[William Miller]

I installed my Rear bearings on my SC yesterday. This thing worked like a dream. Better yet it was made from stuff sitting in my shop. Free....Nadda...Zip.....

Parts:
1: 1/2" bolt about 6 " long with nut and washers
2: 2- 1" pipe flanges (These have the right size outter diameter to fit the recess inside the bananna arm and also cover the diameter of the bearing.
3: a hand full of big 1/2" washers

Optional: I had just removed the bannana arm bushings and found that they screwed right into the center of the pipe flanges. This is useful in keeping the bolt centered in the flange.

Procedure:
Freeze the bearing for about half hour.
Put the bannana arm in a vice. Clean and debur the hole in the banna arm. Spray WD40 on the bearing and in the hole.Tap the bearing gently to get it started in the hole and get it to stay in place, make sure it's aligned withe the hole.

Put 2 big washers on the bolt. Insert the bolt into the flange with the flat part sitting in the recess on the back side of the bananna arm. Slide the bolt thru the other flange , install 2 washers and the nut.


Hold the bolt with a wrench or vice grips and tighten the nut on top.
This will pull the bearing home.
Caution: as you are starting to pull the bearing make sure it stays straight and doesn't start to bind. I had to tap one out and re-start. Once the bearing is pulled in about 1/2" it will keep itself aligned.

The bannana arm bushings are not necessary, but if not you will need a stack of bigger washers and maybe a longer bolt.

I see no reason why this wouldn't work on the car if you can get the old bearing race out.

I'll post a picture when I get a chance.

Anyway my tool is avalible when you need it. I'll even help!

[Charlie Stylianos]

Glad to see this worked out for you, Bill.

I made a similar tool and was able to get one bearing pressed in, the other started crooked and became stuck in the bananna arm. I eventually took both arms to a shop (Pitstop) and they gladly fixed the one crooked bearing.

To my suprise, the one bearing I was able to press in still had another 1/8-1/16" to go, even though I thought it was flush. Once you get the hubs pressed into the bearings you may notice there is still some play with the wheels installed. The remedy is to turn the nut 1 more cotter pin hole, even if the factory torque specs have been met. This cinches everything up....the bearing into the bananna arm, and the hub into bearing.

[William Miller]

I could have been in the same situation, but I noticed it was starting to bind before it got stuck. I backed off the pressure, tapped the oppisite edge and luckily it strightened out.

I also found that with the outer edge of the bearing flush with the outter edge of the bananna arm the bearing was all the way in and up against the stop on the inside. I was thinking what am I going to dp if the bearing is a little narrower than the bore. It worked out.

I don't get what you said about the hub pulling the bearing into the bore farther. I agree it seems pretty sloppy now and I expect it to tighten up when the bearing get's sandwiched between the wheel hub and the drive shaft hub (Via the Big @$$ nut.). I don't see how that would pull it into the bore farther. Am I missing something? The only other thing that I see that keeps the bearing in place is the dust sheild "hat" and the reinforcement plate with the 4 small bolts.

The best thing about this is that it feels good to finally be putting something back together!

[Vicegrip]

3rd method. Freeze bearing and after cleaning and deburing the swing arm bearing socket heat the bearing socket with a torch. Use a wide flame and heat through and through. Not too hot but heat soaked through not just the metals surface. Take clean, cold soaked bearing and slip into the arm with fingers no tools involved. This has worked for me every time so far. The combo of heat and freeze is enough to get the bearing well smaller that the clean de-burred bearing socket.

When I rebuild electric motors for work I use freeze/fry method to install bearings. Almost all manufactures make the interference difference between the bearing and the shaft or socket to the bearing makers recommended requirements. This is a small enough delta that freeze/fry will more than equal the difference. To make it tighter will deform the bearing outer or inner race.
Dead clean and de-burred is very important. I clean and then hit the shaft or socket with 400 grit cloth to be sure there are no little bumps or crud that will hang up the install. Have the puller ready in case of a stuck bearing but if you prepare well they slide right in or on every time.

[William Miller]

Thanks Kurt. Not that I need it anymore, but what kind of torch will work?
Do you need oxy/acy?