OT:FWD whl brg,got bolts out, now what?! GM experts

redtom

Well-known Member
Mrs redtom's 06 Torrent(equinox). Front brg bad. Got 3 bolts out holding bearing in but brg stuck in corroded aluminum knuckle. How the he!! do I get it out? Been pounding and used chisel to try to open a crack up, made a mess, but diid get a little start. Tried heat on alum knuckle but have to avoid boot. I'm slowly trashing the part that I call the knuckle.
 
lots and lots of pb blaster or some other kind of penetrating oil. then hit the bearing on the wheel flange with a good sized ball pein hammer, 32 to 40 ounces. avoid beating on the aluminum knuckle, they do like to break. ive done it myself at work. after you get the bearing out, wire brush all the white crusty corrosion out of it and coat the hole where the bearing fits with more anti sieze than you think youll ever need. Heat is a bad idea on the aluminum knuckles, seems to make them break easier to me.
 
I had one on my truck i used a spliting wedge and sledge on. Split bearing in twopounded the back half out. But i was fed up wgen i got sledge and maul out.
 
I've wailed on the back of the hub portion with a sledge until I started bending the hub out. I found on the net an idea which seems good. Put an old rotor on and tighten nuts so you go a good place to wail on back side. Too bad i just scrapped the old rotors from the last brake job!
 
To remove the hub bearing on my jeep, I used a socket extension jammed into the right spot and used the power steering and turning the steering wheel to pop it out. Sure did beat the hammer and wedge!
 
I cut fine thread bolts off that were 1/2 inch in dia. so they would just fit between the flanges. Put a nut on and then unscrewed the nuts a little at a time, had to use a couple different length bolts and it was time consuming. 2002 Saturn VUE. There is three on the front four on the back. Make sure if you have ABS to get the right hub assembly. I just had the garage do a back yesterday for me as I didn't have time to do it myself. The back are easier to do. One poster said to use a press, that might be what you have to do.Mine were really stuck.
 
Got the front edge started a very tiny bit with sledge. This AM knocked out wheel studs and was able to find two flat spots on rear of knuckle to put "pusher" bolts through wheel stud holes. These combined with sledge on front edge finally got it. If I hadn't got the front with hammer I don't think this would have worked because there is no where to push in the front of the knuckle. Results:Disassebly 5 hours-Reassembly 1 hour. Argh (oh and one small oh sh!t on the edge of momma's fender-well from sledge)
 
Don't you admire the "wisdom" of those engineers when they use the two enemies steel and alluminum together in these places where the unavoidable corrosion tend to fuse them together :roll:
When i was waiting for a tire swap on my truck to get finnished I watched a couple guys from the tireshop trying to take a set of alluminum duals off a dodge 1 ton in order to change tires.
By the time i paid up drove away an hour later they were still swearing and beating the daylights out of the first set.
 

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