One of the Army ways (I was in a different branch) was the BFG (Bigger F Hammer )trick. It worked in some cases. In others well you know... If you are replacing it there is not AS MUCH need to keep the old one in good condition as long as you don't mar the mount surface up etc.

 

I'm from a Navy family! Thanks for your service! I was using a pretty good size hammer , but maybe I should give it a really good whack or two. Don't want to bend the hub though. Thanks!!

 

chisels are the way to go. no need to go nuts on them. a 2 lb sledge will do it. towards the front on top there's a spot outside of the seam where the widening spot of the chisel hits should start to spread it. than get in there with aerosol penetrant than another chisel. nice part about it when u get it loose enough you can tug it off instead of it flying around like a tetherball by the ebrake cable.

 

Thanks! Would I chisel behind the pan separating the brake from the CV Joint?

 

get it behind the dust shield. the back plate and ebrakes will all come off at once. than lay all that face down. i put some blocks of wood on the floor first than tap the hub out of the back plate. maybe check out some you tube videos to get an idea what you're getting into. where your arrow is pointing you have to get behind there. don't forget to take the axle nut off and tap that to loosen it up.

 

Thanks! Will give that a try.

 

I thought the most common DIY swap for later model Foresters was to replaced the hub complete with bearing?

 

@Kevin i don't think there are to many vehicles out there today that don't use hub/bearing types

 

So I wonder is @hudracer trying to remove the hub or the bearing itself?

 

i honestly don't know if you can take the bearings out of these.

 

I’m pretty sure even the biggest BFH won’t pop that hub and bearing off with that nut in place.

 

Just the picture. I removed the axle bolt and the four bolts holding the hub. Thanks!

 

I had 2014 Forester, and front bearing went bad around 90k miles, then I replaced rear around 105k miles. I had same problem that brake rotor cover stuck to bearing assembly. I just ordered new brake rotor cover , trashed bearing assembly and cover. next forester , 2019 I sprayed oil between brake rotor cover shroud and bearing assembly when it new.

 

Thanks!!

 

You could try the bolt and nut method where you knock a stud or two, thread your bolt and nut through using the knuckle as your press. Look up south main auto wheel bearing removal trick. Good luck.

 

So as everyone has said on here, heat and an air chisel or hammer and chisel. But only after you take that hub off. You gotta get in that little Grove with a hammer and pop it out. You'll have to get a special socket to break off the bearing. Then I'd get in there and put the thing off with heat and a chisel. Id stay away from the sledge. That dust gaurd will be whacked a few times if you do that. Pb blast it overnight and throughout the day. I found lots of videos on YouTube about bearing removals for my wrx.

 

Thanks!!

 

 

This is the video I started with. His tap, tap, tap hasn't worked for mine. I will continue to research! Thanks!!

 

loosen the bolts about 1/4 inch (looking from the back of the bearing assembly along the axle) place bar on the head of 1 bolt at a time, hit with harbor frieght 4 pound sledge - both hands... Go from one bolt to another cris cro

ss..it will walk out.

 

loosen the bolts about 1/4 inch (looking from the back of the bearing assembly along the axle) place bar on the head of 1 bolt at a time, hit with harbor frieght 4 pound sledge - both hands... Go from one bolt to another cris cross..it will walk out.

Just did mine. After trying every trick in the book, Youtube and in this thread, this was the one method that actually worked. I actually bought first a slide hammer and then an air hammer in the process, but no luck. Didn't even budge. If I combine the $$$ used on tool and on bus fares for a week because the damn car was stuck on jack stands in my driveway for a week, I probably didn't save that much by just letting a shop do the job...

 

Put on the hub bolts and torque them back up. By pulling the hub and housing together, this can re-align the mating surfaces, and break apart any rust bonding. When loosening the bolts, do so in a cross pattern sequence; and only a little at a time (as you would when tightening). This allows the pressure to come off evenly, on all four bolts; leaving less chance that the hub is skewed within the housing (which otherwise, will cause binding).

Heat (propane, Mapp torch), on flange and where hub inserts into housing (being careful of brake lines, cv boots, wheel speed sensor etc).

Can follow up with a freeze penetrant (wurth - roost off ice, or Loctite version). Then re-heat.

Air hammer with flat face bit; to vibrate and shock loose, any surfaces that are bound together (between hub and housing).

Hub/bearing puller, if you have (or can borrow), one. It may initially just press the shaft from the hub; but when the drive shaft compresses, there may still be enough length to pull the hub from housing. Or at least the total friction on the hub will be reduced, so other methods are more effective on hub and housing.

 

If you have a good air hammer, loosen the 4 bolts that hold the hub in place until they are mostly out, then use the air hammer on them, from the backside, to hammer the hub assembly out.

EDIT: I see @Warren S is recommending similar but without the air hammer

 

Check this out!

 

Hi. My first suggestion is to watch a few videos on YouTube from South main Auto. This guy shows you how hard it is to do. I replaced 2 rear ones. Incredibly hard to do at home. Better order brake backing plates. I had to remove the entire rear wheel hub and bearing to get it removed.

 

Make sure the drive shaft spline is loose. If it is rusted, it will also be holding everything together. Also, I find that large heavy rubber mallets work well if hitting on the side as does a piece of wood held in place then hit with a steel hammer.

 

I replaced all four on my 2013 Forrster recently. First, you have to remove the axel nut. Take out the four bolts holding the hub in. Take one of the bolts to Lowes or a hardware store and get two or four like it at least an inch longer. Put the bolts ingo the hub and take a heavy sledge hammer and beat the hub loose by hitting the bolts evenly one at a time.

 

I would try a slide hammer or 3 arm hub puller from OTC. Hammers tend to knock the spindle ID out of spec. Use a lot of PB blaster overnight. Best to pull hubs out with a puller like a Hub Grappler.

 

Before you start, even before removing the axel nut, be sure to remove the speed sensor on the top of the axel. If you don't, it can be damaged. It's just one screw and it popped out with a bit of a twist. As always, first out, last back.\
When I did mine about 1-1/2 years ago, I used a 10 lb. sledge. A video I saw said use the biggest hammer you have (I didn't use the 12 lb.). One side came off eventually, the other didn't budge. I used an air chisel. You have to look behind the sheet metal backing plate to where the square hub mount to the axel housing. If you jimmy the housing, you will need to file it flat so the new one mounts square.
Later I saw a method of putting an old brake rotor on backwards and hitting the edge with a hammer. This would increase the lever action to work it out. I didn't have an old rotor at the time, anyway.
BTW, there is a TSB on this issue. Included they saw the backing plates can cause premature bearing failure. Mine was like 75-80k miles. The parts listed include the hub/bearing assy. brake backing plate, and the hub nut. The TSB is from about Sept. 2019. I listed it in some previous threads. It indicates that it is a part/assembly issue, but they will not fix it unless you have an in force warrantee.

 

There is a tool called a hub shocker. I was able to borrow one. We literally used a sledgehammer on it to get the hub off. It was crazy. It’s not easy!

 

Nova2000
That hub shocker looks like a tool to do the same thing as using an old rotor. Nice to see they actually make a tool. Good info.

 

Hub shocker is too violent for me. Looks like it could do some damage to the spindle ID. Personally, I would not use it. Hub Grappler, yes.

 

When I did my rear ones, I don't know if I could have gotten the axel shaft entirely out as needed for the Grappler tool. Been a while, so I don't remember if it went back far enough to completely come out before hub removal. I am thinking it didn't. I do like the looks of it, though.