I'm installing a new seal and outer bearing in my TJ's Dana 44 axle today. How difficult is it to seat the new bearing and bearing retainer without using a hydraulic press? TIA!!

Edit: The reason for all this is that it's leaking. I was thinking it was just a bad seal but some reading last night hinted it's a bad bearing that starts the leaking, not the seal. Is that right? Do I have to seat the seal onto the axle housing or does that get seated when I tighten the flange down?

Jerry,
You will definitely need a press, no way can you pound the retainer on.
Ron

I just put 2 on last night without a press. I used a 2lb sledge and pound the damn thing on. The face of the retainer is a little mashed but that won't hurt anything. Just keep pounding your way around the retainer slowly until it starts to sound different and you get more rebound. Then you've got the bearing down on the seat. A couple more whacks for good measure and it's on.

Oh yeah to get the old bearing off, I drilled a hole in the retainer collar and then used a cold chisel to break the thing off. Then between some more chisel work and a cut off wheel I cut the old bearing off (be careful not to damage the shaft with the cutting wheel)

:beer:

First day here and I learned something all ready!
I like it!
Ron

You can "pound it on with a BFH", but the press will make a 30 minute job of pounding into a 2 minute job of pressing.

If you don't have ready access to a press, check around town at some of your local fab shops, or automotive shops. I'm sure they'll press'm on for you real quick.

http://www.stu-offroad.com/d44/d44-1.htm




This was the last stroke before we called it good. The pressure went up to 6 tons on the last stroke and you could hear it seat home (don't ask, you had to be there). I don't think this was one of those jobs you would want to do with a drift punch and a 3 pound hammer!

Since I knew of a machine shop only 2 miles away, I had them press the bearing on for $10. It took them about 2 minutes to complete it including setup. I tried pounding them on myself with a 2# sledge hammer for a few seconds using the old bearing retainer but I could tell they weren't going on easily. Suddenly the $10 they quoted this morning seemed cheap. Hopefully I got the seal in good enough!

Hey that inner bearing race is very hard stuff to drill to get it off! I ended up using the Dremmel with a cut-off blade... went through it pretty quick and clean.

usualy I buy things like that at Napa and they press the old off and new ones on for nothing,but maybe they just like me.

Trailhawg

DUDE!! just heat the bearing up (not to hot), pick it up and drop it on:rolleyes: