Rear spindle removal

[Rex T.]

How difficult is it to remove the rear spindle on a mid year disc brake Corvette? Anything extremely difficult about it?

Thanks,
Rex

[Joe L.]

Re: Rear spindle removal

Rex------

It entirely depends upon how long the spindle has been in service. If it's an original mid-year car and the spindle has never been removed, I can virtually guarantee you that it's going to be a BEAR to remove, even with the Kent-Moore spindle press. In fact, it might be impossible to remove with the trailing arm on the car and require trailing arm removal and setting it up in an hydraulic press to get it out.

If it's been previously removed within, say, the last 5 years, a spindle knocker might be all you need to get it out.

[Dick W.]

Re: Rear spindle removal

Rex I have been doing rear wheel bearing repairs for over 20 years and do not consider it a job for a Saturday afternoon mechanic. Some will disagree, but without the proper tools, which purchasing for one or two jobs is not practical, I would suggest that you either remover the rear bearing housing assembly or the complete trailing arm and send it to someone like Bairs

www.Bairs.com

[Larry L.]

Re: Rear spindle removal

I have removed spindles from several cars - an orig car from Souther Cal was a breeze, and another from Michigan it was rusted pretty bad and we removed the trailing arm and we thought the press was going to explode - we stopped at 16 tons and used it as a core.
No fooling about the effort and tool requirement. The press that fits on the rear Disk Brake ears is OK for some but I have never been able to make it work.
I rented a truck axel puller, the one with the slide hammer about the size of a foot ball, we put one of the spindle removal tools from Volunteer Vette products on the spindle to protect the threads. One was on the outside with the knocker and on was under the car with a 10 lb. hammer. When we got into sync. We got it out 1 mm at a time. The bearings had been pressed onto an over size axel from the factory. Two evenings later we had it apart. Clean up and new paint another two evenings, Assembly took two hours each using the guys from Wisconsin's set up tools. If you don't have these tools don't attempt it.
We even had a shim kit that had every shim in 0.001 icremtns and it took two or more trys to get it right. The torque of 140 ft-lb is not insignificant and the spacer does compress but not linerly as you would think. Some are even differnt in their compression.
A real pain in the posterior but worth doing if you have the tools and patience to set them up. Plan on having the car laid up for about 1 to 2 weeks.

[Tom S.]

Re: Rear spindle removal

I vote for sending it out! If you don't have the tools and expetise to do the job let the pro's do it, it is a bear of a job.I do not know where you are located but there are 2 places in Florida that do it. Tom

[Chuck R.]

Re: Rear spindle removal

Unless your handy with automotive tools and are well versed in mechanics Rex, it really will be a serious undertaking.

Like the others have said, you CAN do it in your garage as long as your in command of the process.

If you go into this half a _ _ ed, your destined to both fail and probably screw up your trailing arms at which point you'll still be sending them out to Bair's or the like to be rebuilt.

If you have the savy to take it on, then a twenty ton (minimum) press, a bearing setup tool and even the spindle knocker are you prime weapons to conquer a bearing job.

I made a setup tool out of an old spindle that I turned down so I had a very slight interference fit so I could easily remove the outter bearing after I figured out what shims I either did or didn't require.

Guess it's up to you Rex.

There's no better feeling of satisfaction when you take on a grungy project like this and can "git er done"

Good luck,

Chuck 32205

[Joe C.]

NEVER Use Heat............

.......to remove the bearing from the spindle.

[Rex T.]

Re: NEVER Use Heat............

Actually, I just wanted to install new wheel studs (slightly longer than stock) and check the bearings while I had the spindle out, IFFFFFFFFFFF it was not too much trouble. I think the bearings were replaced within the last 4 years by a previous owner, trying to confirm this with him before I do any thing.

Thanks,
Rex

[Dick W.]

Re: NEVER Use Heat............

For the price of a new set of bearings it makes no sense to "check" the bearings. I have had too many good looking bearing come back to bite me later. My bearing inspection program is to take a good look at it as it goes into the scrap metal bin.

[Joe L.]

Re: NEVER Use Heat............

Dick------

I've replaced these rear wheel bearings when they only had a few thousand miles on them when I've removed spindles for other reasons. I would NEVER re-use one. Bearings are too inexpensive and the work involved in this operation too extensive to re-use them.

The only valid argument for re-using the bearings is that if you had real good end play with the old ones, you'll be able to re-achieve the same end play by re-using them (and, the same spacer and shim). So, it avoids the "set-up" procedure. Nevertheless, I don't re-use them.

[Rob A.]

Re: Rear spindle removal

Rex,

If you happen to be in S. California, I can recommend someone.

[Dick W.]

Re: NEVER Use Heat............

If you remove the rotor, I believe that you can replace the studs