This motherloving wheel bearing won’t come out

If PB Blaster cost $50.00 a can...I would still buy it....pays for all the tools I've thrown across the garage into my drywall in a rage...
(back in my thirties) LOL. I'm sure others have similar stories.

 

Penetrating oil can help certain situations.

Heat & cold here should work well.

The knuckle is cast aluminum, and that will expand a lot as you gently heat it with a torch. Meanwhile, the steel bearing shell will be slower to expand, and you can prevent it from expanding anywhere near as much by swabbing a wet rag around the inside of it (careful steam) and you just go back and forth heating the knuckle around and cooling the steel insert.

You'll never see or hear any change, but microscopically a gap opens between the bearing sleeve and the knuckle. You get back on the hammer and exploit it.

 

Now you are almost done but let me tell you another stress free and easy way to replace these hubs. I bought at an online auction site two used knuckles In excellent condition for about $50 each. Then the whole job was just taking out bolts and replacing the knuckles as well.

 

Yes always have an extra set of knuckles I have a set of Gen 3 and Gen 2's here loaded with lower ball joints ready to go at all times That's the way to definitely do it I thought he had this off the car for some reason.

 

The 4 bolts that get removed from the back of the knuckle fasten the hub to the knuckle. The knuckle has a "through hole" with no threads. The hub has the threads. Lets say the bolts that are removed are 1" long under the head. Get the same thread bolt, but 3 inches long. It will have about 1" of threads and 2" of smooth shaft. Slide it into the same hole in the knuckle and fully thread it into the hub. Do this on at least two opposite corners. Now you basically have a 2" metal rod sticking out of each hole. Hit the heads of the bolts, alternating bolts, to push the hub out. Very easy and very fast.

 

I replaced mine with Timken, but Moog has a very good rep also.
If the job were being done at a shop like PepBoys or something, they would likely install the $40 Chinese hubs they bought at AutoZone and charge you $200 each for them.

Since I was often doing 4hr each way drives, I went for peace of mind and installed the timkens.

 

That is poetry!

 

I think the rears are the place where it doesn't rhyme, 'cause which holes are threaded and which ones are clear back there are the opposite of how it is in front.

 

Just doing this one time that's all it takes

 

Moog or OEM.. HOW much fun did you have replacing these bearings? Do you want to do it again in 9 months?

 

When it's only been there 9 months, it's easy.

 

This is certainly something to think about. I've never had to mess with the rears, even on high mile Gen 2s. If the thread/through hole is reversed on the rears, please do not follow my above method, lol. It would get quite frustrating!!

Currently in my harem:
2006--342k miles
2007--224k miles
2008--280k miles
2008--281k miles
2009--177k miles (but purchased with a failed engine, so there's may things of unknown status with this one)

 

With third gen rears it's been suggested to put a largish (say 1/2" diameter) threaded rod through two of the bearing's front flange holes, and with some nuts and washers, jack the bearing out. You do run the risk of the bearing separating, leaving a race inside the bore. Something like this: