I’ve been looking for the “trick” that I remember someone mentioning about install the rear wheel bearing , bearing retainer, and the outside hub all together into the trailing arm at once. I can not find what I think I’ve read about this .

It went something like - hub in freezer overnight (bearing left in the sun I assume to heat it up), then next day easily slip the hub into the wheel bearing while loosely sandwiching the bearing retainer between the two.

Now put all three assembled items into the freezer overnight, trailing arm heated in the sun. Then do as normal - dropping the bearing into the trailing arm

I was all set to try this but then started wondering - is there room to get a socket on the four bolts for the bearing retainer?

Anyone know?

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I know some guys say, bearing in freezer. Not sure of the rest

I found this just now, but I don’t think it’s where I got the idea… it’s an old thread that was recently revived, but no one questioned the method. I’m wondering if there’s enough room for a socket (or wrench ?) between the hub and bearing retainer ?


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I will be installing new bearings coming up, probably a few weeks.

My plan is to shrink the bearing assembly (in the freezer overnight), heat the hub with a Mapp torch and pull the bearing home with a 3/4 threaded rod and some large washers.

Basically freeze the bearings and heat the hubs. I once froze a hub with dry ice and heated the hub with a torch and the bearings dropped in by hand. The guys at my shop don’t bother with the dry ice since that’s not conducive to production work but it’s the same principle. Make sure the hub surfaces are clean but no lubricants.

Over night in the freezer with the bearing and heat the hub with a standard drop light/ work light or halogen light for 30 min..The bearing pushes right in by hand...

Bearing in the freezer overnight, then heat up the trailing arm and drop in the bearing. Secure the locking plate and smear a little grease on the hub and draw it into the bearing with some threaded rod, nuts, and washers.

Install tool, starts on post #32

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...0find&st=20

My trick is to take it all to a good auto machine shop who knows what they are doing and has the correct tools. I just did this, and it was painless.

Wait a minute guys, how’s the hub gonna go into the bearing easier if you heat it (the hub)? Am I missing something there?


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Right, that’s the usual way.. I’m asking about installing 3 pieces at once.


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This is just my recent experience, so - "buyer beware" . . .I just replaced 914 rear wheel bearings for the first time - the passenger side was completed with a Technician with 30 years of experience with Ford, Porsche, BMW, VW etc. - he laughed when I mentioned freezing the bearings . . .he said something like, "do ya really think we tell the customer to "come back tomorrow, we have to put the bearings in the freezer?"

I took the passenger out with sockets and all thread a year ago (based upon info from 914World/Pelican etc) and had the vintage German-made bearings in the freezer for a year. Yeah - it's been a tough year.

The frozen bearings absolutely did not "slide in" . . .the Tech very carefully hammered the new passenger bearing in to start/square it and then I pulled the bearing in with a front wheel bearing installation kit from Amazon (OMB?) and a seal installation kit to start the bearing (aluminum - from either Amazon or Harbor Freight).

The next night - using the tools above - I pulled the hub in (on the passenger side mentioned above) and did the complete driver side from old bearing removal to new bearing installation/hub installation in 20-30 minutes or so (being quite careful).

Frankly none of the bearings or hubs went in easily or square(at first) - but if you use proper (albeit not premium) tools, the job gets done properly.

Btw-when I took out the passenger bearing last year, I bought a Harbor Freight wheel bearing removal kit, and the threaded rod stripped immediately (hence the ultimate use of sockets, nuts, washers and all-thread), but with the OMB(?) kit from Amazonopoly , I could even use the impact with impunity . . .much harder steel threaded rod . . .worth the cost.

Freezing seems unnecessary and time-consuming.

I did, however use WD-40 on the trailing arm and hub before bearing and hub installation.

Not sure how much more "all 3 at once" procedure one can get.

Thanks anyway Guys.


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Freezing the bearing really doesn’t help it “drop in”. Not sure if heating the carrier would make a difference. It’s worth a try. I used my press. 13:15 in this video…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n37Yx7Nxil8

I have always been somewhat on the fence with regards to "overnight in the freezer" maybe it helps, maybe it doesn't. IIRC, steel expands/contracts around 6 millionths per degree change. Heating the housing to maybe 200F will give us not much size differential.

