Your correct in that if you are not going to re-use the bearings, you don't have to be concerned how you get them off.ddvann79 wrote:Ahhhhh. I didn't think about where the pressure would be applied on the bearing. Thanks, Mike. But if I'm removing old bearings that I don't plan on reusing, does it matter how they are removed (with a puller)? Still, I would need a rig like yours for installing the new bearings. I wonder if I can rent one at an auto parts store.
I tried a gear puller to remove my bearings and ended out breaking one of the puller arms on the first attempt. My guess is you'll run into similar troubles with the pilot bushing puller. It's also VERY difficult to keep the jaws from spreading as you start to pull. I wrapped mine with several wraps of wire
For putting the new bearings on, if your REALLY conscience about alignment, you can cheat and use a hammer and some kind of device to contact in inner race. I did this on my ER10 and it worked fine. You can also use a deep socket instead of the wrench if you have one. Again here, it's CRITICAL you don't put the bearing on crooked or you can ruin the shaft.
Putting the shaft in the freezer for an hour or so AND heating up the bearing to 150° in an oven helps but may not be necessary. I didn't when I did my ER. With this method, it's not how hard you hit is how well you line things up. Little taps should show progress. If you see progress, your aligned OK.
If you can wait, others may have some suggestions.