powdercoating wheels

thinking of getting my wheels powdercoated in white as it should be harder wearing than normal paint. what do i do about the bearings?

 

You will have to remove them as the wheel will need to be blasted first. I used an inexpensive blind bearing puller from Harbor Freight.

 

do u have an ebay link for the bearing pullers?

 

No, but this is what you're looking for:

Blind Hole Bearing Puller

 

Oh, and you'll need this set (or an appropriately sized socket) and a BFH to get the new bearings in once the coating is done:

http://www.harborfreight.com/10-piece-bearing-race-and-seal-driver-set-95853.html

Also, make sure you remind whoever does your coating to plug the holes. If they get powder where the bearing belong you will be very unhappy.

 

thats great cheers.

what do i do about putting new ones in? any special tools required for putting new ones in?

 

Freeze the bearings, heat the wheels up a bit and they should install fairly easily. Just remember to only put pressure on the outer race, and be sure to put the spacer in before you install the second bearing.

 

If you are putting new bearings in anyway than you can just use a punch to remove the old ones since you don't have to worry about damage. No puller required.

 

+1

You can pop the old bearings out with a long screwdriver if you're going to toss them.

You can probably push the new bearings in using an appropriately sized collar or the old bearing as long as you're only tapping on the outer race.

 

I have a big old socket that fit just right. I don't recall what size it was, but it has a just slightly smaller O.D. than the bearing.

 

The original poster might have a bit of a shipping hassle from Harbor Freight to UK.

Best IMO to install new bearings. The old ones can be driven out any number of ways. An auto shop will have the necessary proper tools and a good shop will not charge an arm and a leg for a couple of bearings. Shop around.

A good DIY method including the heating and cooling of the assembly is to use a length of hardwood as a drift.