Hub bearing retaining circlip - rusted solid

[GraemeT]

Hello all

I have the entire hub carrier assembly off the car to replace the bearing and have hit the problem of getting the old circlip off the back of the carrier. The car now has 148K miles on it and these look like they are the originals.

So far I have tried every trick in the book (and YouTube) than I can think off to try and free up the circlip from the retaining slot, This includes heat (many times), cold, wire brushes, penetrating fluid, big hammer, small hammer - you name it. I am now in the situation where there is no crud but the think is still welded in. One of the end holes has had its chips and I am wondering about where to go next.

Anybody got any ideas before I buy a secondhand carrier?

Thanks

Graeme

[cancunia]

Only thing that comes to mind is rust remover. Perhaps oxalic acid?

Not sure how big the piece is that you have with the circlip in but maybe an overnight soak would do the trick.

[GraemeT]

   

Thanks for the swift reply.

It is this bad boy. The circlip is basically welded into the groove and/or onto the back of the bearing - I suspect the latter as there is now a visible crack/line between the circlip and the outer edge of the groove.

I've managed to located a New/Old Stock genuine replacement for this entire unit that includes a fitted bearing and a new hub (Citroen part 3646.56) that (once I return the unused hub & bearing I have bought) will only have cost me an extra £20 -having spend the weekend on the job £20 extra up front would have been worth the extra!

There's another post on here that mentions this unit and if I go to do the driver's side I'd likely try and source one of those up front before I start. Googling suggests this is a problem on a lot of makes but the last resort for most people seems to be s scrapyard for a donor knuckle.

[jj9]

Do you have or know anyone with a welder, a spot of weld on the end of the circlip will give you something to hit against as demonstrated in the video link below

You may have already seen this video, the welding is at 4:51

https://youtu.be/i9h2MI0QXz0?t=291





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[GraemeT]

Hi - there's a gas/gasless MIG welder here buried in the shed - I think I will give it a try and see what happens - the circlip is certainly clean enough to take a weld :-)

[jj9]

Got to be worth a go.

If you do get the circlip out and are proceeding to remove the bearing, run a good bead of weld right around the inside of the bearing case then let it cool, this will shrink and the bearing will be a lot easier to remove.


Note...

If using the welding technique to remove a bearing case once removed place the case in a safe place as I've seen them shatter some time after being removed!

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[GraemeT]

Hi all

Partial success on the welding front. Using the MIG I puddled a weld around the tip of a small punch held in the remaining hole on one of the circlip tabs. Once cooled the punch broke loose from the weld after a few taps but this leaves a handy little dimple that fits/holds the punch tip quite handily. Couple of smacks with a lump hammer and the circlip was loose.

I didn't try the weld on the old bearing as UPS delivered the NOS knuckle/hub/bearing unit this afternoon so I get to rebuild the suspension/hub tomorrow morning - hopefully not too long unless (as I suspect) I've chewed the threads on the track rod end.

Happy!

[jj9]

Good to hear that the weld on the circlip helped, you'll have to remember that on for the future.

Good luck with the rebuild.


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[cancunia]

It's my turn with the dreaded circlip! It really does seem stuck but I've not broken the ends yet. Anyone got any ideas before I admit defeat and take it to the garage? I'll be getting the bearing pressed in any case but hoped to get the circlip out first.

[jj9]

If you keep on hitting the face of the circlip with a blunt chisel eventually it should break the rust seal, but maybe you're better off just letting the garage do it for you considering they are going to press the bearing anyway.


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