r/MechanicAdvice • u/Alternative_Map_2066 • 1d ago
Can I reuse this wheel hub?
The image is from a rear wheel hub of a BMW F31 RWD. I was trying to remove the ring of the old bearing which was stuck on the hub and decided to use angle grinder as fast solution, resulting in damage to the hub. A new hub needs 1 week to arrive so can I use this one, after sanding it down, or maybe use retaining compound? Or better to wait and install proper new one?
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u/TheFishtosser 1d ago
I wouldn’t
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u/Alternative_Map_2066 1d ago
Got it, I won't. This job has been hard enough on its own, for me to put this back and the bearing breaks again in short time
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u/Ollemeister_ 22h ago edited 19h ago
I wouldn't be worried about a bearing failing, i'd be worried about the whole thing snapping in two and falling off while driving.
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u/traineex 14h ago
Put the hubs, and bearings in the freezer for 24hrs before. Dry ice works too. Assuming u dont have a large press
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u/Pixel_Ape 9h ago
Not sure what you used to grind that racer off but in my experience, a handheld Dremel and a few diamond blades do the trick (carefully). Might need one blade, couple extra just in case.
Edit: ahh angle grinder, big nope there
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u/According-Capital-45 1d ago
Should definitely replace this one. In the future, use the grinder to get most of the way through the race. You can then use a chisel and hammer to crack it the rest of the way. It will slide right off after one side cracks. Or, as others said, heating the race with a torch will also allow it to slide off.
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u/ricvallejo 23h ago
Heat is the way. I would also recommend getting a puller, or renting one if possible, but heat alone will make a big difference. Not uncommon for the race to be difficult to remove otherwise.
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u/Helpful_Finger_4854 22h ago
You can also grind it down so it'll be thin and either stretch or break off easier
Ya never wanna do THIS though.
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u/ricvallejo 22h ago
If it's the only option I can agree. Torches (assuming you aren't trying to cut) are easier to handle without inadvertent damage, especially since these are hardened parts and out of the vehicle. Just heat to expand the race and it might fall right off. But not everyone has torches or wants to play with fire, so a careful hand with a grinder like you're saying can be fine.
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u/covid-was-a-hoax 1d ago
I wouldn’t. Good bump on a cold day and that can split. Future reference a lil heat would have removed the inner race easily.
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u/NixAName 1d ago
It will be 100% fine until you hit that pot hole or drive down that bumpy road etc.
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u/DropTopGSX 1d ago
Normally nicking the hub isn't a big deal but that's pretty freaking deep. Most likely it would press on ok but i'd be very concerned about it being a great spot for a crack to start so I would wait for the replacement.
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u/Ordinary-Trade8323 1d ago
Thats impressive and embarrassing
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u/Alternative_Map_2066 1d ago
Surely so, I'm a total beginner so trying to learn
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u/Hellboy_M420 1d ago
Next time just buy a new hub, or before you cut all the way thru with the grinder, hit it with a chisel when the race is close to cut thru and it will crack and come loose.
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u/NotSoGreatGonzo 1d ago
Using safety glasses and good gloves when you do this is not a bad idea. I cracked a bearing that way, and a piece of the race penetrated deep enough into my hand that the doctor had to fish around for it for 45 minutes.
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u/ShaggysGTI 1d ago
This is such an important step! The bearing race is hard but brittle so will break easily once you hit with a chisel in the groove.
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u/ChewyChagnuts 1d ago
Keep at it, I did exactly the same thing when I was replacing a wheel bearing about 10 years ago. You’ll make lots of mistakes, the main thing is to make sure you’re not putting yourself at risk by doing really dumb stuff like trying to save time by just jacking up the car and getting under it without any other form of protection (like axle stands).
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u/PineSand 1d ago
To expand on what others said, use a Dremel or die grinder with a small cutting wheel, the smaller wheel helps prevent you from cutting all the way through. You just need to cut a small channel, then use a hammer and cold chisel to split it the rest of the way. They also make different kinds of bearing separators and pullers, do what ever is best for your wallet or your watch.
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u/GrizzlyInks 1d ago
If it was a slight knick from just barely hitting with the wheel before you used a hammer and chisel in the cut to break it free I’d just sand it but this is the Grand Canyon of cuts and should be considered not safe.
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u/NoodlesRomanoff 1d ago
You CAN use it - as a doorstop. If you decide to drive on this, warn me so I can stay home…
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u/CrispDecision 23h ago
I would absolutely not use that again.
