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Hey everyone,
I’m looking to purchase tools to change wheel bearings on front-wheel drive cars. I’m a do-it-yourselfer, not a mechanic. After some research, I’ve come up with three possible tool purchases. Which do you think is the best option?
Option 1: Buy the OTC Hub Grappler (click me to see tool)
The Hub Grappler is very expensive, but it would literally cover all bases when it comes to wheel bearings. With this one kit, I would be able to separate the hub from the knuckle, remove the bearing and race, and install the new bearing. I also wouldn’t have to remove the knuckle, avoiding an alignment. The problem is that it is a really specialized tool and can’t really do anything else, and it’s $400. Hard to justify if I’m only going to use it once in a while.
Option 2: Buy the Harbor Freight Bearing Adapter Set (click me to see tool). It’s a cheap copy of the OTC set, minus a few tools. It’s Harbor Freight, so it might be junk. I’ve read reviews and the drive screw is lousy.
Option 3: Buy the Harbor Freight 20 ton Shop Press (click me to see tool) and the Harbor Freight Bearing Adapter Set (click me to see tool).
The press would be nice to have for other jobs, but both tools are from Harbor Freight, so I’m not sure about the quality/safety. These two tools would cost less than the OTC kit. Also, I’d have to remove the knuckle to press the bearings.
There’s more than one way to skin a cat, so if there are other options out there let me know.
Thanks!
Matt
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🙂 When it comes to buying tools for the home mechanic, there is a trade off in use versus price. Since you will not be making a living from owning the expensive tool, the cost of the tool makes it use prohibitive for the home mechanic, unless you are rich and want good tools.
The harbor freight tools are not made to the same standards as the OTC tools are. They are cheap and are good for maybe one or two uses before the lack of quality in the tool will make it use either dangerous or non functioning. I use harbor freight tools and it will work most of the time, but they are not built to take heavy usage and abuse like the OTC tool is. The trade off is a cheaper price, but limited use and short lifespan.
Tools like the one you want are a specialty item, and are sometimes made specifically for each car line or even car model. I would go to the chain auto part stores that lend tools to see if they have the tool you would need. Also some rental companies will have specialty tool available for rent.
Unless you have an need for such an exotic tool, I would look at the options of getting one from a parts house or a rental company. Owning such a piece would not be economical in the short run or further down the line. I hope this helps. Good Luck.Thanks for the reply.
Aside from the cost and quality differences, I’m also wondering which strategy is better. Is it better to get a press or buy a kit that works without removing the knuckle?
Having both set ups that you are considering here are my thoughts –
The harbor freight wheel bearing removal kit is pretty decent. lube the drive bolt and use hand tools and you will have good luck with it. if a wear problem arises with the drive bolt what most owners have done is order the otc drive bolt ( 25.00 on ebay ) prob solved. note that this kit will not remove the hub from the bearing ( you will need a slide hammer and hub puller attachment ) you can use the set to install the hub after the new wheel bearing is installed though.
press – the HF 20 ton press is one of the best buys out there. can be used for many things. if you decide to buy one get the newer version ( it is silver in color and bolts together ) the quality is better than the original orange one.
which route you go depends on how deep you want to dive into auto repair. since I own both set ups I can say I use my press far more than the wheel bearing kit ( wheel bearings , captured rotors , u-joints , axle bearings ) and the list goes on and on as to what my press gets used for. hope this info helps.
Here is my 2 cents…
– If you can, pull the hub with a slide hammer… Yes a Hub tool set can do it, but oftentimes it may be quicker if it goes off with a slide hammer.
– The 20T press at HF is a great buy for the price, and I would recommend one to anyone… Good for more than just hubs, just be advised, not all hubs can be configured to be removed on a press without extra supports or arbors.
– I have an OTC setup and absolutely love it… Is it worth the money… absolutely. I have not used the HF version so I can’t comment on it, but I have had no issues with my Hub tamer….
Here is a link of a job I did with a hub tamer… not the knuckle, you could not get it square into a press to push out/in a bearing…
Cheers!
-Karl
Here is my 2 cents…
– If you can, pull the hub with a slide hammer… Yes a Hub tool set with a forcing screw can do it, but oftentimes it may be quicker and easier if you use a slide hammer.
– The 20T press at HF is a great buy for the price, and I would recommend one to anyone… Good for more than just hubs, just be advised, not all hubs can be configured to be removed on a press without extra supports or arbors.
– I have an OTC setup and absolutely love it… Is it worth the money… absolutely. I have not used the HF version so I can’t comment on it, but I have had no issues with my Hub tamer….
Here is a link of a job I did with an OTC hub tamer… note the knuckle, you could not get it square into a press to push out/in a bearing…
Cheers!
-Karl
I just did bearings on my Honda Accord this past spring. I did not remove the knuckle from the car. I bought the bearing adapter kit from Harbor Freight, and attempted to use my existing slide hammer to pull the old hub / bearing out. I quickly discovered that my slide hammer was inadequate for the job lol. This lead to me finding another way to go about things.
I first persuaded the hub out of the bearing (without unbolting the bearing from the knuckle) with a big hammer (gently). Then, I used an impact driver to remove the splash shield screws, and pulled the splash shield out of the way. At that point, I unbolted the bearing from the knuckle, then used a flat chisel and my big hammer to get between the bearing and the knuckle to separate it and drive it apart.
Of course, the inner race stayed attached to the hub, so I slotted that with a dremel tool and cut off wheel, then fractured it with my chisel. With everything apart, I used the harbor freight kit to press the new bearing onto the hub (worked like a charm, don’t forget to lube the press bolt), screwed the splash shield back onto the knuckle, then reinstalled the bearing / hub assembly. Piece of cake.
While I agree that the harbor freight set is not going to be the same quality as the OTC, if you are using it once or twice a year, with a bit of proper care, I think it will last you for quite a long time.
Thanks for the advice. I’m gonna start by buying the Harbor Freight bearing adapter kit. It might just work, but if it doesn’t, I’ll go back and get the press. I’ll be able to use the bearing adapters with the press, and that will do it. And, down the line, if the drive bolt breaks, I’ll replace it with the OTC drive bolt. I’ll start cheaper and work my way up if need be.
Have you priced pulling the spindles and having a repair shop or machine shop press them for you?
I have the Harbor freight machine press, works great, but if I was not going to be using it much at all, I wonder if you could get a shop to press ’em for you for lots less money.
A machine shop near me wanted to charge me $80 to press one bearing. It’s not a terrible deal, but I think over time I could save money if I do it myself.
[quote=”matthewross1987″ post=84754]A machine shop near me wanted to charge me $80 to press one bearing. It’s not a terrible deal, but I think over time I could save money if I do it myself.[/quote]
WOW, that is pretty high just to press in one bearing. I usually do both for about $80.00
Yeah, with those numbers it might be better to have the equipment and just do it yourself.
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