TheClairvoyant

I'm replacing my rear wheel bearings and using the Sir Tools B90 tool to extract the hub from the hub carrier. I've hit a snag in the process. Perhaps somebody out there who has experience with this tool can figure out what I'm doing wrong.

Here's the snag-

The hub comes out from the hub carrier part way when turning the nut on the B90. However, before the hub can come out completely, the wheel studs make contact with the tool. This isn't correct, right?

I referenced this thread when setting the tool up.

https://rennlist.com/forums/showthre...ferrerid=70234

As far as I could make out from pictures in the thread, the parking brake backing plate should sit between the B90 horseshoe and the main part of the tool. Here's a photo of the way I set the tool up.
Attachment 491810
The tool comes with two small bolts which are supposed to hold the horseshoe to the main part of the tool, according to the official Sir Tools instructions. I couldn't seem to get the tool to fit with these on and I didn't notice them in pictures from the above thread, so I left them off.

I tried a a couple different orientations of the tool and variations on the set up other than the way I initially tried:

1. Parking brake backing plate behind both the horseshoe and main tool.
2. Using tool without the horseshoe.
3. Using tool with parking brake shoe in place (official instructions allow for this)

Results with these 3 alternate setups were the same - the studs would eventually hit the back of the tool preventing further extraction.

Below are 2 more photos of the tool in use as I initially tried it. I also measured part of the tool on the off chance it's defective (too short). There's a picture of that, too.

TheClairvoyant

Bump.

dr bob

Hi Tom--

Sorry about my RL 'vacation' the last couple of days. Lift is on the trailer in the driveway untouched, and we have holiday family duty that's distracting me from my main duties.


As we pointed out in the instruction, the brake backing plate is sandwiched between the horseshoe spacer and the main puller body when extracting the hub. That means no bolts are used, as you discovered. I was worried that the backing plate would get distorted if I pushed on it with the horseshoe spacer.

The problem with the studs hitting the puller frame seems to happen on cars that have extended studs for a slide-on spacer. Rob Edwards mentioned this when he did his GTS. Possible that you might slide another horseshoe spacer in there, or maybe something thinner, and jack the hub out a ittle at a time. I think Rob's final solution included a large slide-hammer for the hub extraction, then the puller again to extract the bearings.

dr bob

Tom--

I can's see your pictures.

You may gain some extra space if you can leave the parking brake shoes installed and push against them with the puller frame, with no horseshoe spacer at all. It might be enough. I don't remember being able to get the puller frame in between the shoes and the hub, but didn't try very hard. I had pretty much planned to remove the parking brake stuff completely for clean and service anyway.

TheClairvoyant

Thanks again for your help Bob.

My car does have slide on spacers, so I guess my studs must be longer. You learn something new everyday.

So it seems I'm not actually doing it wrong, just may need to accommodate for the longer studs with another horseshoe or something similar, or possibly get a slide hammer to finish the extraction.

Everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving.

dr bob

Rental yards often have the slide hammer setup for rent, cheaper than buying and then having to store it forever. The end yoke bolts onto those extra long studs...

TheClairvoyant

Got the hub out.

It only needed a little more clearance to come out.

I wrenched it out to the point where the studs almost hit the puller frame. At that point, I loosened the nut on the tool about half about 3/4" to get some slack on the tool, then wedged a couple of 1/2" nuts between the horseshoe and hub carrier. That tightened the tool up again and gained more space for the studs. A few more turns of the wrench and the hub popped out.

dr bob

Great news! After the bearing race comes off the hub, it's a walk in the park.

BE SURE to assemble the parking brakes completely BEFORE you put the hub back in the new bearing

dr bob

Tom:

Update?

TheClairvoyant

Hey Bob.

I haven't done anything since Friday night when I got the second hubs out. I mistakenly bought an pair of external snap ring pliers. Couldn't get a good enough grip, so I returned them and ordered a pair of internal snap ring pliers (nice and big). They're coming in tomorrow so I'll be able to get those rings out and then press the bearings out with the B90

I'm also taking the hubs to machine shop near me tomorrow. I don't have a press, so I'll just have the shop press the old races off for me. It would be a good excuse to get a press, but I don't think my wife will believe me when I say it's the last tool I need to buy to finish the job. She's heard that one a few times already.

It should hopefully be smooth sailing from here out. The car will be on stands for a few more days, though. As an afterthought, I ordered new allen head bolts for the half shafts from Roger on Saturday. Thought it would be good cheap insurance against stripping out the originals. Roger's sending them out on Monday.

I'll post when it's all back together...unless I run into another roadblock. Then I'll be posting more questions

dr bob

The BIG snap-ring pliers make the job a lot easier. I've watched folks wrestling with too-mall tools and it's only fun watching.

On the bearing on the hub, I clamped the hub in the big vise, heated the ring quickly with a MAPP gas torch (Home Depot), and drove the ring off with a sacrificial chisel and a medium hammer.

Have fun, take lots of pictures!

tmpusfugit

I used the SIR B 90 tool today to R&R a rear wheel bearing on my '84. I also had to add a couple pieces of 1/2" steel behind the horseshoe to get clearance over the long studs. Worked like a champ. I used a pair of small vice grips with the tips ground down to remove the "e" ring. I made this tool for other large e rings on previous work. I was also able to pull the old bearing race off the axle stub using a wheel puller easily. Total time to remove the old bearing and install the new bearing was only about an hour, which does not include removing or putting everything else back together. I did not heat the housing nor chill the new bearing. I cleaned the housing carefully and did lube it very lightly with grease....the new bearing pressed back in with the tool much easier than the old bearing came out.

The only really bad news was buying the tool ($400+/-). But, I figured it would cost me more than that to truck the car to a repair shop and pay them a few hours of labor to do the job for me. So, now I have the tool also, and I will make it available to other folks in this area if and when...

Not all that hard to do on this car....

TheClairvoyant

I didn't heat the housing either. Just made sure it was very clean. The bearing went in straight and easy. You don't have to worry too much about getting the bearing cocked when pressing it in if you're careful. The tool keeps everything lined up really well if you use the right washers for it.

I took a bunch of pictures and plan on posting them at some point to supplement the other rear bearing threads (which I couldn't have done the job without).

Anybody in the NJ area is also welcome to use my tool if they need it. Now that the job is done, the tool just sits in its case looking pretty.

tmpusfugit

Here is my solution (mentioned above) for removing and installing the bearing retainer rings in the axle housing. A small pair of needle nose vice grips and some careful grinding of the ends (don't let them get too hot while grinding) The vice grips allow you to lock the ring closed and removal and installation is far easier! Well worth the price of the vice grips. I have used these on VW transmissions, as well as 356 transmissions, and now 928 wheel bearings.....