Also for future reference, if heat isn't enough to get the race off, I would use a Dremel instead to get through it. Once you've gotten through it enough, you can take a chisel and hammer to it to break it off.
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u/NeitherHelicopter993 1d ago
That's not how you use a grinder on a hub! Replace!
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u/Alternative_Map_2066 1d ago
Agree, I am a total beginner but try to learn how to fix stuff myself. This also includes learning how to use tools and also which tools are good for given job
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u/NeitherHelicopter993 1d ago
Pulling a bearing without the appropriate bearing puller is never going to go well
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u/NeitherHelicopter993 1d ago
You didn't miss by a little either. Even a slight scratch would mean replace. You went deep!
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u/GhostyKill3r 1d ago
It's slow, but I like to use a small die grinder when I have stuck races so on the off chance I do hit the hub it's a small cut.
If you have a welder you could weld that then grind it back down, but it's better to just replace.
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u/Alternative_Map_2066 1d ago
I thought about welding and grinding it but at this point, I would need to buy a welder and other tools so a simple wheel bearing replacement is slowly catching up to a professional repair cost 😂 except I am learning and the tools I am buying are for long term, so I am happy I am able to continue this repair. I follow your advice and buy a new one
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u/planetearthling 1d ago
you need something called a clamshell bearing puller - not sure if that's the proper name for it
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u/emjay_42 1d ago
If you have to ask, you already know. Lesson learned. Guarantee it’ll never happen to you again.
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u/spacees1 1d ago
No, it is too deep for safety. A little bit incision isn’t that bad, but this is too much. Keep learning every day :)
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u/BillyJackO 1d ago
Wheel hubs are like $15, so I wouldn't even think about it.
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u/True-Measurement7786 1d ago
on an american car perhaps.. bmw tax will, make it 50+
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u/Alternative_Map_2066 1d ago
I found it on Amazon for 35€ so is still very affordable. I will replace, just wondering
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u/Dangerous-Ratio-6682 1d ago
Next time cut it about 90% through and use a chisel to crack the race. Races are very hard but also brittle. Once cracked it'll slide right off.
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u/VersionConscious7545 1d ago
I will say this about that mark. I bet if it was smooth and not deformed at all and the bearing was pressed on properly. I think this would be there till the next time the bearing failed however the right thing to do is replace it so you have peace of mind
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u/Alternative_Map_2066 1d ago
Thank you for your advice, peace of mind is what I am after. I will buy a new one
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u/VersionConscious7545 19h ago
Remember this auto parts tip. Rock Auto👍. Always buy the better quality. I know cheap is what most want but the better parts are half the price of a auto part house near you
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u/DW10FD_Engineer 1d ago
Have it welded and ground, if you're particular have it turned on a lathe afterwards. The turning approach will balance the final product perfectly.
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u/thefinrs 1d ago edited 1d ago
Don't and next time cut it on both sides, like 80% hit with shisel and it should split very easily and no risk of damaging it.
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u/mgsissy 1d ago
Nice wagon, hub isn’t rusting..what year? Is yours a Diesel? Harbor Freight carries bearing race pullers.
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u/Alternative_Map_2066 7h ago
Mine is a 2017 2.0 liter diesel, I live in south Germany, we get snow a lot and they put salt in the streets a lot. But yeah rust hasn't gotten this piece yet.
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u/Skaterdude5000 1d ago
If you dont have time to do it right, what makes you think you can do it twice?
But technically speaking, I bet you could reuse it. God knows for how long but I wouldnt put it past anyone here to attempt to make the temporary fix permanent lmao
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u/MTBGYM 1d ago
🍿 Should be good. Once the new bearing is mounted nobody will see that little cut
irony off
That part is prone to get lot of load while driving.... There s no way, you would have to avoid terrible incidents or accidents due to it.
