Half shaft and bearing help needed

[matthud]

I am in the middle of removing my bearings to send off to be rebuilt. On my drivers side I've gotten everything off, I am to the point of removing the bearing support and it will not come off the trailing arm. How can i get this off. I've pounded and pried and it wont come off. On the passenger side I have 3 of the 4 bolts off the halfshaft flange. The fourth one the previous owner felt it necessary to round it off completely. There are no corners left at all on the bolt. I have tried all the sockets possible, box end wrenches open end wrenches. Nothing will get the bolt off. Nothing will grab enough to put good torque on it. Anyone have any suggestions on how to get this out so i can finish.

 

[emf1367]

Have you removed the spindle yet? If not then you will need the tool to press it off. This must be done before you can remove the bearing support.

As for the rounded off bolt... I suggest using lots of penetrating oil on the threads. Let it soak as long as you can. Then if possible use vise grips on the rounded bolt. If that won't work try drilling a hole in the bolt and then use an EZ out to remove the bolt. If you have access to a torch you could apply heat to the bolt head. That too will facilitate the bolts removal.

Good luck.

 

[matthud]

I am following the Van Steel removal instructions for the bearing. The instructions say that the bearing support comes out with the spindle still pressed in. They specifically say "Do not attempt to press or hammer spind out of support. The inner bearing race becomes tightly bonded to it, and conventional means or removal usually ruin the spindle." So I am not.

 

[bossvette]

to remove the rounded nut go to your local sears and get one of these
there are several styles available.

 

[Twin_Turbo]

You are trying to remove a nut on one of the 4 studs on the trailing arm right? (the stuff that's behind the parking brake stuff in front of the caliper bracket)???? If so, just use a small cuttind disc and cut the nut very close to the edge so you cut the front end off the stuf, you can then disassemble everything and just buy a new nut & stud from van steel or whoever you send it to, they are pretty cheap and the studs are simply knurled & pressed in.

 

[matthud]

On the drivers side I've gotten all of those nuts off. THe bearing support will not come off the trailing arm.


On the passenger side, the bolt that holds the flange on the back side of spindle that the ujoint is pressed in has the rounded bolt.

 

[Twin_Turbo]

If you have all of those 4 nuts removed just slip a chisel between the bearing support and the arm, this stuff usually rusts solid and is a pita to break apart.

Oh, the spindle castle nut is rounded off...that's kind of a problem. I'd say use the craftsman sockets in the prev. mentioned link

 

[matthud]

No, one of the bolts that holds the halfshaft flange is rounded off, and I dont think one of those craftsman sockets will fit with the clearance between the bolt and the halfshaft flange.

 

[matthud]

If you have all of those 4 nuts removed just slip a chisel between the bearing support and the arm, this stuff usually rusts solid and is a pita to break apart.

I tried a chisel all around, and beat on it pretty well. It doesn't seem to move. Should i just soak it with penetrating oil and let it sit, then use the chisel some more? Is there any god place to pry on it? I've tried the small area at the bottom between the bearing support and the t-arm, but it still wont come apart.

 

[ON 7TH]

drill in2 the nut ,then split it off the bolt
or
drill out the bolt

 

[matthud]

It's most likely a hardened bolt. Not sure drilling it out is going to work. Not to mention the clearance and trying to get a drill in there.

 

[bossvette]

one other thing you might try is to use a center punch tapping it Counter-clockwise around the outside to try and break it loose another thing is a die grinder or dremel with a carbide burr to split the nut.
most bolts (even grade 8) can be drilled with a good drill bit.

 

[matthud]

Its actually the bolt head, not a nut.

 

[bossvette]

Its actually the bolt head, not a nut.

cut the head off with a dremel or die grinder then when you have disassembled every thing it should come out qiute easy once the pressure is off.

 

[JohnZ]

It's a lot simpler to just remove the trailing arm as an assembly and send it to Van Steel; if you can't get the outboard drive flange off because of the rounded-off bolt head, just leave it connected and disconnect the half-shaft at the diff yoke and let them deal with it. Wouldn't be the first time they got a trailing arm with a half-shaft still on it.