Bearing Up

"SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media" (silentbutnotreallydeadly) 04/22/2020 at 08:58 • Filed to: Tractorlopnik

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You know when you do a job...and you did such a poor job that you get to do it again?

Only this time with new parts.

It occurred to me whilst doing this job that I have never...ever...replaced a wheel bearing. On anything bigger than a bicycle . I watched a YouTube video weeks ago about it on a more modern Massey Ferguson tractor and thought that looks like a trailer wheel bearing. But until today, when I was using a pin punch to get the new inner race into the old hub, I realised...I’ve never done this before. How does that happen? How do I even know what I’m doing is write...right?

Experience is not just learning by doing...it’s learning by absorbing. I absorbed the fact that I failed the first time in dealing with this because I assumed that a wheel bearing should have the same hydraulic stiffness regardless of its application.

The last time I left this wheel bearing it had the hydraulic stiffness of a bicycle. I’ve done plenty of bicycle hubs of both cup & cone and the sealed bearing variety (the latter is far superior). But it turns out that this is not the correct measure in Tractor World...

When the front tyre rubs on the radius arm over the spindle carrier...the wheel bearing is truly stuffed. So this time I replaced it. The Lad supervised the removal of the concrete filled wheel (that looks heavy) and the grease filled hub (that grease looks yucky and smells like poo) but bailed when I started hitting stuff (it’s boring and you might swear).

Old hub...new race...

No swearing... because hubs are greasy, heavy, messy and...in this case, easy. Two new races, two new bearings, a metric shit tonne of new grease and job’s done. Push it all back on the spindle, do up the castellated nut, fit the split pin, add more grease and install the hub cover...

Wheel spacers are not just for ricers...

Hydraulic stiffness reinstated...now to do the other side...and replace the tie rod ends...and...

Just as aside...the wheel bearings had been there awhile. The one’s I removed were Australian made Timken branded units. They haven’t been made here since the turn of the century...

Almost a heritage item...just like General Motors Holden. Just as worn out too...

66P1800inpieces > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 04/22/2020 at 10:02

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Did the rear bearings on my Volvo 1800 over the weekend. Original 60's bearings made by a company called Bower, USA that is now owned by NTN. They looked good so I cleaned them well, repacked and replaced. I would have changed the inter oil seal (to keep out the diff lube) but didn’t have them handy and at some point I want to have the backing plates for the brakes powder coated.

Also doing the bearings for the Harbor Freight trailer I got from my father in law. He used it to for a little dinghy in salt water and didn’t use marine grease or properly maintain them so they were a bit pitted. That was a couple years ago, I needed to use the trailer so I cleaned and repacked with Moly based greese. Worked great but figured I should spend the $36 on some no name bearings to keep it working. Only using the no-name bearing because it is an odd metric size and no one else really sells them in a kit with the correct grease seal. I almost just bought a new better and more standard Dexter axle for $156 shipped but I don’t use the trailer enough. I also bought two new tires from Home Depot for $55 each free shipping so with tax i’m at about $150 which isn’t bad, but any more on a $450 trailer isn’t really worth it.

I started with a nice puch and some metal chisels to gently take out the races but after the first moved to a little air hammer. Was much easier and I somehow managed to not mar the hub. I ground down the outside of one of the old races and used it to press in the new ones.

Thisismydisplayname > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 04/22/2020 at 10:06

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Failure is a great teacher. I know I’ve got a lot of my education that way. But now we have YouTube videos. I watched the series on my trucks transmission rebuild and figured I’d go for it. Can’t be all that bad right? Well I’ll let you know in a few weeks.  That thing is heavy too.  And to think I was contemplating doing it at home in the driveway because it would be more convenient...  like I said failure is a good teacher, and I’ve learned how much better repairs go when one has a hoist at their disposal.  

facw > Thisismydisplayname 04/22/2020 at 11:26

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I watched a video about replacing the valve body on the S60 and it made me feel like, yeah, maybe I’ll just wait things out and if the transmission fails, I’ll just have to pay someone. Seemed complicated, getting the transmission out requires a bunch of stuff I don’t have, and it seemed easy to make things worse. Also the part supplier they listed there for rebuilt valve bodies seems to no longer exist though I’m sure I could source something looking around enough...

MiniGTI - now with XJ6 > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 04/22/2020 at 11:37

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I replaced the front rotors on my Jaguar last year which also contain the wheel bearings. And after much fear and trepidation — it wasn’t that hard. Messy but not hard. 

Thisismydisplayname > facw 04/22/2020 at 17:04

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I was about 50/50 on weather to rebuild or buy a reman unit.  After watching the video series, I felt confident I can do the rebuild.  And I knew that my trans was at least still working, it was just slipping a bunch.  Some of the remans might not be in the same shape, because really, who preemptively replaces a transmission on a 20 year old truck?  Well besides me?  But I’m weird.