How To: Remove bearings with a welder

This is such a handy trick to get outer bearing races out of hard to reach places. It's fast, simple, and often you won't even need to use a hammer.
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[@bradles1964]

Great video nice and straightforward and thank you so much I just removed a outer that I had nothing to get a punch on and I mean nothing incredible trick of the trade 👍

[@FirePantsFabrication]

Glad it helped mate. It is a good trick.

[@peteryao2008]

Thank you so much for the tip👍. I have just successfully removed a stubborn race from my trailer hub. It worked !!! Thank you Thank you Thank you! I didn't even use water cooling at the end, just 4 tabs at 90 degrees apart to give my chisel a grab. The heat did the trick too for sure! cheers!

[@FirePantsFabrication]

Sensational. Glad it worked well for you.

[@KarlssonJohn]

Thank you! Just fixed a bearing that had been a pain for the last days!

[@FirePantsFabrication]

Glad it helped!

[@cerwin21]

Just used this on a subaru bearing that exploded. Only the race left, Worked great, thanks

[@FirePantsFabrication]

Great work.

[@nickgraham8501]

Great tip, have been stuck there before and this would have saved me hours......

[@FirePantsFabrication]

Glad you liked it. Next time you get stuck you'll know what to do.

[@chloe19815]

I just did this and saved myself a few quid on getting them pressed out so thanks

[@FirePantsFabrication]

Glad it worked for you. its a handy trick.

[@TheMadMagician87]

Great tip to share for people, thanks. I had to do this many years back to get the bastard of a bottom tapered bearing race out from the head tube of my dirt bike. I'd tried bloody everything in the hours before finally breaking out the welder....which solved the problem in about 30 seconds 😑

[@FirePantsFabrication]

Its become my first option when the welder is handy.

[@jacobgray3264]

Got about 30 to do Hopefully this helps

[@Habitatu]

This works, thanks!

[@FirePantsFabrication]

You're welcome!

[@randywiseau2356]

Would it be better to let the weld air cool or is water cooling part of the magic?

[@FirePantsFabrication]

Water cooling helps while the housing is still hot, but either way will work.

[@roelonzo]

Awesome to the point video, thanks for sharing ! Do you have a trick to mount new bearings that you can only just get started in the hole ? Would putting them in the freezer work ?

[@ianrobertson3419]

Installation is made easier by warming the outer housing and freezing the inner part. Every little bit helps, so a normal freezer @-20degc is good but dry ice is better, and more fun.

[@FirePantsFabrication]

yes, as Ian said, freezing helps. dry ice is better, but liquid nitrogen is the best.

[@biopsiesbeanieboos55]

Amazing. Why does it work ?

[@FirePantsFabrication]

The intense heat on the bearing shell causes it to expand, but as the housing is still cold the bearing only expands axially. Then as it cools it shrinks both axially and radially, so it ends up a smaller diameter than before. Or that is at least my understanding.

[@biopsiesbeanieboos55]

Your explanation sounds perfectly reasonable. It still looks like magic though.

[@hairyloon]

I suggest that the heat also softens the metal of the bearing a little, so it can squash a bit as it expands.

[@ianrobertson3419]

The thermal cycling from hot to cold helps loosen the bearing as it expands and contracts. The real magic comes from the bead of weld because as it cools, it actually draws itself together, effectively shrinking the part enough to pop out.

[@johnhorner5711]

@@ianrobertson3419 BIngo. The weld bead goes on hot. As the bead cools, it shrinks. The forces involved in thermal expansion or contraction are immense, and no material can really stop the movement. Just heating the assembly without welding and then letting it cool does not produce the same result as the welding trick. It is a darn good trick!

[@moejr14]

This work d amazing for me

[@FirePantsFabrication]

excellent, glad it helped.

[@snap-off5383]

My dad showed me this on a semitrailer wheel bearing. Turned the welder off, flipped it over and it FELL out.

[@FirePantsFabrication]

Makes it so easy.

[@caseyhetzelable]

Can't wait for my next job to just floop out! Lol

[@garycrofts1421]

Will this work in an aluminium housing (car gearbox), or is it too easy to melt the alloy?

[@FirePantsFabrication]

yes, it will be fine it wont melt anything. but dont go crazy on it at the same time. there wont be that much crush on it so it wont take much to shrink it off.