Build Question hub carriers and bearing

[CtrMint]

Went back to the garage over an idea with a brake winder kit, didn't work.

However I padded out my vice with floor mats, got a lump hammer and ~36mm socket, one very hard hit and it was out.  

[Bricol]

Being a heathen, if that bearing rotated smoothly, I'd stick it in - that's only a metal shied/face of the seal. It will have been pushed in, hit the cage inside, and sprung back away, so is now clear.  If the lips are in the grooves . . . If you were being really flash, flip it out, tweak it straight, and pop it back in.

You need a big vice - very useful for winding bearings, bushes etc into housings - pressing only on the outer race in the case of a bearing.  Slap some oil around the outer and slide it in.

And as has been said, with a hot hub you might be surprised just how that bearing will fall in (or indeed out).  Even warming it with a hot air paint stripping gun.  Just wear something to protect you from the heat.

By the way  - those numbers on the bearing?  They tell you everything you need to know - look 'em up, and you will know what it is and if its used on any other cars, if it's not just a double row cartridge bearing - and thus be able to get one from anywhere if your preferred supplier doesn't have immediate stock.  

Just out of interest - where are you?  If you're anywhere near Skipton . . .

If you want a really good bearing putting-in job - currently tweaking an American design of a rather flash gearbox, using a 76kg ball race, with an OD of around 620mm . . . it's not cheap.  Or indeed the biggest, or most expensive, bearing we use.  It's a bit of a teeth sucking moment when a fitter skews several grand of bearing in the housing ;-)  

 

[CtrMint]

Thanks for the detail Bricol. The bearing rotated smoothly when it was stuck in, not so sure after wellying it out, although I haven't checked.

I spoke with Derek at CC this morning and he has confirmed they should be installed in the carrier, as a result he is sending out a replacement set installed in the carriers.  

This heating them up process, are you saying if i heat them up in the oven as per previous comments they are just going to drop in?  When I got the damm thing stuck I did use a hot air gun on it, I guess not hot enough though.

I guess there are solutions to many of these issues, but having little experience and only the expectations set by CC in terms of "basic tools" and if you can do flat pack you can build a 7, heating stuff up in an oven isn't exactly the first thing I'd think of.

 

 

[TomB]

Whilst discussing rear wheel bearings, one of my winter jobs is to replace mine.  I picked up from eBay a pair of new - old stock carriers and bearings, all ready assembled to bolt onto the de-dion ear.  Is there a way of making sure there is enough grease, or putting new grease inside the bearing whilst it is in the bearing carrier?  

[rj]

If it's the old style, then my bearings came without grease at all. Those are two seperate bearings, so easy to check.

[CtrMint]

so I'm still learning here, how do you remove the seal to check the grease?  Or is that only possible on the old ones?

I was thinking of taking the damage one apart for interest.

[rj]

The new ones have to be pre-greased. They are not meant to be taken apart

[SM25T]

Ref earlier question .... warming the carrier in a moderate oven and freezing the bearing overnight in a domestic freezer makes quite a difference. You don't get long to fit them together before they warm/cool.

[SimonR300]

 

I'm not sure what rj means, maybe a typo?  "The new ones have to be pre-greased. They are not meant to be taken apart"

The new bearings are pre-greased sealed bearings and are not meant to be taken apart.  [CtrMint  "I was thinking of taking the damaged one apart for interest."]  I wouldn't bother as they are metal seals and will bend even more, tho' I believe you can pick plastic/rubber seals carefully out of a sealed bearing, (not recommended, just replace when worn).  They are already lubricated and sealed for life, usually about 100,000 miles.  Please call Caterham Parts to confirm.

I replaced my rear wheel bearings a few months ago.  The car came with worn out bearings which were the old twin bearing greased versions.  They were replaced with what Caterham Parts now sell, albeit the sealed bearings were already installed into the housing.  It looks like they may have stopped installing the bearings as the parts photos,

  https://caterhamparts.co.uk/71-hub-bearings

  only show  bearings alongside the housing. 

 

   [ CtrMint " I spoke with Derek at CC this morning and he has confirmed they should be installed in the carrier, as a result he is sending out a replacement set installed in the carriers." ]  So you don't need to worry about the oven/fridge thing as yours will be assembled like mine were.  I guess they are trying to save some costs but are finding that owners/fitters are having trouble doing the bearing install themselves.

 

Not so relevant here but maybe of interest.....My front bearings are these

https://caterhamparts.co.uk/hubs-and-bearings/355-wheel-bearing-kit-2003-onwards.html

They look similar to sealed bearings when in the packet but are conical roller bearings and the two parts come apart like this..

and they do need grease on them.  The rollers run on the inside conical face of the outer race which fits into the hub and the inner ring is held onto the stub axle with a large thrust washer and castellated nut.  I think the uprated front hub kit now available may have sealed bearings.

 

 

 

[rj]

OK; maybe the wrong wording, they have to be pre-greased when you receive them as they come as a sealed unit.

Or in other words: You can not put grease in them without destroying them.

[7 wonders of the world]

Carefully picking the seal form a 1 piece double bearing (cartridge style) wont destroy the bearing.

I regularly do this in order to check they have been greased, if not you can re grease, though you need to be careful not to over pack them since as the grease warms and expands it can pop the seal out.

[CtrMint]

Guys thanks for the info and continued contribution.

CC have supplied a set pre-installed now and I've successfully fitted them.  My comments about pulling one apart, particularly the one I damaged was merely for education, i.e. to better understand their construction etc. I'm pretty confident of what is inside but fancied taking a look.

I wasn't intending on using the bearing.