Ball Bearing Removal

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Tozguy

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A couple of bearings (6003RS) in a gear hub feel rough so I decided to change them out. In the past I have always been able to get single ball bearings removed using pullers. This is the first time that requires pulling two bearings out together. My puller uses a single 1/2-NF bolt but the bearings don't budge. If I had a hydraulic press that would be my plan B but unfortunately I don't have a press of any kind.

If you have any suggestions for me I am all ears. Ultimately I am ready to ask a shop with a million ton press :) and pay them to remove the bearings but would like to know if I am missing something first.
 
Is it a blind hole? Or can you make it a blind hole by clamping the hub down to your bench?

If so, then shove some bread down the hole, and pack it in with a very close fitting drift rod. Keep adding more bread and tapping it down with the drift and a small hammer, and it will force your bearings out.

Lee

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Worse case, pull the rubber seals with a knife blade, remove the ball cage and the inner race can be removed when all of the balls are together, this is the opposite of how they are assembled when manufactured.

Use a die grinder to create 2 grooves 180° apart in the outer race just shy of the bore diameter, at this point the outer race will easily break into 2 parts.
 
if you can put the assembly into a 250*F oven, the bearings may fall out with a breath
 
leeko, stop it, you are making me hungry! :)

doc, I'm gonna put tension on the bearings with the puller and bake at 250 deg. for 20 mins. Gotta wait till I'm alone at home though or I might not survive the adventure.

Wreck, if it comes down to the destruction option, my first option would be to touch the bearing races with an arc welder electrode. Last time I did that the races just evaporated.

Thanks for the help folks, will let you know how it turns out, Mike
 
Mike,

A quick and dirty substitute for a press is just a vise......think of it as a sideways press.
I often use sockets as both the pusher and the receiving tube since they are already available and come in so many sizes....but only when forces aren't enough to shatter them.
Black impact sockets are unlikely to shatter.

The question is whether that gear is too big of diameter or the vise jaws are not deep enough.

It is hard to tell if there is a flange between the two bearings, is there a gap between them in the picture?
If so, then they cannot be simply pushed thru, each needs to be pulled from it's own side.

-brino
 
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Seriously, try the bread trick. It works a charm

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Brino, it is hard to see if there is a shoulder between the bushings. I don't like being in the dark about that and I don't want to risk damaging the gear. Once I have the new bearings on hand, I think that it would be wisest to just destroy the old bearings in place.

leeko, I understand the principal of the bread trick. Its a good idea but there is no blind hole on this part. I can get a good grip on the bearing with my puller and torque it plenty but there is something unusual going on that has me baffled.
 
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