How can you remove a stuck on rear bearing on a Dodge Grand Caravan?

Answer 1

The following is partly an excert from the applicable service manual, except where I have added useful information preceded by the word "Note": HUB AND BEARING (REAR)

FRONT-WHEEL-DRIVE VEHICLES

REMOVAL

Raise vehicle on jackstands or centered on a frame contact type hoist. See Hoisting in the Lubrication and Maintenance section of this service manual for required lifting procedure.

Remove wheel and tire.

Remove brake drum from hub/bearing.

Remove rear wheel speed sensor from rear hub/bearing Rear Wheel Speed Sensor. Note: The hex bolt head for this is 10mm in dia. This will prevent damage to the speed sensor during removal and installation of the hub/bearing. The rear wheel speed sensor bolts to the hub/bearing. It can not be removed unless the speed sensor is removed first.

CAUTION: When working in the area of the rear hub/bearing and when removing it from the rear axle, care must be used so the teeth on the tone wheel are not damaged. Damage to the teeth on the tone wheel will result in false ABS cycling and corrosion of the tone wheel.

Remove the 4 bolts Rear Hub/Bearing Mounting Bolts attaching the hub/bearing to the rear axle. Note: The four retaining bolts have 18mm hex heads, but you will need a SHORT 3/8" DRIVE THIN-WALL socket (such as Craftsman # 43579) for this because there is very little clearance between the bolt head corners and the surrounding metal structures of the brake back-plate! I have never found a heavier or stronger socket that would physically fit in this application, such as any 1/2" drive socket. The four retaining bolts are normally very tight (well over 100 ft. lbs. torque), so the best way I found to loosen them is to use a breaker bar (because of the small head width) and strike it with a RUBBER mallet while holding tension against all the "play" (looseness) in the tool setup. It may requires several strikes with the rubber hammer on each bolt to break them loose.

CAUTION: Corrosion may occur between the hub/bearing and the axle. If this occurs the hub/bearing will be difficult to remove from the axle. Note: If you squirt a good penetrating oil (such as Liquid Wrench) into the two TOP bolt holes that were vacated by removing the four retaining bolts (and aiming the oil spray toward the centerline of the hub), it will probably help disolve any rust that might be keeping the wheel bearing from comming out of its mount. If the hub/bearing will not come out of the axle by pulling on it by hand, do not pound on the hub/bearing to remove it from the axle. Pounding on the hub/bearing to remove it from the axle will damage the hub/bearing. This damage will result in noise or failure of the bearing.

Note: If the bearing needs replaced anyway, the above caution is not an issue. If you have a porta-power set (portable, hand-pumped hydraulic power unit with accessories), you could apply pressure between the leaf spring and the back sides (one side at a time) of the brake back-plate. Just be careful what you apply pressure to, such as brake lines and ABS wiring! The bearing is integral with the back plate anyway (at least, on all the ones I've worked on), so if you repalce the bearing, the brake back-plate will come with it (whether new or used, such as from a salvage yard, hint, hint)!

If hub/bearing cannot be removed from the axle by hand, use Remover Special Tool 8214 Special Tool 8214 Installed and following procedure to press the hub/bearing out of the axle.

Place Special Tool 8214-1 over tone wheel and against cast flange of hub/bearing Special Tool 8214 Installed

Put a dab of grease in the bolt pilot hole on the back of Special Tool 8214-1.

Insert Special Tool 8214-2 into the hole in the bottom of the end casting on the axle Special Tool 8214 Installed Special Tool 8214-2 should be against and supported by the axle plate Special Tool 8214 Installed when pressing the wheel bearing out of the axle. If Special Tool 8214-2 will not fit into the hole in the end casting, file or grind the flashing from the hole until tool fits properly.

Align bolt in Special Tool 8214-2 with pilot hole in Special Tool 8214-1. Tighten bolt against Special Tool 8214-1.

Press hub/bearing out of axle by continuing to tighten bolt in Special Tool 8214-2 against Special Tool 8214-1.

Remove the hub/bearing from the rear axle and brake support plate Removing Rear Hub/Bearing From Axle

INSTALLATION

Install the 4 hub/bearing to axle mounting bolts into the holes in the flange of the rear axle.

Install the rear brake support plate on the 4 mounting bolts installed in the flange of the rear axle.

Align the rear hub/bearing with the 4 mounting bolts and start mounting bolts into hub/bearing. Tighten the 4 bolts in a criss-cross pattern until the hub/bearing and brake support plate is fully and squarely seated onto flange of rear axle.

Tighten the 4 hub/bearing mounting bolts Rear Hub/Bearing Mounting Bolts to a torque of 129 N·m (95 ft. lbs.)

Install the rear wheel speed sensor on the rear hub/bearing flange Rear Wheel Speed Sensor Install the speed sensor attaching bolt and tighten to a torque of 12 N·m (105 in. lbs.)

Install brake drum on hub/bearing.

Install wheel and tire.

Tighten the wheel stud nuts in the proper sequence to a torque of 135 N·m (100 ft. lbs.)

Adjust the rear brakes as necessary, Refer to Adjustments in the Brake section in this service manual.

Note: I have had 30-something years experience working on Chrysler product vehicles, so my methods are pretty well developed, but not necessarily approved by Chrysler Corp. (who would rather have me pay their mechanics instead of fixing all my own vehicles)! From: learnedmind@wowway.com