Explorer Wheel Bearing Removal

[forddieseldoctor]

We have seen a major issue with wheel bearings being seized into the knuckles, especially the rears. We have ended up removing the whole knuckle and remove the hub and bearing with the shop press.

11 and up explorers.  

Anyone got any tricks to getting these out?

[Keith Browning]

One of the guys in my shop uses a heavy slide hammer with an adapter

[tonybullitt]

We were taking spindle off and using the press. I had heard about cutting wheel studs off and using bolts and nuts to push hub from spindle. This is best way I have found

 

[forddieseldoctor]

5 hours ago, tonybullitt said:

We were taking spindle off and using the press. I had heard about cutting wheel studs off and using bolts and nuts to push hub from spindle. This is best way I have found

 

I heard about that too. I tried that on one that someone else was doing and I couldn’t get it to move. We have one of those things you bolt on and whack with the hammer and that won’t touch these things either. 

[tonybullitt]

1 hour ago, forddieseldoctor said:

I heard about that too. I tried that on one that someone else was doing and I couldn’t get it to move. We have one of those things you bolt on and whack with the hammer and that won’t touch these things either. 

Yeah that bolt on tool is crap even on regular wheel bearings that don't get so corroded in

[forddieseldoctor]

I don’t know about crap. I’ve had good luck with it on other stuff. 

[tonybullitt]

This is the tool I have and feel it's never helped

 

[jw33]

I replace the knuckle and all , not worth the hassle of trying to separate the bearing from the knuckle 

[8WA Sman]

Have not done a '11 Exploder but an inner tie rod end may be the same thread size. Get one the has a hex on it screw it into the hub bolt hole & use a hammer or air gun, something about applying force in the hub bolt area has worked about the best for me.

[forddieseldoctor]

.

[forddieseldoctor]

5 hours ago, tonybullitt said:

This is the tool I have and feel it's never helped

 

 

That’s what we have. I feel it works decent enough. But to each their own. 

[tonybullitt]

9 hours ago, 8WA Sman said:

Have not done a '11 Exploder but an inner tie rod end may be the same thread size. Get one the has a hex on it screw it into the hub bolt hole & use a hammer or air gun, something about applying force in the hub bolt area has worked about the best for me.

I own the SP tools that are air hammer bits for hub bearings. I feel was waste of money never helped on these explorer wheel bearings. 

[tonybullitt]

I have unfortunately spent decent amount of money trying to make these explorer wheel bearings jobs go better. always resort to removing spindle taking to the shop press to get the job done