Now that i'm getting my bearings....

I recommend a good length of M8 and M10 studding, with some matching nuts and an assortment of thick penny washers of various sizes. I also use a length of Unistrut (used by electricians to create cable runs in industrial settings), Dexion or even angle iron with suitable holes drilled in it to bridge crankcases while you extract the bearings.

A paint stripper heat gun is also recommended for situations where you need to warm up a casing in order to get it to expand and release the bearing, while you apply force to it using the nuts, washers and studding as mentioned above.

With the right size washers, you can use the same tool to refit the new bearings, by bridging the opposite side of the casing.

 

Ah it's wheel bearings, they are a different kettle of fish. The tool that I described above works well on crankcase and gearbox bearings, but it won't work on wheel bearings.

You can't get a puller into the inside of the bearing and even the Haynes manual suggests that you hammer them out with a drift. If your front wheel is anything like the one on my TKR, there's a steel tube that runs inside the hub and fits between the bearings, acting as a guide for the axle.

The Haynes manual recommends that you use a drift such as a long screwdriver or bar held at an angle to hammer on the edge of the bearing by forcing the tube within the wheel to one side. It works, but it risks damaging the bearing housing and I did damage mine, causing me to have to repair it.

Having thought about it, I've come up with a better way in my head and it's definitely worth a try. Go to your DIY superstore and find a large expanding masonry bolt (anchor bolt) that will expand to fit the inner bearing race. Put the bolt into the bearing (not too deep or it will go into the tube, you don't want that) and tighten it, so that the bolt grips the inner bearing race securely.

Now you have something to hammer against that keeps the line of applied force straight, inline with the axle line and minimises the risk of the bearing getting slanted in the housing, causing damage. It also should prevent the inner race of the bearing from suddenly slanting over and spilling the ball bearings all over the floor, leaving the outer race in the wheel. I had that happen to me and it was a right pain to remove.

Once one bearing is out, remove the bolt, fit it to the other side bearing and repeat.

 

That's what I've been doing for several months now towards the rebuild of my TKR - taking my time, getting the right parts and getting the attention to detail right.

 

I dunno - the new front wheel bearings and shaft seal I bought only came to £10.72 including shipping from Simply Bearings. I don't think you need a mortgage for those.