Hey guys,



I'm trying to get the bearing race out of the front hubs and was wondering how you guys do it since there isn't much a lip to take them out. Thats on the 5 bolt hubs. Took them in to a machine shop and they said they'd probably cut a couple of slots out and to get a punch behind them. I'd rather not do that and mess up the balance of them. I was thinking it comes down to cutting a slot I can just toss them on the lathe and cut a circular grove all around to atleast maintain balance.



Let me know what you guys do though.



Thanks in advance



Sam

 

Take a dreml and slot in oposite places and use a punch to tap them out. take it slow , the hub can have some material removed along with the bearing and the new race wont fit tight enuff. we had one hub that had the bearing race spin and the hub exploded on car. lucky for us it was under caution during a race so the car was goin slow. they are a bitch to remove.

 

Easiest thing to do is just replace the front rotors/hubs and install new bearing races with a race driver. They aren't that expensive.

 

The hub cuts pretty easy. Slot 'em and drive out the race. You won't hurt the balance. The hubs are aluminum, and this small amount of material is near the center of the rotating mass.



Here's a nice how-to, compliments of mazdatrix:



http://www.mazdatrix.com/faq/frontbrg.htm

 

Sam,



I just got through removing my bearing races ... .

Need to heat the hub and then impact to "rattle" the races loose, then can easily finsh with punch / hammer.

I used an Oxy/Acy torch, heat resistance gloves and a piece of plywoon on a concrete floor. Don't need to heat too hot, but much too hot to bare hand touch. Clean out all the old grease completely. Heat the hub at the outter surface of the bearing race location. As the temperature goes up you should see some grease / grease smoke at the edges of the race, that's residual from when it was initally assembled.

Give the hub a good smack down onto the plywood to shock loose the race ... repeat as needed. I had one race come flooping completely out while I had to finish the other with the punch, which was possible as it had moved away from the inner lip.



a Guy

 

Interesting method ... I might try that out next time but right now I've already grinded off the edges to take them off.

 

sounds like that might be a good way to put em together too. heat hub in the oven, race should go in really easy?

 

Don't forget to put the race in the freezer while the hub is in the oven!

 

I highly doubt the race will change much if any in size by freezing it. Aluminum expands and contracts alot easier than hardened steel.

 

Would that not make it easier?



You can also cut a grove down the side of the race then weld back across it, usually they will break into pieces.