Rear Wheel Bearings

Ok guys , what do you use to pull the rear wheel bearings? Drift isn't working and the attachment for the slide hammer is too big. This is on my '83 XJ750K

 

There is a special tool for that (motorcycles only kinda thing). It is a long shaft with a wedge shaped end. You push it into a split end adapter that rests on the top of the bearing and the wedge forces the split, expanding it just enough to engage the bearing inner race. I'm not sure where to get it but the bike shops have them (so does my bike shop catalog that I can't order from being a non-commercial user, rats). I've never had to replace any of my wheel bearings yet so I'm sure I'll encounter this issue at some point as well. Harbor Freight does carry this tool but it is hard to find since it isn't advertised in their catalog.

 

You could try to heat up the wheels, and put something cold against the bearings! Aluminum expands faster than steel, so this would work.

 

here's a puller set.
http://pitposse.com/specialty.html

 

Thanks for the help guys. I made a tool at work today and I'm going to give it a try. We'll see how it goes.

 

Wow! Great link Rich!!! Many thanks, and the puller was darned cheap at $50 delivered.

 

the inner spacer between the two bearings will push to one side, sorta! But only on one side. I cursed, but managed to drive them out with no special tools, just a punch and some more cursing!

 

Well since my tool failed I will either wait for another time to replace these bearings or go back out tomorrow and curse as Nick did! Funny how the front bearings were no challenge at all.

 

Have you a fairly long rod like Nick mentioned (I'm referring of course to the drift that you would use to knock out a race or some such thing). I can just hear you guys now. Stop laughing you, this is a real question. You might try a length of rebar or some threaded rod if you haven't.

 

Oh yeah, Blue, I'm curious as to why you named your bike Shinden? I'm familiar with the aircraft of the same name from the Pacific theater in WWII. Does this hold any particular significance to you?

 

Yea I'm laughing ...I have a set of great punches that are good for the job! I haven't tried rebar though.
I picked Shinden from the aircraft you mentioned not only because I liked the plane and canard designs but because the name means "Magnificent lightning". My bike is painted in a lightning airbrush scheme.

 

I guess I should have added this link to explain Shinden.
http://www.slygrin.net/xjpics/html/jeff ... ngton.html