2003 AWD Front Bearing removal

[blacknome]

I spent the better part of 2 hours tonight trying to get the bearing out of the hub using:
- blunt force ( hammer )
- I put 2 of the 3 bolts back in ( leaving 1\2" ) and tried blunt force from the back side
- then I broke out the oxy aceteline and heated up the hub and whacking it on the bolt heads from the backside

The caliper, caliper bracket, and halfshaft have been disconnected. The unit has some surface rust but with only 120 thousand kms I did not think it would be rusted on.

Do I need to remove the spindle and get it out with a press ?? I really hope not as I need my van this week to do a couple of deliveries

[LiftedAWDAstro]

Removing the axle nut and the 3 mounting bolts on the backside along with the caliper, bracket and rotor should be all you need to do. Spray a whole bunch of PB Blaster or other rust penetrant around the hub. If you have access to an air chisel, use it to break the rust free. I had to do this on my truck a month ago and after 4 hours of beating it to death, the hub bearing came out and was nothing but rust.

Here is what a 98's hub bearing looks like when out...



You can see there will be quite a bit of rust around the mating surface. It is a very tight machined hole for the hub to fit in. The bolts are only there to hold the hub in, not support the weight.



Once you do get it off, clean the rust out real good and never seize the crap out of them!

[blacknome]

I had soaked it down last night and again this morning with some penetrant and hopefully some time this weekend I will get a chance to take another kick at it.

I was wondering..... what if I put the bolts back in a little less than finger tight and drive the van around the block a few times. I wonder if the weight of the van would help work things loose ? Either way it will be Sunday before I get get a minute to tackle it again.

[rlsllc]

I'm surprised the torch didn't work. I have had great luck with mine. Heat the hub and spindle decently hot (not too hot), let it completely cool, then just heat the spindle, not the hub, and see if that works. Try to heat with a hot flame so it heats fast and the heat doesn't soak into the hub as much.

I always have the garden hose handy when using the smoke wrench.

I have also put the bolts in loose, put the wheel on, and kicked the crap out of the tire. Uses leverage, and is very theraputic. You can pull and pry on the tire easier, also.

You can let the van down on the wheel and rock it, but I've never had luck with that method.

[blacknome]

check this out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4pygRExlus

I think that I could make one of these in about 15 mins with scrap steel. I have a 4' length of heavy steel square tubing to weld on a peice of 4" angle.

[LiftedAWDAstro]

Give it a try and post some pics!

[blacknome]

the hubuster did not go very well at all. I had some heavy steel plate welded to a 4' length of 2.5" heavy box tubing from work. I hit it with the sledge and I jumped on it to no avail.

All of this while under a tarp stretched accross the top of the van and tied to the neighbors bushes while it was raining like a sumbich ! Finally ended up pounding it out with my good heavy hammer and 3 chisels but I got it out. Took me about 3 hours ( including an oil change LOL ).

Well now that the bearing is back in I notice that there is still a bunch of slop in the front end. Looks like both stablizer/pitman arms have some play as do both the inner tie rod ends. Can't complain though as this is year 3 with the van and all I have done to it previous to the bearing is a tune-up. All in all I am still under the $500.00 per year budget I set of each of the vehicles to keep them on the road.