cyberkill

I'm 49.9999% through my new 4.10 gear installation. The last piece I need to take out of the car is the last pinion bearing race. In the diff housing, there're 2 races, the smaller one toward the front of the car, and the bigger one toward the rear. It's the bigger one toward the rear that I can't seem to get out.

The housing gives you these nice little notches where you can hit 2 spots on the race, but I have tried smacking this with a flathead and hammer and a picklefork and hammer (picklefork is all metal, so it transferred more of the impact). I'm hitting it on the "front of the car" side of the race toward the rear of the car. I've even tried using a 3 ft gooseneck crowbar, and tried to pry it out, but I instead bent the notch on the crowbar.

With all the banging and prying, visually, I can see that the race has not moved a single millimeter!

It's a completely stock rear end. Am I doing something wrong? Should a race be this hard to get out?

Catmaigne

iTrader: (6)

Hammering them out with a screwdriver/punch isn't a great way to do it. You need to apply force to both sides of the race at the same time. Best way to do this is with a slide hammer. You can "rent" them auto Autozone/Pep Boys for free. You put a deposit on the tool and get all of your money back when it's returned.

JRENIGAR

iTrader: (37)

What kind of rear control arms do you have? The stock rubber bushings will absorb a lot of the impact making it hard to get a good solid blow on the race. I have used a long round punch and a ball peen hammer to remove them many times with no problems. I hit on the two acess areas that are notched out as that's what they are there for. G.L.

cyberkill

I'll check what Autozone has again. I rented a 2/3 jaw puller, but it doesn't attach to the slide hammer. The one that does is only a 3 jaw, and it doesn't have the jaws at 180 degrees. But even with the slide hammer, I don't know how much good it'll do, because the muffler's in the way. I'd have to angle it down quite a bit.

cyberkill

I have stock control arms and bushings...but I've got new Founders 3pc poly/poly in a box waiting to go in after this install's done. Would it be better if I installed those first?

I was hitting those to access areas too, but with a flathead or part of a pickle fork, but I can try a long round punch.

cyberkill

Oh, and one other thing...
Do most people take out the torque arm when doing gears?

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

If you aren't hitting it with a mini sledge it aint gonna budge. A "hammer" has no place during a rear end rebuild, hammers are for carpenters. You need the weight of the sledge to get those out. Oh, and put some *** in it.

guppymech

iTrader: (7)

If you're going to do LCAs you might as well take the rear end out of the car, all you have left is the TA and PHB. I built my 10 bolt out of the car and it's much easier that way instead of laying on your back. I used this Harbor Freight transmission jack, it works perfect for the job.
http://www.harborfreight.com/450-lb-...ack-39178.html

Catmaigne

iTrader: (6)

Same. I would already take the rear out and work on it that way. Put one axle tube on a ladder and the other clamped down on a tri-stand. Makes it really easy.

guppymech

iTrader: (7)

In case you don't have a service manual, here are the torque specs for the rear suspension components.
LCA bolts 60 ftlbs
shocks 66 ftlbs
Panhard bar 75 ftlbs
Torque Arm bolts 97 ftlbs

RockinWs6

The race may be locktited in, I've removed about 1000 of those races and everyone comes out differently. I use a very large drift solid steel and a LARGE dead blow hammer. Honestly getting them out is the easy part, putting them back in properly is a real trick..................If you can rent the dealer tools if your local gm is friendly. Contrary to what you've been told those races should be properly pressed in and SEATED and Perfectly straight. If ya don't later on when the pressure from the pinion starts to move them around you have no bearing preload.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

Ive never had an issue with getting the races installed with a race installer setup. Once you get it started straight and give it a few solid whacks it sits down in place fairly easy. How one could go in crooked is beyond me as the fit is way too tight.

S10xGN

iTrader: (11)

Heh, heh, nevermind... Installing new races always makes me cringe. Anyway, I've found that sanding the OD of an old race a few thou so it's a slip-fit makes an ideal "press" adapter for pressing in the new race with a cheap HF 12 ton press.

RockinWs6

Well if you get them started a little crooked you can distort the machined surface in the housing and make a mess. I seen it a few times where the pinion seal won't seal properly because the races are out of alignment. Cleaning the housing up and replacing the bearing races properly always stopped the dreaded can't stop the pinion seal from slightly leaking.

96lt4c4

iTrader: (5)

Mini sledge and a big punch.

cyberkill

Just a quick update...
I've had a couple business trips since the last post, and now I finally got time to work on it again...Bought a 4lb mini sledge and a punch, and smacked it for a while, but no luck. Tried PB Blaster, still nothing. Just in case I wasn't "putting my *** in it," I had a buddy come over too and try, and no luck.

So then I started to heat it with a torch, but still nothing. The torque arm is now out so I can get better access. I'm dreading taking the whole rear out, but it might come to that.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

Get a bearing race installer setup from harbor freight. Been using mine for years and it works great.

http://www.harborfreight.com/10-piec...set-95853.html

cyberkill

I actually have that exact one, and it's going to come in handy when I install the new races, but I'm trying to get the old one out...the bigger one toward the rear of the car.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

Oh, to get it out I have a solid 3/8 steel rod about 12-18 inches long, can't remember where i got it, Stick it in from the front and whack from one side to the other. There are two spots to hit, at 3 oclock and 9 oclock. Hit one then the other so the race comes out evenly.

td1168

iTrader: (2)

If you know somebody that's good with a mig welder run a bead of weld around the inside of the race. It will shrink the od and the race will fall out. You just have to be careful that you start the arc on the race and not your housing. I do this all the time to races that are up against a shoulder. Works like a charm. A auto darkening helmet is a huge plus