33 replies to this topic

[danie garry]

probably just a grinding bit and just about wear through the casing and brake the rest using a screwdriver or whatever works!!

[tractor777]

At last - bought a grinding stone from halfords, attached to drill and ground out one side of the bearing - the outer casing then freed and released, Went a bit far with the grinder on the first bearing side and took a bit out of the casing too - but it will still seal. Many thanks to everyone who helped getting the arm and then the bearing out. Really appreciated - now I can start putting back together.

[tiger99]

If you have nicked the bore of the arm with the grinder, the arm may well be scrap. The needle roller bearings are very heavily loaded, and their outer shell is very thin, relying on an exact and continuous support from the bore of the arm to be able to stand the load without distorting. That is true of all drawn cup needle roller bearings, not just those used on Minis.

I strongly suggest that you post a good picture of the damage, so it can be properly assessed. In certain circumstances a repair may be possible, by filling the groove with epoxy immediately before inserting the new bearing, very lightly oiled so it does not stick.

[jeffm5150]

I am going through replacing my front left arm right now. The pivot shaft was fused to the bearings. I'm attaching a picture of what it looked like when we finally got it off. What a mess ...

We used a reciprocating saw between the back thrust washer and subframe. Worked like a charm.

Edit: weird, the attachment doesn't show up, so here's the link to the image:

Edited by jeffm5150, 20 October 2012 - 09:41 PM.