Hello everyone,
I am new around here. I drive a 1991 Dodge W150 with the 318 that I like working on.

Changing the front brakes & wheel bearings. I can't seem to figure out how to get the inner wheel bearing and the seal off. Any ideas? Thanks

 

That should have come of easily with the hub. If the inner race of the bearing is frozen to the spindle, the bearing is shot, so destroying it is acceptable. I would try prying it off even if you only remove the bearings and cage. A BFH and a sharp cold chisel can be used to brake the inner race or a cut-off wheel to notch it and a cold chisel would be best.

 

Ah alright. Thanks. I'm going to try that tomorrow.

 

If you heat it enough to make the spindle look annealed, its probably not good to use. (So don't use heat unless you feel brave).

 

Most people don't have the proper heat source for this purpose. It should be a very concentrated flame to limit the heat to the race itself after the cage and bearings have been removed. The flame should be pointed at the outside of the race away from the seal side. A steel pipe can be slid over the spindle to protect it from most of the heat.

Bearing races are very hard and therefore very brittle. That is why they can be broken with a concentrated shock from a cold chisel.

 

I just bought a truck like your that had the exact same problem! I got myself a 1989 w150, with a 318 (converted to use propane as well as gasoline), short box. Guy said the steering was a bit off, and he needed rent money more than another head ache. He wasn't joking... My wheel bearing lasted all of two days before I had to stop rolling on it. I also had the same issue you did where the bearing doesn't play nice once it's tight up against the end there, I put a small screw driver in between the bearing and the rotor and hit it with a hammer until I was able to pry it back far enough to use a bearing puller. Good luck!

 

Thanks. That propane sounds neat. I just got the bearing and race off the spindle. I ended up using my angle grinder to put a notch into it and then went at it with hammer and chisel. Then used the chisel in the same way as the screw driver. Pry bar didn't work and didn't have a bearing puller so I ended up having the chisel it out.

I know it's a machined surface but is damage on the spindle acceptable?

Thanks

 

As long as there is no damage to the surface that the seal runs on and the new bearing goes on and off smoothly some nicks won't hurt. File any damage smooth and let it go.

 

So if I can't manage to get the new hub/rotor on with new bearings is that an indication of a need for a new one? (I've been letting the truck sit for way too long...)

Thanks

 

Can you slide the new bearing on and off the spindle by itself? If not you need to figure out why not. Is the spindle out of round or is there a burr on it or what. If you can't figure out why it doesn't go on and off easily, replacement of the spindle is the only other solution. The bearing must be able to slide on and off the spindle easily by itself.