Pressing bearings

[finlay666]

Well I had to get some new discs for my car (was a warning from the last MOT and they aren't in a great state now and I need to check when the MOT is due..) but I got some new discs, I forgot to check if it was a simple fit job and it involves getting the old bearings out, pressing them into the new discs then fitting them on...

But I don't have a hydraulic press to fit them

None of the local garages will fit the discs/pads (as they didnt supply them) so I need a place I can get bearings pressed at a reasonable price (as this is the one part I know I can't do myself, rest of it I have done on previous cars with changing pads/discs)

Any suggestions on the sort of places to look at? Going to see if I can get them to press new bearings in, if I can get them myself all the better (a set works out about £20)

[GoNz0]

find a socket thats about the same size as the bearing, it must fit the outer race so you dont destroy the bearing.

stick the bearings in the freezer overnight and put the disks in the oven and crank it up to at least 150 deg C

get some good gloves (oven mits are ideal)

find some wood to rest the disc on, rest the bearing on the disk, place the socket on top and tap it with a decent lump hammer, it will soon go into place.

unless you have a spring compressor for the shock absorbers, you can usually turn those into a puller with a couple of decent sized sockets!

[bledd]

Keep asking garages until you find one

[Flibb]

Also worth checking agricultural engineers, my local ones also have a general engineering workshop and do small cash jobs.

[jimborae]

Just for interest what car do you have? Not come across bearings being fitted in to the disc before as opposed to the hub.

[dave87]

Fin's got an Audi A4 1.8t iirc

[0iD]

Any local small engineering firms may let you use their fly press if they have one.

[Larkspeed]

find a socket thats about the same size as the bearing, it must fit the outer race so you dont destroy the bearing.

stick the bearings in the freezer overnight and put the disks in the oven and crank it up to at least 150 deg C

get some good gloves (oven mits are ideal)

find some wood to rest the disc on, rest the bearing on the disk, place the socket on top and tap it with a decent lump hammer, it will soon go into place.

unless you have a spring compressor for the shock absorbers, you can usually turn those into a puller with a couple of decent sized sockets!

+1

probably the easiest way to do it

I have pressed bearings like that myself. They go together pretty easy and as soon as everything cools/warms to normals temperatures they are well and truly stuck in place.

My only addition would be unless money is the issue I would not press out old bearings to press them into a new component I would just fit new bearings in the new disks.

[GoNz0]

he did say new bearings are £20 in the opening post so i think thats the plan!

did that myself on the bmw when swapping bearings, but i did rent the bearing kit as its near impossible to do without due to the bearing being held in place with a circlip then pressed onto the trailing arm and needing about an hour with a slide hammer to destroy it or a purpose made puller to rip the inner race out.

the bit with pressing back in with a hot disc and frozen bearing was so good i placed them together and it slipped most of the way in then pulling the bar pushed it all the way in, didnt need to use the rest of the kit to pull the bearing in.

[finlay666]

My only addition would be unless money is the issue I would not press out old bearings to press them into a new component I would just fit new bearings in the new disks.

That is the plan Considering the effort involved (and potential risk for £22) to me it's not worth it, especially considering the cost of the EBC discs, greenstuff pads, bearings and even the rear caliper tool comes to less than parts only at a garage for OE quality parts (looking at £180 ish ATM for the discs, pads, bearings for both wheels & caliper retraction tool)

Just for interest what car do you have? Not come across bearings being fitted in to the disc before as opposed to the hub.

Fin's got an Audi A4 1.8t iirc

Yes, it's a B5 face-lift (given how awkward some of the jobs are you could swear the car was designed by a frenchman!)

When I get round to giving it a good clean on the outside will be sticking it in the show us your motor thread, it's missing a grille at the front still from the bad winter in 2010 (it ate a lot of snow and fell out on a pothole!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWvARnYtW0A
That is the back of the disc with the bearings in the disc ABS reluctor ring in place, got to make sure I don't damage that either or it's an emergency trip to GSF/ECP!

[Sputnik]

With taper bearings like those you can normal tap the outer races out of the hub with a large pin punch just slowly going around them and then the same with the new bearing races but, using a brass punch.

[filbert]

If you can find something slightly smaller than the bearing outer ring, like a socket or what I did if I never had owt, remove the old one and grind a bit from the outside, then you can just hit them in with a hammer, no need for an oven or a freezer, I've done thousands.

[Sputnik]

Quite a few American cars have that set up but, Their new disk already comes with new outer bearing races fitted so you literally just have to re grease the taper bearings and pop them in the new disk/hub unit with your fingers.

[finlay666]

Quite a few American cars have that set up but, Their new disk already comes with new outer bearing races fitted so you literally just have to re grease the taper bearings and pop them in the new disk/hub unit with your fingers.

They do but these were 'performance' parts (EBC Ultimax discs) and didn't come with the bearings (there were sets on ebay with the bearings but most online stores like ECP and GSF didnt seem to supply the parts)

Annoyingly the ABS reluctor ring is also part of the assembly so got to make sure I don't break it when I disassemble them