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Elise rear wheel bearing removal

7K views 13 replies 7 participants last post by  EricH 
#1 ·
I have 05 Elise that I'm trying to replace a rear wheel bearing on. I cannot get my axle to push back out of the bearing hub. I have blown-up 2 of my cheap HF 6" gear pullers. Do I just need a better bigger puller? Should I remove the axle so I can beat on it without damaging the wishbone mounts? Heat the bearing? Any advice appreciated
 
#5 ·
I'm curious if that puller from post 2 will work.

Recently I changed my front bearings but there was no complication about the axle being in the middle. For my case (front wheels) I was able to turn the wheels to the side and then hit the back of the bearings with a hammer.
 
#7 ·
Funny, I was just taking an axle out, and the puller in post 3 worked better than trying to use a hammer. Have you applied liquid wrench a few times to try and make the job a little easier?
 
#8 ·
The tool in post #2 + an impact was the winner for me. PB blaster was sprayed daily for 3 days and while removing the hub. The tool is called a Front Wheel Drive Hub Puller. Below are pictures of the 2 broken gear pullers next to the hub puller, the axle, and hub. Thanks all for the advice!! Auto part Transmission part Automotive engine timing part
Auto part Suspension Suspension part
Bicycle part Metal
 
#9 ·
All - I had a bearing go bad so I am replacing all of them. The front two were easy. The rear I am stuck. I removed the castle nut, disc, and caliper. I am trying to remove the three bolts that hold the bearing assembly into the hub. My 19mm deep socket won't fit, the axle is in the way. That of course was not in the way in the front.

I can see that perhaps a 19mm wrench will fit but I most likely will not have enough torque or room to loosen the bolts. In the front I was able to use a cheater bar. Tomorrow morning I will look again, perhaps I have to go buy a normal 19mm socket and perhaps an air ratchet wrench but I am not sure if that will fit in there. Am I in a losing battle to remove them without removing the whole hub? I assume I must have a puller and I won't be lucky enough to just beat on it or have the bearing case simply fall out?

For those searching (I couldn't find in the service manual), the castle nut is 30mm. It is torqued to 220nm.

Thanks!
 
#13 ·
All - I had a bearing go bad so I am replacing all of them. The front two were easy. The rear I am stuck. I removed the castle nut, disc, and caliper. I am trying to remove the three bolts that hold the bearing assembly into the hub. My 19mm deep socket won't fit, the axle is in the way. That of course was not in the way in the front.

I can see that perhaps a 19mm wrench will fit but I most likely will not have enough torque or room to loosen the bolts. In the front I was able to use a cheater bar. Tomorrow morning I will look again, perhaps I have to go buy a normal 19mm socket and perhaps an air ratchet wrench but I am not sure if that will fit in there. Am I in a losing battle to remove them without removing the whole hub? I assume I must have a puller and I won't be lucky enough to just beat on it or have the bearing case simply fall out?

For those searching (I couldn't find in the service manual), the castle nut is 30mm. It is torqued to 220nm.

Thanks!
I ground down a socket to fit and used an extension to remove the three bolts. Basically I did same as post #8. I borrowed puller from auto parts store but even 4' pipe over breaker bar and beating on castle nut wouldn't break it but the impact gun did. I had failed a track inspection for too much wheel and rod end movement. I replaced the rod ends but still had movement in the wheel that wasn't ball joints so I replaced the hub thinking it was wheel bearings when in fact some movement is ok and all it really needed was the rod ends and alignment to fix the wheel movement and the clicking was fixed by anti rattle pads from Eliseparts. Here's orginal post Need advice on rear wheel movement
 
#10 ·
I ended up using a 4' breaker bar without success when trying to get one of my rears off and picked up that 1000 ftlb electric impact gun on sale at HF and it zipped right off. The right tool for the job seconds the wrong tools for the job hours.
 
#12 ·
Thanks all for trying to help!


Can you explain the details? I have access to an air impact gun, did you have to un-do the suspension or could you (hopefully) leave it in place to undo the three bolts holding the bearing in? Did you have to use extensions? Swivel sockets? Reg/short length socket? Extra thin socket? Under tray on or off? For example the fronts you don't have to undo anything besides removing the disc and brake caliper. Was hoping to do the same here (minus maybe beating out or pressing the bearing off the axle).

Alternately, I don't know that I've ever had a rear bearing go bad, are they the ones that you are just doing preventatively?
Thanks, that is maybe what I have to do. Was just hoping not to have to continue to un-do more stuff to get this done. I admit I can be lazy but I have a bad shoulder injury so I have done all of this work one armed so trying to minimize what comes apart.

Ha big advantage Lotus that we have light wheels I can lift and remove with one arm. Those poor suckers with GT3s and z06s with their 315, 21" rear tires. Losers!!! I am so glad I don't have a GT3 or some dumb Ferrari F8 or something (ahaha!!).

I believe it was my front driver side bearing that was the culprit. I am trying to prevent yet ANOTHER ruined track day since it takes so much effort (and luck with work) to plan and make a track day - so if it is a part that can wear out and one breaks I replace the others if I can. The passenger rear I had an ABS issue (wire cut - when the carrier bolts broke and wheel almost flew off... I think we talked about that in another thread) so one of my rear bearings is only a year old or so. All the suspension connections were off at the time for that one.. it was a mess. So this driver side rear is the final one I will be replacing/refreshing. The car has about 30k track miles now, 20k of those with Hooseris. Plenty of curbs, plenty of offs, so I am not surprised about a bad bearing.
 
#11 ·
So just from memory, but if you disconnect the upper upright bolts (be sure to clean the threads and loctite back in), one tie rod bolt, and the upper shock bolt, you should be able to pull the axle most of the way out. And that should be enough room. If that doesnt work then you can take the lower control arm out of the car for the rest of the room, how hard that is depends on what oil pan you have, but you would have to remove the undertray at least so thats more work.

Alternately, I don't know that I've ever had a rear bearing go bad, are they the ones that you are just doing preventatively?
 
#14 · (Edited)
Thanks - like you said I didn't have to remove anything else (didn't unbolt any of the suspension). It needed a non-deep thin walled 19mm socket, impact gun (no swivel sockets.. when I used one the bolts were easier to reach but the impacts were absorbed and the 19mm bolts wouldn't break loose), a few extension combinations, creativity, and patience. I didn't need puller to get the bearing out either just some hammer love taps on the bearing from behind. Job done!
 
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