Wheel bearing race question

[Belliott3]

If I want to switch from ball bearings to Timkens, do I need to remove the inner race that’s on the threaded spindle and if so, how?

[Wayne Sheldon]

Quick simple answer? Yes, the roller bearing race must be removed from the spindle.
Removing said bearing race from the spindle is often difficult, especially if your spindle is the earlier type without the "flats" for a bearing puller to get behind the race and get ahold of it.
So that begs the first question. Does your spindle have the "flats" behind the seat for the bearing race or not? Makes a big difference on the approach for removing that bearing race.

[SurfCityGene]

The simplest trick ever to get a bearing race out of a blind hole is .... Weld a small bead on the face of the race and the race will fall out because of the weld shrink!!

[speedytinc]

Removing the inner ball bearing race from an early spindle. Patience.
I use a good quality wood chisel. Blade edge in the spot between the spindle flange & bearing race.
Work the chisel point in a little bit @ a time alternating front & rear. Once the race has lifted a bit, I go to a large cold chisel, still alternating front & back side of the spindle. This has always worked so far.
If I had a real tough one, I would weld a 1/2" bead on the race front & back as a place for a cold chisel to bite.
You would have the same problem removing a timkin bearing from the spindle without the later style flats present spindles.
You will find your outer timkin bearing race will be above the threads when installed. This makes the bearing sit out a bit further.
I found that some short hub caps will hit the cotter pin or spindle tip..

[Allan]

If nothing else works, attack it with an angle grinder. The heat generated will help. Grind away until almost through to the spindle, then attack the flat you have made with a cold chisel. Even if you get clumsy and nick the spindle, it is of no real consequence.

Allan from down under.

[Wayne Sheldon]

Weld shrinkage is the best trick to remove the outer bearing race from a hun. And it might very well work to remove the inner race from a spindle, or not. The "shrinkage" from an arc weld bead on the inner bearing cone could actually make the race more difficult remove by making it more tight on the spindle. A likely outcome is in fact that the shrinkage very well may result in the bearing cone breaking from the pressure of the cold spindle pushing outward and the hard (low tensile strength) bearing cone quickly cracks through.
Welding onto the bearing cone of course destroys the bearing cone. Those of us that like to use the ball bearings like to try to save them rather than destroy them if they are good enough to be used.

Usually, IF the spindle is the later style with the flats making it fairly easy to put a good bearing puller onto the cone? They can be removed without too much effort. Often, but absolutely NOT always, they will come off easily, even with simple light duty tools. Sometimes however, they can be really stuck.

If they are really stuck on there? Whether by an interference fit, or microscopic rust swelling? And it is an earlier style spindle with the full circle behind the bearing cone? Oh boy, hope it isn't a nasty fight getting it off!
My worst case? A bearing cone that had a small chip in the rolling surface. It probably had an interference fit coupled with microscopic rust swelling (the spindle was a bit rusty suggesting it had been exposed to enough weather). I really did not want to destroy the cone, although I do not have the tools necessary to polish the ball bearing surface myself. So I fought it with the best tools I had. Generally, that should have had it off in about fifteen minutes (almost a waste of time?). But that one did not want to go. I fought the dumb thing for more than an hour! Biggest baddest bearing pullers coupled with acetylene torch, never budged a bit.
Out came the big artillery. Very carefully, using the hand-held grinder, I ground about 9/10 the way through the cone, leaving enough material to safeguard the spindle itself. A big heavy punch and a couple swats with a big hammer broke through the remaining amount of bearing cone and off it slid. Hated to do that.

What usually will grab those cones well enough to pull them off the early style spindle?

I currently can't post a photo myself because my "computer" changed the programs I used to use? However a google search found an eBay listing for a similar bearing puller to mine. I have no connection to the seller, nor am I suggesting buying from them because I do not know them. Maybe you can borrow one? Maybe you even have one?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/255386910888?c ... rhMi4KJGlw

My dad had a similar one for many years, and it became mine after he passed on. I rarely use it myself, but when I need it, I am very happy to have it. It can usually bite into that tight little not-even-a-gap between the round backing on the spindle and the bearing cone. Then coupled with another large bearing puller to pull the splitter/puller outward, usually the race cone will come off.
But that one time, even that couldn't budge the thing.

[SurfCityGene]

Bill, Holly Cow!! I'm sorry I did not read that this was an INNER Race... Do Not try any welding... John "SpeedyT" offered the best ideas. Slow and easy and you should be able to work it out. Since it is the inner tight on the spindle a little heat would have some effect to expand and also help if you need to like Wayne suggested.

Thanks Johnny and some times you just need to say BS! LOL But don't get kicked off cause you always give lots of good advice

[Kerry]

I see by your profile you own a 1910, if this is the T you are going to fit the timkens in? if so then you need to be very careful, those early hubs are very thin and fitting the cup for the outer bearing can stretch the hub very easily and then you cannot screw the brass hub cover back on.

[Belliott3]

Thank you for all the responses; I’m always grateful for any help I can get with problems I’m not familiar with! I do have another option that may be easier? I have a full set of NOS ball races and bearings in excellent condition that I could use on the Demountable hubs, but first I would need to remove the taper bearing races: what’s the best way to do this and will the ball races fit in the later hubs?

[Belliott3]

BTW, this is for a 1916 Touring that I picked up this autumn.

[John Codman]

Bearing races are very hard; meaning that they are brittle. When I encountered a stubborn race, I used a sacrificial chisel and just split the race. The chisel is sacrificial in the sense that the race will beat up the cutting edge of the chisel. If you have compressed air, it's even easier with an air chisel. If the bearing is bad enough that you are removing it, my assumption is that you are going to put it in the scrap bin anyway.

[speedytinc]

Under most circumstances, removing races from demount-able wheel hubs aint so bad.
There are notches in the hub to get a tool into/under the races. (by design)
Grinding a steel rod to add extra clearance helps picking up that race edge. Work both sides a little @ a time.
Really stuck (taper) races or those installed in earlier hubs, I wire weld a small bar onto the race to have something for a punch/pipe to drive the race out.
Other methods work as well. Look up past posts on the subject.

[Craig Leach]

Hi Bill,
This is just a shot in the dark but are the inner bearings bad? Usually the inners don't wear as bad as the outers. (unless run dry or get water
in them ) But the outers are smaller & take more abuse & wear out faster. Like I said a shot in the dark can you just replace the outers with
tapered rollers?
Are the spindles off the car? A good welder can take a cutting torch & pop them off without touching the spindle. I've seen a guy cut a Budd
inner nut off a stud without touching the threads or the wheel.
Craig

[Dan Hatch]

If I read the OP question correctly, he is trying to remove the RACE from the Spindle. Not hub.
Look up Bolt Buster. Best thing since the cutting torch. Dan

[Jerry VanOoteghem]

If you end up having to split the cone to remove it, be certain to wear safety glasses and a heavy, long sleeve shirt. Being very hard steel, flying fragments of a shattered bearing cone can do you some serious injury.

[Philip Lawrence]

The inner ball bearing cone on the spindle can with care, be cut off the spindle with a welders torch. I've done this several times with rusted bearing cones without damage to the spindle itself.