Proper way to press in new rear wheel bearing?

So I need to replace to my rear wheel bearing on my non ABS 4wd Tacoma. I understand the process to remove the axle shaft from the backing plate but when it comes too actually pressing in the new bearing I haven't be able to gather a lot of information. On pirate4x4 some dude said he used one of those round 3" fence post flanges to press the bearing into the bearing case. I have also read on yota tech of using a 3 inch pipe to beat the bearing into the bearing case (3 inch pipe that way you are only apply pressure to the outer most bearing “ring” to prevent bearing damage during the installation)

I was hoping there might be a better way to go about doing this. Surely someone has done this before and can spare a few tips or tricks?

 

Here's a couple of links that helped me when I replaced my rear axle seals and wheel bearing. I ended up just taking the axle and backing plate assembly in to a gear shop to have the old bearing and outer seal pressed out and the new ones pressed in. I figured it was worth the money to not screw up the bearing while trying to beat it in.

I just borrowed a seal puller and seater from O'Rieily's to get the inner seal in and out.

Hope this was some help, good luck! http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/maintenance/rear_axle/oil_seal/

 

years ago i used the old wheel bearing as a "pipe" (so to speak) and placed it over the new wheel bearing...(if this doesn't make sense, picture a CD laying on a table and another CD laying exactly on top of it, lined up with each other. Then you can press the new bearing into case, using the old bearing as a guide. I would NOT beat the new bearing into place.

One thing I have done over the years when I didn't have a press is call up a 'mom and pop' type of machine shop and usually they will press in the new bearing for about $5 bucks (or a six pack)....

 

in addition you are correct in that the 'guide' needs to have the same (or nearly the same) outer diameter as the bearing.

I once had a guy press in a wheel bearing for me, but the 'guide' had a smaller circumference and he buggered up the seal on the sealed bearing.

needless to say, i never returned to that shop....had to pay for two bearings instead of one...and the bearing was $25 each, which was a lot of money for me back in 1984....$25 is still nothing to sneeze at

 

Yep, what Hansel said.
In all the Tacoma ones I have done the bearing was a very light press fit into the case. So light, that once the inside of the case was good and clean, the new bearing could be pushed in by hand. Sometimes with light hammer taps with a brass drift around the outer race and once in a while they would just drop in. If yours is on the loose side, try and find some "bearing mount compound". It is sort of like Loctite for pressed fit bearings that have lost their "fit". Frankly I would not miss any sleep if I used a few drops of blue Loctite, it's probably the same thing.
I know the book calls it a press fit, this has just been my experience and that of a few associates. I also know that sometimes folks do find them to be tighter. The bearing to shaft fit has always been 20x as tight. For the shaft I always go over the machined area where the bearing and retainer reside with a Scotchbrite pad. I also use a thin film of RTV as a pressing lube because I have seen oil seep under the retainer due to it getting galled. I have also been known to "ever so slightly" ease the outboard edge of the snap ring groove to help prevent this galling.


My home made press adapter for pressing the shaft out of the bearing.

 

On any bearing, the spinning race needs to be a press fit, the non-spinning race is the slip fit. The pressure need to be on the press fit race. In this case since the inner race is press fit, the force must be on the inner race. If the pressure were put on the outer race, the force would travel through both races and the ball bearings, possibly deforming them.

 

Okay so...

Apply pressing compound, use old bearing as a guide to press in new bearing. Apply
pressing compound and press in axle shaft. (I own a press btw) seems simple enough am I missing anything? How can I make sure I press the new axle in straight?

Edit: how can I prevent bearing deformation when pressing in the axle shaft?

Edit: also what keeps the bearing from being pressed out of the case during the axle pressing part? If its loose fit wont it just "fall out" if the case while I'm pressing in the axle?

 

If I didn't make sense , I can try again.

 

Ah man okay, stick with me here i have never done this before.

So i have the disassembly part down.

1. Push Bearing into Bearing Case

2. Place backing plate on press with the brake hardware side facing up

3. slip in axle shaft with flange side (with the wheel studs) into backing plate so the flange side is pointing towards the top of the press with the spline end facing the ground.

