Replacing beam axle wheel bearing and seal

[losh1971]

Question I need to change the seal so I can fit the new brake shoes. I see the axle is held in with four studs or bolts. Question is where does the seal sit? Also can the shaft be removed and new seal fitted with a basic spanner and socket set? I just don't want to pull the axle shaft out while I am in Town and find I need some tool that is 120km away in my shed. I can take the shaft to the local garage and he will fit the bearing. I'm just trying to save some labour costs in cleaning time and fitting the new shoes, removing rotor etc.

 

[woteva]

Did rear bearings year's ago with a socket set, angle grinder, cold chisel and an oven.
The seal is between the bearing and retainer plate. Used the angle grinder to cut nearly all the way through the bearing and then split with the chisel.
Heated up the new bearing to 120C and it just slipped on easy after cleaning surface with Emery paper and using welding gloves to handle the hot bearing.
Just remembered I needed to knock up a makeshift slide hammer to get the axle out. I used a long piece of all thread and a sack trolley wheel.

 

[Immortality]

Ideally you need a press to fit the bearing and seal but done as described above works too.

You can reverse the rotor on the studs, put each nut on a few turns and use the rotor like a slide hammer

 

[losh1971]

Hmmm, kinda sounding like i should wait until I'm home in the shed in three weeks time. I have a 20T press so could probably manage the whole job myself.
I'll have to think about it some more. Realistically i reckon it would only be 40 bucks to chop it off and bang it on if i give a bloke the shaft.

 

[Immortality]

That's what I used to do, remove the shaft and take it down to a local shop to press on the bearings. Since I bought my own press I've not had to do one....

 

[losh1971]

Got the shaft out fairly easily. Used an old rotor and screwed a few nuts back on and a couple of pulls and it slipped right out. Had to Karcher and degrease where the shoes sit and also behind the cover plate that holds the handbrake cable on. There was actually quite a lot of grease and dirt. I have stopped now because its raining and dark. Plus it will be good to allow things to dry out including the ground. I had a look at the seal and I suspect it has been leaking a while as someone has squirted silicone on the seal, obviously in an attempt to stop the leak. I will have a go and getting the bearing and retainer off tomorrow. I have a drill press to get the retainer off. But no bearing separator to press the bearing off, so it may be an angle grinder job. Been meaning to buy one but each time i have needed it Repco has been 100km away, lol.

 

[losh1971]

Bearing and retainer off and no grinding, just the drill press, a hammer and chisel. Now i have run into a hurdle which way does the bearing go on? Its a one peice and not two peice tapered bearing like the one that came off.
Exhibit A.

Or exhibit B, which has writing on it.

 

[losh1971]

I'm leaning towards putting the more open side to the inside, exhibit A?

 

[losh1971]

I have had another look and am thinking the side with the writing goes to the diff? I had a look at the old two peice bearing and the writing was on the diff side. Also side B has a slightly raised centre, which i think might be the surface to press against? The outside on the old bearing has a slight cup to it and the new bearing has this as well. Hoping someone can confirm i now have it the right way before I press it on.

 

[delcowizzid]

Writing into diff is what I would do still looks like a tapered roller bearing so fit it with the small end of the rollers inward