Disco 1 Seized rear wheel bearing on stub axle!

Hi all,

Well just doing a quick change of rear wheel bearings due to them having died. Yep, shagged to the max. I know, should have fixed it when the first rumbles started but its not my car, it's wifey's

So it's my fault obviously...

Any road upwards, got the big 52mm box spanner and my trusty 1/2" breaker bar and removed both wheel bearing nuts and locking washer.

Pulled hub off stub axle... er well no actually. It won't move. :-(

First clue that all is not well is the spacer behind the hub nut came out in two parts

Gently tapped back of hub all round, still stuck.

Beat seven bells of **** out of the hub with a two pound club hammer, still stuck.

Put my nice shiny new hub puller on and tightened with trusty 1/2" breaker bar, still stuck.

WD40, still stuck.

Long attachment to breaker bar, loads of torque = BIG BANG - hub puller bolt head snapped clean off

So hub puller still on and applying loads of pulling torque, WD40 and two pound club hammer giving it some severe welly on the back of the hub, still stuck.

Gas torch anyone or should I fire up the 9" disc cutter and remove the hub with extreme prejudice

Other suggestions gratefully accepted.

hmmm.

you might end up having to go straightthrough the hub and stub axle with the grinder and replace the whole lot.

if you keep beating it you should eventually break up the inner bearing, which is probably welded.

at least then you save your hub and disc.

hmmmm...

Going to have a go with the gas torch first whilst I've still got the puller jammed on.

If that fails then a friend has suggested putting the wheel back on and "bouncing" it up and down, well basically getting "jiggy" with it until the hub breaks free.

One thing though, then the wheel may fall off giving me another problem...

O hum...

I had a rear wheel bearing go and it broke up quite badly. One of the rollers must have 'caught' and punched a hole into the stub axle, which jammed the driveshaft in. So, a slightly different location to go funny than yours. I eventually got the driveshaft out using a slide hammer, and I needed to replace the stub axle too, but the hub was saved.

Stub axles are about £30 + VAT+ delivery for a pattern part, and its just a lump of metal albeit in an accurate shape. So I'd sacrifice that - I'm guessing a hub is more costly.

Best way to get to it would be (since you've removed the driveshaft) to use a dremel and cut 1 or 2 slots inside it, so it can be distorted to a smaller size and allow the hub/bearings to come off. You could just keep going and cut the slots completely out, all you'll cut into is the bearings which you're replacing anyway.

It might be possible to reach the stub axle's bolts and undo it so you can work on it on the 'bench' rather than the car, but its not really in an awkward place so no real advantage there.

yeah id agree with bolting the wheel back on - no point bouncing the car cos you wont shock it. but giving the tyre a damn good kicking will produce quite a lot of force at the bearing.

tbh paul the guy could get a complete hub/stub assembly from a breaker for about 40 quid - so if all else fails he can rteplace the lot.

shame its a 300 tdi, ive got a spare set of hubs/stubs here off a 10 spline 200.

unless theyre the same???

Cheers Paul, at £30 odd for a stub axle that's not too bad.

Re the Dremel, I don't have one of those...yet.

Too late to play now, will continue in the morning...

Let me know how you get on. I can pop up if you need a hand after work?
Andy
2e0bay

Cheers Andy,

Will do. I'll send you a text or something.

Update! Well eventually I got the hub off. It was terminated...

Attached are some pics of my handiwork

Last pic is of Orpheus aka Orphee my new baby... to be continued in the series section.

Anybody got a spare hub for a 300tdi Discovery, oh and a stub axle as well?

yep, that looks pretty heavily terminated!