Creative way to remove a bearing race.

[02XXCA]

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1AmovKN3ZV/

[SwampNut]

Hitler had an easier way to remove a race, I heard.

 

[superhawk996]

I'll try that next time, tho with a less sketchy spinny set-up.  If it works it'll save a lot of time compared to how I've been doing it.

[02XXCA]

39 minutes ago, superhawk996 said:

I'll try that next time, tho with a less sketchy spinny set-up.  If it works it'll save a lot of time compared to how I've been doing it.

Let me know how it goes, capture it on your phone.

[CALCXX]

Good idea.

Evenly heated and gravity is your friend.

[TOXXIC]

Seems like a great way to get burned.

[superhawk996]

I had to press a bearing out of a hub for an F-150 yesterday and it was fucking tight.  My 10 ton air/hydraulic press slowed way down before my cringe made me lift off the pedal.  I gave it a few smacks with a hammer, nothing.  I heated the hub and went at it again, nothing.  Finally I said fuck it, I'm going to stay on the pedal 'till it stalls and it did.  Then BANG!  It's a 'commercial grade' press, but it still scares me when it's maxed out, and when they break loose it's an event.  Even after it popped loose it still took a lot to finish driving it out.

 

My normal way to remove races like the one in the video is to cut it with a die grinder and use a cold chisel to split it, then they slide off.  His torch method looks way faster.  Occasionally I can buy a hub cheap enough that I throw the original away with the race on it.

[CALCXX]

On 11/12/2025 at 7:52 PM, superhawk996 said:

My normal way to remove races like the one in the video is to cut it with a die grinder and use a cold chisel to split it, then they slide off.  His torch method looks way faster.  

 

Internal races can be a pain. I had a Ramcharger decades ago and replaced the bearings on the front hubs.

Blind acesss. Can't use a punch to drive the races out so, cut it out. Tedious method for sure.

 

imo, spinning and heating looks like a good idea for external bearing race removal.

[superhawk996]

A couple days ago I pressed the bearing out of an F-150 hub, biggest one piece bearing I've pressed.  The pump started slowing down, the press frame was tweaking a bit, I got scared and stopped.  Gave it a few hammer taps, couple more pumps, hammer, nothing.  Pulled it out and put some heat on it, still stuck.  Finally I said fuck it and stalled out the press while cringing, nothing.....then BANG, it broke loose.

[CALCXX]

An Arbor Press is real good for that. Gives you some "feel". 

Personally, I didn't like using a hyd. press as well as the arbor press.

[superhawk996]

Most arbor presses are limited to around 2-3 tons unless you spend a fair bit of $.  I stalled my 10 ton before the bearing finally popped loose.  I don't know that it actually makes 10 tons, but it's an Enerpac, not Harbor Freight, so it's a believable rating.  I inherited a 20 ton HF press that I considered keeping instead of the "weaker" Enerpac, but the structure of the 20 didn't instill a lot of confidence so I sold it.

[superhawk996]

As for feel, mine is air over hydraulic so it gives 0 feel.  A manual hydraulic will give some feel.  That has concerned me a few times when seating something, but I've found it to not be a problem.  So far.

[CALCXX]

Chris posted a good tip.

My mushroom tip punches and fingers would be in better shape today.