The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Roller Bearing Install, advice needed

You said "roller" bearings and then talk about a smaller race that captures the bearings in them. Are you talking about "BALL" bearings?

Here is how I would do "ROLLER BEARINGS".
Taking it apart;
Tap off the little hub cover and remove cotter pin from the nut underneath. Remove the nut and washer.
Jiggle the hub until the outer bearing (small one) comes out enough to pull it out. You should be able to pull the hub off the spindle. The inner bearing (large one) and seal will be in the hub yet. Pry out the seal and take out the bearing.

CLEAN off the brake backing plate and spindle real good. Brake clean would be advisable. Make sure that where the seal rides on the spindle is nice and clean.

Tap out the bearing races with a long punch and hammer. Walk them out by punching all the way around the race until it comes out. Note how they come out so you can install the new races the same direction.

Save the old bearing races!. Take the old bearing races and grind down the outside edge evenly until it will drop back into and back out of the hub with your fingers. You can use this as your installation tool for the new races.

Clean the hub thoroughly. I clean all the grease out of the center too. Use brake clean here too.

Place the new race to the numbers of the race are going into the hub. Match the same face of the old bearing tool you made from the old race and tap and slowly walk the new bearing into place. Be careful not to cock the race in the bore. When the new race is in the bore, the old race will slide into the bore also. The old race will be able to slide out with your fingers when you are done. When the new race is bottomed out, the sound of the hammer ringing will sound much krisper. Tap the race down real good to ensure that it is seated fully. Repeat this for the other races. Clean the center of the hubs again.

When all is clean (hands too) put some grease in the palm of your hand and press the grease into one side of the roller bearing until the grease actually comes out the other side of the bearing. Turn the bearing in your hand and do the next section that same way. Keep doing this until the bearing is full of grease. Do this to all bearings.

Grease the center of the hub. Don't pack the hub with grease, just get a coating of grease to cover the entire inside of the hub. This will keep it from rusting. Put a little grease on the new race too.

Grease the spindle too and make sure the part that the seal rides on is lightly greased too.

Put the inside packed bearing into the hub and new race. Put your new seal in place by walking it in carefully until seated. Apply a little grease to the rubber part of the seal.

Carefully place the hub back on the clean spindle. Push the outer bearing over the spindle until it maches up with the outer bearing race. Put on the washer and nut. Snug the nut up. Not too tight! Just a little more than you can do with your fingers. Spin the hub. All should feel nice and smooth. Check the snugness of the nut again and spin the hub again. If all is good, back off the nut until you can turn it with your fingers again. Snug it up with your fingers and then back off until you can drop the cotter pin in. You shouldn't have to back off the nut more than 1/8th turn. Bend the cotter pin over the nut and "tap" the nut cap back into place with a rubber mallet, or use a screw driver placed on the ridge of the cap and tap it back on.

Go to the next wheel.

If you are using "BALL" bearings, all is the same with the exception of the small inner bearings. Those can be placed into the bearing before you place them on the spindle.

A Chevy service manual will also be a good reference for you.

Good luck.