the vibration of the impact that works miracals.

Just my thoughts

Adam

 

[TSielski]

Yes I did. Ran the center screw all the way in using a Snap-On 1/2 dr impact wrench until the screw would turn no more. After a few smacks with the hammer, screw did not turn using the impact, so went to the breaker-bar, which would move the screw a bit. Assembly did not appear to be gaining any angle. Maybe it was enough to cause the brekage, but too slight to notice? Don't know. Perhaps should have continued to work the impact. Moot now. Nothing lost but some time and some $$ for the rented puller. When I get the truck to my brothers shop, the cute little slide puller we will make should get the job done.

 

[Smoker]

For those that have pulled the bearing apart, keep an eye on it ever so often. If you ruin the seal on the bearing, the grease will run out. Also, keep an eye on the spindle nut and make sure it is tight. I pulled my bearing apart when I had to get a rotor turned. I greased it up and pressed it back together. Well something went wrong with my 4wd the other day. I jacked the front of my truck up and the wheel fell in about 3 inches. When under a load in 4wd, the wheel would work out so much that the axle would barely be in the front carrier. Just jack your truck up so often and check the bearing and nut. Just a little bit of extra protection.

 

[RON'S RAM]

A tire shop in my area, who also does front end work, told me that he'd used a big slide hammer adapted to the wheel lugs. He keeps the nut on for the wheel bearing so he does not pull the bearing apart He said the other way is to hit each bolt from behind the spindle with a BIGGGG hammer, as hard as possible, using new bolts for reassembly. That's the way I finally got mine apart. First side, I devised a puller and seperated the wheel bearing. (oops)

 

[danandamy]

Not being a smarta$$ or anything..

... but just knowing how sometimes one overlooks something that makes you smack your head and go Doh! You did swing the brake caliper out of the way, right? When I took mine loose not long ago popped right off when I figured out to take the four bolts off the back.

 

[TSielski]

Being polite, of course. Darn thing is rust welded to the hub. 5 years of winter salted roads coupled with a crappy design (thank you DC, how much $$ did you save in manufacture using this POS hub design?)has had their effect. From the responses, it looks as though those in areas where salt is not used, or used very infrequently, generally had their hubs come off easier. Its going to come off, just need the right persuasion.