Rear Axle Bearing Puller

Blondie70

TJ Enthusiast
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Sep 13, 2019
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403
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Poplarville, MS
I may be installing a new left rear axle in my 2000 TJ Dana 35. I'll put in a new bearing , seal...and I guess I will get a new C clip also.......and a new Diff. gasket.
You guys know how to get the bearing out without renting a puller ? Can I make something to work ?
Thanks for any tips !
 
I may be installing a new left rear axle in my 2000 TJ Dana 35. I'll put in a new bearing , seal...and I guess I will get a new C clip also.......and a new Diff. gasket.
You guys know how to get the bearing out without renting a puller ? Can I make something to work ?
Thanks for any tips !
Do you have or know a welder?
 
Thanks...thought they wore down on the sides and got more narrow.
When I put in the new axle...do I need a new bearing if the old one is good ? Am thinking that if it is ok then why mess with it ?
Just put in new axle and seal..............will this do the job ?
Thanks
 
Blaine do you use that technique because it's harder to remove the race with a (commonly recommended) slide hammer puller? I've not done either so I'm just curious.
 
Blaine do you use that technique because it's harder to remove the race with a (commonly recommended) slide hammer puller? I've not done either so I'm just curious.
When the only tool you have is a hammer, every solution is a nail. Or in this case I have a welder and I don't have a slide hammer. I've broken lots of races trying to get them out, and once you do it with a welder, you'll walk past 10 slide hammers to get to the welder. The 35 isn't that bad, the 8.8 OTOH, when I was developing the Super 88 kit it had some you couldn't get out with a puller because all the puller did was break the sides off the race.
 
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Just curious when re-installing the bearing - would it be worthwhile to put the bearing in the refrigerator and maybe warm the axle with a torch? Doing so may make the bearing install a much smoother process with minimal pounding in the bearing (my aim now isn’t what it was 50 years ago 😀).

(reminds me of when I used to rebuild VW engines - put the piston in a warm oven and the wrist pin in the freezer - barely had to use a hammer to install the wrist pin into the piston and thru the rod).
 
Just curious when re-installing the bearing - would it be worthwhile to put the bearing in the refrigerator and maybe warm the axle with a torch? Doing so may make the bearing install a much smoother process with minimal pounding in the bearing (my aim now isn’t what it was 50 years ago 😀).

(reminds me of when I used to rebuild VW engines - put the piston in a warm oven and the wrist pin in the freezer - barely had to use a hammer to install the wrist pin into the piston and thru the rod).
If you wish to cool the bearing go for it but do not waste you time trying to heat the housing.
 
If you wish to cool the bearing go for it but do not waste you time trying to heat the housing.
Yeah, lot of mass there, but every degree helps - although I will say that I’m rebuilding an axle so can install bearing before the backplate goes on along with the brake lines.
 
Yeah, lot of mass there, but every degree helps - although I will say that I’m rebuilding an axle so can install bearing before the backplate goes on along with the brake lines.
I never worry about it. I have an aluminum puck that fits the bearing bore but a piece of pipe works just as well. Just drive it home.
 
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