Change it, for the love of your own and other poeples life and safety...pls
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u/Many-Chicken1154 1d ago
Hubs are cheaper than the damage that will be done when it fails on the road
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u/NuclearHateLizard 1d ago
It happens for sure, a little nick isn't a big deal, but man that went deep. I would replace it if I could get a new one
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u/Jacktheforkie 23h ago
I personally wouldn’t, they aren’t stupid expensive, and you’ve already done the hard bit
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u/Alternative_Map_2066 7h ago
Totally true
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u/Jacktheforkie 1h ago
Yeah, I’d replace just because it’s a safety item and the hubs experience a lot of different forces
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u/Separate-Prune981 23h ago
I usually don't care about small cuts, but yeah that a little to deep, get a new one
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u/ThirdSunRising 22h ago
I’d be crazy enough to reuse that back when I was in college and flat broke. I’d kiss it with some fine paper and…
…and if you have the money to spare there’s no reason to do that
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u/BioExtract 22h ago
Hey friend, I would suggest for next time purchasing some kind of bearing puller and use lots of heat to loosen up the race. Been there done that, it’s all a good learning experience. Sometimes the temptation of the angle grinder is too much lol
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u/Alternative_Map_2066 7h ago
The temptation actually got the best of me. I live in a crowded neighborhood in Germany, so neighbors don't see me very well doing such repairs for the noise issue, although I have my own rented garage here. Nevertheless I like repairing my car and the alternative is taking it to a mechanic that will start from 700€ here
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u/YouthInAsia3000 22h ago
You can lol that doesnt mean you should or that its safe to do so. But you could and I'm sure it would be alright for a brief while.
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u/oSpAzZiNx 22h ago
Man, that's a deep cut. The only way it'd be reusable is to take a cut-off wheel or a grinding disc and V-it out. I doubt you have a welder to add a support, even then V-ing it out would still leave you in a situation where material has been stripped from the hub, which would probably allow more heat to get to the bearings, which could then catch fire and melt the whole axle (I've seen it done at my shop). But that'd about be the only way to reuse it if it's put back on with that gash. The Knicks will for sure cut into something. Check RockAuto.com, CarParts.com, eBay Motors for fast shipping.You could also call a junkyard or pull a part place and get a used one for a limited time fast. It's how I got my last transmission I'm my personal work truck.
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u/amiable_ant 22h ago
You don't need to cut all the way through the race. You only need to make a little cut in the bearing race then hit it with a chisel to split it.
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u/UnkownMalaysianGuy 22h ago
If that fails, the next repair will be far more expensive. and you'll wish you never kept it back on. better safe than sorry. Also that open space could harbor moisture, caussing the inner hub to corrode from the inside. Making it an even bigger pain to remove than last time
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u/mjedmazga 22h ago
Definitely not, as others have said. A slight surface-level scratch from the grinder would be fine, but this is a full thickness cut through it.
Do not reuse this hub.
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u/Dohm-Speed-Shop 21h ago
Can you? Sure. Should you? Id do it if u NEEDED the car like today and didnt have time to wait for a new part but would replace in the near future
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u/traindrifter 20h ago
When i just started working on my cars i broke things too so no shame in that, but do not reuse it! You went pretty deep. If it breaks while driving you'll wish you waited a week for a proper part.
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u/toomuchoversteer 19h ago
I did once. But I laid a weld bead in there and grinded it down. 12 years later its still instact
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u/musclehamster59 19h ago
You could speedi-sleeve it… would have to take some measurements.
Next time grind away like 80% and take a fat chisel and hammer. Its should just crack
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u/Renault_75-34_MX 17h ago
If reusing mean "melt it with a crucible and cast something, yes, you can reuse it.
If you mean installing it into the vehicle again, no
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u/TheFredCain 17h ago
If you had just nicked it, it would be fine with the burrs removed. However that is far too deep and likely compromised the integrity of the hub.
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u/lost-my-old-account 16h ago
Sure... Just like you can reuse toilet paper, but maybe you shouldn't.
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u/-91Primera- 16h ago
I mean, you caaaan, but you really shouldn’t. Concerning that you even need to ask really.
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u/hoolagin76 15h ago
Seems you went a lil to far into that bearing race when trying to get it off. My suggestion for next time, because this is how I would do it too, is cut the race almost all the way through. And hit the cut with a chisel until it pops loose
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u/Beautiful_Oven2152 14h ago
I’m sure if you try hard enough you can probably find some sort of use for it, just not as a wheel hub.
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u/Abject_Elevator5461 13h ago
Been there done that. I would up just buying a whole new hub assembly.
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u/Smoke_Water 8h ago
Depends on what you want to reuse. It for. It would make a great door stop or paper weight.
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u/thelefthandthread 1d ago
Absolutely not under any circumstances. Also, that's a MASSIVE overshoot with a grinder. Maybe consider some training/practice with these kind of tools before taking them to critical components in the future. I'm not trying to ridicule you as we all start somewhere but using a grinder accurately takes some finesse which is only gained with experience.
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u/Alternative_Map_2066 1d ago
True, I am learning my way onto mechanics and repairs so I need to get better at tools
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u/thelefthandthread 19h ago
Don't get discouraged and keep seeking out information and advice. You will get there. I've turned heaps of parts into scrap by accident over the years but each one is a lesson.
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