Technical INNER wheel bearing.

[AndersLS]

Hello forum. The right steering knuckle on my 69 500F is shot. More than a cm of play!

Anyway…..I took apart the the bearings…..but, the inner bearing will not come out. It spins freely and nicely, but it wont budge of the shaft. Wht am I doing wrong?
I dont want to pry to hard for fear of some other damage….

Any ideas welcome…thanks.

 

[bugsymike]

Hello forum. The right steering knuckle on my 69 500F is shot. More than a cm of play!

Anyway…..I took apart the the bearings…..but, the inner bearing will not come out. It spins freely and nicely, but it wont budge of the shaft. Wht am I doing wrong?
I dont want to pry to hard for fear of some other damage….

Any ideas welcome…thanks.

I am sure there are members on this forum more familiar with early 500s, I had a early 60s one in 1978. My knowledge is general motor repairs professionally for 50 years until retirement.
When you say the inner bearing will not budge from shaft, I assume the brake drum is off and the inner bearing race it runs on is still on the axle presumably with the oil seal, if so there is a tool that splits in half and goes either side of the bearing and is bolted together see photo, it misses the bearing but goes between the inner race and the axle step/stop that the bearing usually comes up against, this tool is then attached to a puller and the bearing is drawn off. More aggressively, people get a strong thin blade screwdriver or similar and hammer it between the two surfaces to drive the bearing off. Either way check any surfaces for marking and clean up before reassembly. It has to be a tight or "interference fit" as if bearing race spins on the shaft it will soon fail!
On a transverse leaf spring usually I would support it at it's outer ends with two axle stands then remove shock absorber bottom mount at lower wishbone and slacken bolts that secure leaf to lower wishbone, then jack car under centre of spring until load is off the outer mounting bolts so they can be safely removed. This is a general method not specific to 500s so in all cases use your commonsense for self preservation .

 

[AndersLS]

Yes….the brake drum is of of course. It is only the inner bearing alone. The oil seal is behind the bearing. No race on it. The race is in the drum. I cant seem to pry the bearing of the axle.

 

[bugsymike]

Yes….the brake drum is of of course. It is only the inner bearing alone. The oil seal is behind the bearing. No race on it. The race is in the drum. I cant seem to pry the bearing of the axle.

Then you need to do what I suggested, to get the race off the axle.
Another possible way without damage if not too tight is to get an old "benelli type" exhaust clamp the right size and bolt it tight around the inner race and then use two good tyre levers and evenly prise the bearing off without any damage to surfaces. I have done that many times.

 

[fiat500]

In my days as a fitter, we would mig-weld a continuous bead on the surface of a race. It would then, usually lever off easily.
Removing the leaf spring is a dodgy business. A tool is available which compresses it safely. I can't advise you how I do it....very carefully, but somewhat dangerously. But look at images of new springs, not yet fitted, and you'll understand the energy trapped in the flattened spring...huge caution!

 

[AndersLS]

I got the bearings off. A steering wheel puller did wonders. No damage!
Regarding the leaf spring…yes….energy there. I have seen a few (italian) videos where you can change the rubbers without the fancy compression tool.

All is good ufn……