I am sure this method will work in certain cases, but not all

I had easy access to the dry ice. It worked great. No tool install.

I wouldn’t freeze the bearing without getting some form of heat on the trailing arm.. but I’m hesitant to heat the (inside of) the bearing to get a frozen hub into it - a torch to the bearing does not seem like a great idea, and I wouldn’t do that - tell me if that’s wrong. Bearings in the sun tho, should be fine.

None the less, my original question about doing them all together depends more on whether the 4 bolts (of the retainer plates) can be tightened after the assembly is installed. Looking at pics of completed installations, it points to that not being possible.. unless you added the bolts during pre-assembly, I don’t see how the bolts could even get worked into place - looks too tight. But then maybe they were pre-assembled and screwed in as the assembly was pulled tight(?). So basically I guess the guy I quoted above (from the old thread) was just talking , maybe he hadn’t actually performed this. Again tho, it feels like I’ve heard it somewhere else too. Oh well, I’ll scrap the idea unless someone has any specific experience with this. Thanks again.


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Debbie Downer here.

I think trying to install all at the same time is foolish. It could be done in theory IF you could get large enough thermal expansion across all the interfaces and maintain those expansions during the assembly and handling process. You won’t get large enough thermal expansions just using a household freezer and the sun.

In reality - good luck

With respect to heating the bearing safely - they make bearing heaters for that purpose.

Bearing install is straight forward using time proven assembly methods previously laid out using readily available tools. It seems you looking for the easier, faster method but trying to assemble all simultaneously and/or without press tools will lead to more frustration and a harder installation.

Hence,



Sometimes, some things are best left to those better equipped and experienced. We can’t expect to do everything ourselves.

Thanks for your opinion Jeff, but I’m certainly capable of doing this job myself. That’s not the question at hand. Thanks again.


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It’s possible that you are not aware of an alternative to the time proven methods. And if that alternative has been performed successfully then perhaps it would be foolish .. to not do it that way. My goal of this thread was to see who’d done it like this and/or recalled it, based on at least one post (that I quoted above) and a memory of it being discussed elsewhere. BTW, your stated reason for it not to work is wrong as I see it - it’s not the thermal expansion issue (that’s been proven by some to be very helpful) - the real problem is the bolts of the retainer plate, as I’ve stated. Just the way I see it. Thanks for your opinion tho.


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I don’t wish to start an argument, so if anyone cares to debate it - please just pm me about it. As I’ve stated I do not believe it to be possible because of the bolt situation. Thanks.


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Let’s put numbers to this.

Thermal coefficient of expansion for steel.
0.0000065 / °F. As 930cabman stated earlier.

Bearings are usually light press fit of 0.001” or so

To get to a light slip fit you want clearance of 0.001” to 0.002” at each interface - hub to bearing, bearing to trailing arm.

So you’re trying to move the fit by 0.002” - 0.003” at each interface.

From thermal expansion you get 0.0013” of expansion per 200F delta between the parts. So let’s call it almost 300F - 400F to get a light slip fit that just drops in place.

That why Mark used dry ice to get more contraction than you can get with a home freezer.

The bigger problem is that as soon as two different metals touch they begin to equalize temperature very quickly. If you don’t get a clean, immediate drop in of the parts, they will begin to equalize and you’ll lose the slip fit very quickly.

I think we are largely in agreement - like you, I think messing with the bolts will take too long and while you’re doing that - you’ll lose the slip fit from thermal expansion.

No please :headbang: I’m not arguing about it, sorry. Go educate someone else.


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Anytime I install a bearing i do freezer for the outer race and heat on the housing. If nothing else it narrows the margin and makes for an easier install. The more pi*r squared you have, the better the result.

I bought the rear wheel bearing kit from Sir Tools 20+ years ago, never a second thought about it.

The point of the thread is obviously lost, thanks everyone but I know very well how it’s normally done. Thanks for all the thoughtful and well-meaning comments tho.


