RE: Need help with Milano rear wheel bearing

["Rich Hirsch" <rhirsch@domain.elided>]

Hi Carson,

Brian Shorey was the first to reply to my request for help and his
answer was right on -- the old bearing collar was stuck to the hub.
Once the old collar was extracted from the hub and united with the
old bearing, the old bearing and new bearing looked identical. The
bearing collar was so well pressed onto the hub it looked to me
like part of the hub.

In looking at the procedure given on your web page written by Ethan
Schartman:

    http://www.alfa90.org/rearbearing.html

Item 5) on your webpage describes my situation exactly:

"5. There's a bearing race still attached to the hub. Find some way of
removing it (I don't have a good method for this. Once I used an angle
grinder to split it. Be careful of damaging the hub. The race is
hardened so normal metal tools won't work. Best thing would be to get
a machinist to make a precision collar to fit behind it and then use
a 3 jaw puller)."

Unfortunately, I had not read Ethan's writeup until after my R&R job
was well underway and then I rushed past item 5, thinking it didn't
apply in my case. It was only after Brian's note that I realized
what the problem was.

BTW once I knew the bearing collar was on the hub I had little
difficulty removing it using a small bearing separator (Harbor
Freight #07343-OCJA) and a standard gear puller.

> Earlier this week, or maybe last week I put up a bunch of interchanges
> for the wheel bearings. You could see if it's there. Sounds ok though,
> just like the BCA one I put in.

http://members.home.net/75milano/21,25parts.htm

The bearing I'm using was purchased from IAP. It is SKF BA2B 633457. Don't
know why there should be so many SKF numbers that are equivalent
for this part, at least FIVE!

> How did you get the inner hub out, the one with the lug studs on it and
> presses on the inner race of the bearing?

This was the hardest part of the procedure. I first tried to remove the
hub using a large bearing separator that was ground down a bit to fit
the De Dion axle better. If you look at the Milano manual (p. 25-6),
there is a special Alfa tool,  A.2.0380, for removing the hub. I was
trying to duplicate this tool. A.2.0380 looks like a large bearing
separator with an attached bar in back that holds the wheel shaft in
place so you can pull the hub. Anyway, I put somthing like tool A.2.0380
together but couldn't get the hub off anyway pulling from the front.

I did finally get the hub off using the makeshift tool described above
by removing the wheel shaft and inserting a socket (40mm diameter) in
its place between the hub and the bar of the tool. Then I tightened
the bolts that held the bar to the bearing separator. This exerted
pressure on the socket and forced out the hub. (The socket I used was
NOT a 40mm socket, but a socket that had a 40mm diameter. Any socket
that just barely fits thru the hole in the bearing should work.)

I noticed in an Alfetta book I have that before Alfa recommended using
tool A.2.0380, they suggested wedging a bar between the back of the
wheel shaft and suspension, sort of like Ethan's method:

"2. ...Install breaker bar vertically on the left side of the hub,
between rear of hub and suspension members. Use three jaw puller
to pull hub off..."

I might try this method if I have to do another rear bearing.

About the tool used to install the new bearing retainer ring, it's
a "6-lug axle nut socket" designed to be used on a Dana 70 series
truck axle. You can get one of these sockets from AutoZone for
about $20, #OEM 27046. (Unfortunately, it can't be used to remove the old
retainer.) This tool is actually available for rental. Look at:

http://www.autozone.com/Repair/InsideOurStores/tools/wheel_axle/body_spindle
_nut.html

Otherwise, I have the special Alfa tool A.3.0432 for bearing removal and
replacement,
which I'm sure helped a lot.

Thanks for your help!

Rich Hirsch
St Louis MO

> Have you been to my page? Earlier this week, or maybe last week I put up
> a bunch of interchanges for the wheel bearings. You could see if it's
> there. Sounds ok though, just like the BCA one I put in. How did you get
> the inner hub out, the one with the lug studs on it and presses on the
> inner race of the bearing? Is OEM a brand name? More info
> http://www.alfa90.org/rearbearing.html
> http://members.home.net/75milano/21,25parts.htm
> Carson Damm

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