arbeitm

I'm in the middle of checking my front wheel bearings and changing brake pads.

1. How do you pry off the grease caps. I can't seem to figure it out.

2. My old brake pads are really stuck in the caliper. Any tricks to getting them out?

NoVaGator

take the calipers off of the rotors....tap the brake pedal.

you might put something between the pads to stop the pistons from popping out

arbeitm

Got the pads out. Any suggestion on how to remove those grease caps?

r911

search pelican for tools you can make up to do that

but... why do you need to remove it to just check the bearings? what is your plan there?

Brett San Diego

One of mine I was able to work off with a very large pair of channel locks. The other I went at with a hammer and masonry chisel set on the indentation in the cap while hammering from inside the wheel well. Rotated the hub giving a couple of firm taps at each stop. The cover wasn't too pretty when I got it off, but you don't see it anyway.

The tool described in the pelicanparts.com thread is a nice idea.

Brett

theiceman

get a 2" muffler clamp, tighten it on to the cap and now you have something to pry against. Works great.

imcarthur

Everybody likes to make it so difficult. Just use 2 hammers. The claw of one on the 'ridge' & tap the 'hitting' surface with the other. Work your way slowly around.

Ian

ron mcatee

I use a small ball-peen hammer, tap lightly and rotate 180 degrees after each tap. Never have a problem and caps still look OK. A new tool is fine, but this way has worked for me for over 50 years.

Alan Herod

Taking off on what Spider suggested -- I have used a similar technique since the 60's when I worked in a shop rebuilding VWs. Use 6" brass rod as a drift, tap it, rotate, tap it... No evidence of removal.

The way to check the bearings requires removing the dust cover. Remove dust cover and check if you can move the large flat washer with the flat of a screw driver.

Ian Ledger

Try a copper hammer using a glancing tap, rotate, and tap again. This always works for me.

Chris Bennet

I use a piece of 2x4 and a hammer. I wouldn't recommend using a steel hammer against the cap directly - too easy to hit one of your wheel studs and much the threads.
-Chris