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I like numbers, most everything boils down to them, No intention of stealing someones thread, but I enjoy the education and discussion

The answer to you original question can be assessed in ep 24 of Ian’s bumblebee series.

https://youtu.be/gbopaxplO5c

I wouldn’t attempt any such “trick” for two reasons: 1) accurate torque on the retainer. 2) pressing in a bearing outer race by smashing on the inner race will damage the bearing.

Doug,
I have a rear wheel bearing install tool you are welcome to borrow. It makes it easy to install the bearings without removing the trailing arm. If I didn't have it, I would just take the trailing arm off the car and use a hydraulic press.

I just recently took a trailing arm off my 75.
Butt simple and far, far lighter than I expected.

The original poster was asking if he had enough room for tools to torque up the retainer bolts and as I was not sure myself I didn't post.

Having removed a control arm now I will probably not try to do the bearings on the car.

Another benefit to remove the arms is the ability to change the control arm rubber bushings at the same time.

I do own a press so this job is easy for me.

If I didn't, I'd beg Clay Perrine for his tool...

I may be wrong, but I believe there is room for a wrench but not a socket and torque wrench on the retainer bolts. These are not critical for torque settings. A wrench should get the job done easily.

It's too easy for me to rip off the control arm.

Doing it that way WILL require an alignment.

Ok now, that is interesting as well as relevant - thanks. Yea I was thinking that while a torque wrench would be preferable, it wouldn’t necessarily be needed there - I can get bolts “gudentite” as long as there’s enough range of motion. But that’s another thing, the bearing plate is curved up along the edges so I’m not sure. Probably just too much trouble, I may look at it again later but will probably pass… mainly because (even if access to the 4 bolts is good), the point someone made about pulling the whole assembly into the arm this way would put stress on the smaller inside race of the bearing rather than it’s bigger outer race. I think that’s valid. But yeah, my arms are off the car so that makes things a bit more convenient, and an alignment is expected and planned anyway. Thanks for checking on this while you were working on your stuff!


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Just completed this project. picked up 10 lbs of dry ice yesterday at my local welding supplier. Dropped the hubs in first, followed by a bunch of dry ice and then the new FAG bearings into the cooler. Got into the shop first thing this morning, heated the cast iron bearing housings with a Mapp torch to 250 F. Pulled the bearings from the cooler, about -55 F (wearing decent gloves) and slid the new bearing in. I bolted the retainer in right away. One of the easier projects.

Numbers work

Just use a BFH it work great for a lot of things

When I installed mine I put the bearing in the freezer over night. I did not heat up the hub, but it was probably about 80 degrees in the garage. I made sure the hub was clean and free of any burrs. The bearing slipped right in- gravity seated it all the way in. The bearing almost immediately warmed up and was locked into place.

Click to view attachment Bearings near the top with the hubs at the bottom.

Click to view attachment Seated and all is good

Click to view attachment Being a CSOB I had to use the dry ice for something, the tar popped right off

Ready for epoxy primer

Click to view attachment

@930cabman

Pretty COOL

Love the new rule.

Use the dry ice to remove tar at same time...

Rear wheel bearing job STARTS with "remove seats and carpet".

One serious question.
After you installed the bearing into the swing arm did you let it come up to temperature before sliding the hub in?
Or did it fit ok into the also cold bearing?

One of the easier jobs, but I had been researching for awhile. I was using a hand held infrared thermometer for checking the temps of both the dry ice and the cast iron housing as I went. Took about 2 or 3 minutes with a Mapp to get things warm. The bearing fell in with 0 pressure due to the thermal difference. I attached the retainer and let things equalize for a short time, Checking the new bearing ID I was reading 75 F, it must have pulled a bit of temp from the heated bearing housing. Once again, the hub slid in with 0 pressure.

And was able to get two birds with ...

Thanks for the reply!

Exactly the data I wanted.

Good idea to use the IR thermometer to be able to answer that question later.

Bearing rapidly normalized!

I can buy dry ice at my local HEB grocery store...

914 bearings seem to fit looser than some stuff I work with.

I have a new tool in my arsenal!

I once used liquid R12 (back when it was legal) to super-cool a jammed broken off tap from an aluminum cylinder head.
I messed with a bunch of ways to remove before trying the R12.
That worked kick ass back then!

The beauty part of this group, we all help each other. Glad I could help and hope others can pickup this up also.