So this past weekend I set out to change my front driver wheel bearing which had been making some noise recently - and a fight it gave me!

So 5 lug nuts - no problem
2 caliper bolts - check
Rotor - slides right off
3 T55 bolts - off like butter.

Yes! 10 minutes in and its all apart! Woo Hoo!

Now just to take the bearing ou...OUT.....!!!!

The damn thing wouldn't budge. I spent the next few hours doing everything from beating it with a BFH to filing it down to nothing. Here is a picture story:

So whacking at it isnt getting it to budge at all, neither is a pry bar - lets try pulling it then:



After some encouragement POOF! Off it comes... yes!!! ...no...wait a minute...


The damn thing came apart! The bearing is out, but the outer part is still stuck!!! What am I do to now?

GRIND that sunuva!


!!!
Still won't budge! File that thing out by hand!



Now that it is no longer a complete ring I should be able to chisel it out..... FINALLY! Eureka! What it looked like when it finally came out:

What a wheel bearing should look like:



This is why it is so so so darn important to take an extra 10 minutes and put the rear seal on (the one that goes around the axle.) Everybody says to do it you have to take the 2 bottom strut knuckle bolts off and separate the ball joint. I don't know why, because I can get that axle in and out no problem just by taking the 2 bottom knuckles bolts off. Now that that seal is there the next time I have to change the bearing it should be easy. Seriously! Do it! Future you will thank past you a lot!

Holy Crap... Never seen one that stuck.

I've changed literally hundreds of these, and never once used that seal. And I've never had one stuck like that. The seal isn't even big enough to cover the hole.

I really like that you tried to use a tree to yank it out. Thats some genius right there!

I had a stuck one on my J back years ago. Thats when I said F this and went to N-Spindles.




"A car just isn't a car without a little blood, sweat, and beers." -- Shadowfire

@Andrew - Me neither! I really was winging it - I honestly wasn't sure what to do next. At a few points I had to stop, scratch my head, and devise a new battle plan.
@James - This has been by far the hardest I've had to change, but the seal I got totally closed the hole.
@Matt - thanks, I figured if the tree falls before the bearing comes out then I'm just going to scrap the whole damn car.

OUR DAILY DRIVERS HAVE TO PUT UP WITH ALOT OF CRAP AND SALT NOT TO MENTION COUNTLESS POTHOLES DURING OUR COLD CANADIAN WINTERS WHICH TAKES A HEAVY TOLL ON ALL OUR UNDERCARRIAGES. ESPECIALLY WHEEL AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS LIKE CONTROL ARM LINKAGES AND BEARINGS.CONGRATS ON THE HUB BEARING INSTALL THOUGH ,I GAVE UP ON MINE CAUSE I COUDNT GET THE THIRD AND LAST T55 BOLT OFF RRRRRR!


BLACKMANTIS

Hi Jeff,

I also had two goes at it before the spindle came out for me.
The trick is to use a cold chisel where you used the pry bar.
On the new spindle you can see where the chisel can be applied without causing any damage.
Apply the chisel with a BFH along the red arrows in the picture.

Peter

Attachments

sunfire_spindle_1.jpg (56k)

I drove a 99 sunfire 70 miles home after i bought it and it had a random clunk in what sounded like an axle or the transmission. Then drove it 20 miles to a buddies and swapped the motor&tranny, pulled the axle nut off, and the outter 1/2 of the hub just fell off. axle nut was the only thing holding the wheel on. made me realize how lucky i was. Lol



"If I'm not back in 5 minutes...just wait longer"

@Blackmantis - I'm from Montreal so we know all about salt and hard winters lol. Honestly I remember on an old car of mine I had a lot of trouble with the T50 on the back wheel. Impact driver makes it so much easier and less likely to strip. You can put all your force towards the bolt, pushing the torx socket into the bolt and the driver does the rotation. With a ratchet you have to apply the rotational force, which means you aren't pushing in as much and it's likely to slip and strip. I have a pneumatic impact driver, but most of the time I just use a dewalt electric one I have.

@Peter Orban - I chiseled the crap out of that thing. It didn't budge, even with a mini sledge.

@Cavalier Zzzz...24 - I guess there's a reason why the axle nut is the single tightest bolt on a car....