4. use the press to push the shaft into the backing plate, i figure i would just center everything on the press then simply use the "rod on the press" (***) to push directly down on the shaft its self. (this is the step that confuses me i feel like the bearing is just going to slip out)

Sorry for the terrible picture best i can do at the moment:
Blue circle = Backing plate
Black Circle and shaft = Axle Shaft
Green Circle = ***



5. Move on to bearing retainer, clip etc...

Before i get to far ahead of myself am i at least on track with the steps above (steps 1-4)?

 

Don't give up. It is tough to visualize until you do it (and harder to explain!)

 

Okay i think i got it. So:

1. Push bearing into bearing case

2. Set up like this :


3. then smush everything together

4. then slide bearing collar down shaft and install c-clip into the grove on the axle shaft.

***or to i press the bearing collar on with everything else during step #2???

 

You got it.

SST in the FSM = short piece of pipe in our world

Toyota calls the "bearing collar" a "retainer". It is a press fit like the bearing. I like to press them separately (same set up) so I have the opportunity to make sure the bearing is seated.
Once the bearing is seated I have been known to put the whole thing back on the bench, flange down. Then just slide the retainer down the shaft and use the "short piece of pipe" like a slide hammer to motivate it to it's final resting place, seated against the bearing. This saves one awkward press job. That is your call.

 

okay i got it! i will hopefully get er' done next Wednesday (finals week )

last thing, the short piece of pipe, how long does it need to be? how do you keep the short piece from falling off the shaft (or down through the arbor plates on the press) due to gravity. You can see in my picture that the SST has the lip on it so you can just set it flat on top of the arbor plates.

 

Not trying to thread jack here, but would you be willing to make another one of those adapters and sell it? (Minus the splitter of course)

I have been using a slightly more home-made setup but it has seen better days.

Your information is incorrect. Example is a front wheel bearing. Both the inner and outer bearings should be a press fit in all cases. The fact that the Toyota ones in the rear tend to slip in with hand pressure shows that there is evidence of wear. I have pressed in several rear bearings on these trucks over the years, and have ran into just as many "loose" fit ones, as ones where it pressed in normally. You do not want EITHER race to be loose, as this can cause premature heating and wear of the bearing, and the outer housing. If the fit is too loose, then the proper repair is to replace the flange. Granted some people have had success with it being a slightly loose fit, but if is too loose, it will cause eventual failure.

 

I had an axle shaft snap and replaced the bearing case with a new one so It should be a pretty tight fit, we will see.

Also I can make you an copy of my jig if you'd like? I bought 6 feet of 3 inch tube for my build and will have plenty left over.

 

The pipe really only needs to be long enough to keep the 4 mounting studs up off the press bed but a little extra length will make it much easier to get your hands in under the backing plate while you struggle with positioning everything, hint hint. If it is too long the whole mess just gets too tipsy.
This one is about 4" total length. I used a coupler in place of the "lip".

1-1/2" plumbing pipe , 1-1/2" coupler, screwed together tight, ends squared off
This is a close fit to the shaft. I had to take a half round file to the weld seam inside the pipe.

 

If it helps at all...

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/technical-chat/246760-2nd-gen-rear-axle-bearing-diy.html

 

GREAT IDEA! is that "lip" enough to hold everything on the arbor plates? i would be worried about it slipping.

 

I'm flattered at your interest but take Wolfgang up on his offer.
I guess I will have to confess that while my fixture Looks all nice, compact and color keyed to my truck, it is a clusterjeflugin. It is all scrap I had laying around. The square tube is to big to rotate in my press, hence the need for the removable splitter and there is something else about it but I forgot what it was.
A bunch of folks just cut a tube off a junk axle housing, then weld on some tabs.
Here's another thought. The diameter of an ABS reluctor ring is 2-3/4". When building a fixture, if the I.D. of the pipe used is greater than 2-3/4", it will slide over the ring. This allows the bearing, 2 retainers and the ring to be pressed off in one shot (most of the time)(and after bending the snap ring out of place). This method will not ruin the reluctor, a pricey part and the fixture can be used for both ABS and non.

 

That's why I used 3inch pipe inside diameter 2.75 ID if my memory is right. Going to pick it up today so ill know fur sure in a few hours.