Viewing 27 posts - 1 through 27 (of 27 total)
  • Bearing removal help
  • kevin1911
    Full Member

    I’m trying to replace the bearings on some fulcrum red fire wheels. On the front hub, the score came out easily but one of the bearings was pressed onto the axle itself, right up against the non-removable flange and seal. I tried to lever it off, but the bearing just disintegrated, and has now left only the inner race of the bearing cartridge on the axle. I can’t seem to get a screwdriver in between the flange and the bearing race to prize it off. Any other ideas for how to get it off?

    Thanks!

    kevin1911
    Full Member

    Oh, PIC here:

    coatesy
    Free Member

    I’d normally drop it into a vice that’s set to support the race, and tap the axle through. Not much use if you haven’t got access to a vice though.

    kevin1911
    Full Member

    Yep, got a vice, but all that happens is that the whole thing slides through the vice. Seems the friction between the vice and the race is less than the friction between the race and the axle.

    coatesy
    Free Member

    Don’t try to grip the race, nip the vice so it just touches the axle and the race rests on top of the jaws.

    kevin1911
    Full Member

    Not sure I follow. That would work for seating the bearings, but not for removing them surely? The race needs to come off to the left hand side of the she in the PIC above. The black but to the right is the flange and seal which is integral to the acute and doesn’t come off. Am I missing your point?

    timwillows
    Free Member

    Try heading the hub up with a hot air gun, should lose it a bit

    coatesy
    Free Member

    Guess I misunderstood, never seen an axle assembled that way before, looked like the flange/seal was pressed against the bearing, which in turn was pressed on to what looks to be a step on the axle. Are you sure the flange is integral, being a different colour suggests it’s not machined as part of the axle.

    blastit
    Free Member

    It looks like you have a small Lip on the left side of that bearing or what’s left of your bearing. So if that is so , it will not go off to the left. What does the other side look like ??
    Are you sure it won’t go right ??

    kevin1911
    Full Member

    This is what it looks like from the other side

    coatesy
    Free Member

    Hmmm, just checked their techdocs, I presume it’s a front hub then. If you can get hold of a small bearing puller, you may be able to get it located in the groove that the bearing runs in. Freezing it overnight may shrink the axle enough to make the difference in tightness needed.

    kevin1911
    Full Member

    The orange bit does come off. The black bit looks like it’s somehow attached or bonded to the alloy axle. The flange definitely isn’t just an end cap that pops off 🙁

    kevin1911
    Full Member

    Had thought about the bearing puller option. Do they exist that small though? An axle vice grip might work too, but again not sure if they come that big. It’s about 28mm in diameter. Will have a look.

    porter_jamie
    Full Member

    so it has to come off the long way? is that it – i cant see if something else allows it to come off the short way?

    i would turn up something which is a nice fit on the inner racer, tig weld it on, and hopefully the heat of doing that would expand it enough so it would fall of. if it didnt i would now have something bigger than the flange to hold over the vice jaws or whatever whilst i hit the other end of the axle with a hide mallet (or maybe make an ally insert to pop over the axle to hit, so i didnt damage it depending on what it looked like)

    blastit
    Free Member

    http://www.fulcrumwheels.com/en/documents/10

    This any help ???

    Looks like it’s corroded onto the axle.
    It still looks like it should come off the right (short end)
    Just seems odd to come off the long way.

    AS said above cold and hot will help to loosen it a bit.
    Use freezer and oven to help.
    Good luck

    kevin1911
    Full Member

    Thanks. That document is useful. Also found some other docs on there that imply the flange should come off. I can’t see how though, but will try again in the morning.

    It’s got to come off to the right, the short way.
    The first picture shows what looks like a step in the shaft, stopping it going the long way.
    The second picture looks like it shows a similar step at the other end.
    If both bearings press on from the same end, what’s to stop the hub floating across in use?

    shedfull
    Free Member

    You need one of these. Wind it in behind the errant bearing race and tap it off with a hammer.

    kevin1911
    Full Member

    OK, i’ve checked and it definitely can’t come off the short way. That flange is definitely party of the axle. That end is fixed and the flange at the other end screws on hand tight to keep everything in place.

    Shedfull -that’s exactly what I need, but it looks like it’s only for >30mm bearings. This one has an outside diameter of 28mm. I wonder whether the 30mm is the size of the hole in the tool when it’s closed or if it’s just a rough guide. Other similar tools are available that seen to go smaller but they’re a bit more expensive…

    Nobby
    Full Member

    It’s similar to a problem I had when converting an AC hub to 142×12.

    I bought a cheap bearing splitter off ebay (like the one Shedfull links to)got enough of it behind the race to then place it in a vice & tap the axle through from t’other end. The bearing looks like it’s sitting on a slightly raised area so after 10mm or so it should slide freely.

    bmoray
    Free Member

    I am amazed with the fact how it happened well if possible try to put some tension on that and lubricate it.

    jonnouk
    Free Member

    Assuming that is an alu axle, the problem with applying heat is that the metals are in the wrong orientation. You’d have to heat the bearing quickly to prevent soak. Do you have any freezer spray?

    Personally, i’d rest the bearing face on a vice and give the axle a tap to see how stubborn the bearing really is and proceed from there.

    kevin1911
    Full Member

    What’s soak? Leaking of heat from the steel through to the alloy axle?

    I soaked it in plusgas last night, and it’s now in the freezer (the axle, not the plusgas 🙂 ). Any metalurgists know whether both metals will contract by different amounts? I’m hoping the aluminium will contract slightly more than the steel.

    I’ve ordered that bearing puller thing linked above. From the pictures it looks like it should easily get enough purchase under the lip of the bearing to allow me to give it a good whack.

    oliwb
    Free Member

    Just cut the old race off….go slowly and be careful not to cut into the axle and it will be fine. It’ll be a bit of a pain as you can’t run a hacksaw straight through due to the flange but should still be possible. Have had to do this lots of times in the past with swingarm pivot bearings.

    jonnouk
    Free Member

    What’s soak? Leaking of heat from the steel through to the alloy axle?

    I meant to say heatsoak but that wouldn’t be quite right either (conduction). Unless you could only heat the race in isolation you’d be wasting your time.

    I soaked it in plusgas last night, and it’s now in the freezer (the axle, not the plusgas ). Any metalurgists know whether both metals will contract by different amounts? I’m hoping the aluminium will contract slightly more than the steel.

    I’m thinking alu should be _slightly_ smaller than steel
    http://aluminium.matter.org.uk/content/html/eng/default.asp?catid=217&pageid=2144417175

    How big is your biggest hammer? 😀

    dirtydog
    Free Member

    File it till its thin enough to split.

    kevin1911
    Full Member

    Shedfull -the to finally arrived and worked a treat. I think having it in the freezer for a few days might have heroes break the bond too. Thanks all!

Viewing 27 posts - 1 through 27 (of 27 total)

The topic ‘Bearing removal help’ is closed to new replies.