Anyone ever try to remove their differential carrier bearings. I removed the bearing away from the ring gear, but the one next to the ring gear won't come off. My GM garage here can't do it, they say they don't have the tools. I have a bearing separator, but it has a slight rounding or curve to it, and won't grab the edge of the bearing. I've tried heat, and a slide hammer, no luck. Anyone have any suggestions? I'm considering cutting it off with a dremel tool, but I will only do this as a last resort.

Thanks,
Fred

Cutting the race and splitting it with a cold chisel has been done hundreds of times when the proper splitter can not be obtained locally. We do it quite often (shop tools have a bad habit of walking away). Just be careful not to nick the carrier with the cutoff wheel or chisel.

Dennis,

That worked great, I cut a groove in the side with the smallest cutting wheel I had. Then placed the chisel on, tapped it twice and it split clean. I could take it off by hand, no problem.
I have one more question, can you put the new bearing on with a hammer and a socket, or should they be pressed on?

You have done one heck of a job on the El Camino.
Thinking back in time, no way would my wife (or children) ever let me give up a trip to Disney, for anything on my car. Heck, if they had their way, I wouldn't have any money for my daily driver. It would have all gone for vacations...

Thanks,
Fred.
1969 Chevelle SS 396 4speed

Thanks, still have a long way to go.

Yes a socket and a hammer will work. Make sure the socket is on the inner race area of the bearing. We have a "special" set of drivers for this exact purpose. Your concrete floor makes a good backing, you'll know right away when it's seated.

I use one of these (http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/pro_det.asp?P65=&tool=all&item_ID=10211&group_ID=1219&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog) for the carrier bearings, works great. Most diffs have two small indentations under the back side of the bearing for the arms to hook into, then you clamp them down and pull, with the adapter in the bore where the axle goes through.

Darren

Dennis,

Thanks for your help, bolts torqued, preload set, backlash set, cover on and gear oil in, yahooo graemlins/hurray.gif she's on the road again.
I've spent a lot of time out in CA over the last seven years. From Tabel Mountain (and Round Mountain) all the way down to Bakerfield, CA is great.

Darren,
Wish I had the extra money to buy ones of those. It would have made the job go alot quicker.

Thanks,
Fred.