Can't find 46mm socket for front hub/bearing -- ARGH and ARGH!

[LivesNearCostco]

Suspect front left wheel bearing is failing. Bought new hub (with bearing) from Pelican, it arrived today. Didn't buy the $55 Pelican special 46mm socket, figured I could just rent it at FLAPS or Harbor Freight. But closest O'Reilly's axle nut socket set only goes to 38mm. HF seems to only have it as part of a 1" drive impact socket set for $70. Called local rent-a-lift shop and the owner, while very nice, said his largest axle socket also was 38mm. (He was nice enough to verify for me that 46mm is the proper size.)

Now I find I could have ordered one from Amazon for $13 to $23 if I'd known. O'reilly web site says they sell as 12-pt version for $20 but it's special order to the store. I'll visit the store tomorrow, see if they can get it delivered Monday from their local warehouse. Otherwise it will be off to my Indie shop on Thursday.

Anyone have tips on how to buy a 46mm socket locally? Or did you get it mail order from Amazon or Advance Auto?

[JupiterBMW]

We have a shit ton of them on the ship. I'll snag one and donate to the mafia loaner toolbox... You want 1/2" or 3/4" drive? 6 or 12 point? Impact or regular??

Lemme know... I won't be able to mail it off for a few days, we just got back to sea this evening. Leaving Alaska, will be in Washington in 4 days.

[JupiterBMW]

I have most stuff on the ship up to 75mm btw... Just in case... :biggrin

[danewilson77]

I have it. You want me to ship?

EDIT: OK...looks like you're looking to buy.

[Crickett]

I went through the same headache when I did my front hubs; the only thing I could find locally was a thick-walled impact socket that I had to grind down to fit inside the hub's lip. I'll gladly ship it your way (it's heavy), but I'd recommend DW's proper socket over mine.

[LivesNearCostco]

Jupe, Dane, Travis, thanks for the tips and offers! I'm perfectly willing to borrow or buy, but don't want Jupe to make one go missing from the ship toolbox. I am trying to get it done this week to drive Laguna Seca next week, August 23-24. In theory the ideal seems to be 6-pt regular (not impact).

So a 6-pt impact socket might not fit inside the hub lip? That might scratch the idea of buying the HF impact set for $70, minus 20% coupon discount (they are 1" drive anyway). Would a 12-pt work? Local O'Reilly said they can get me the 12-pt 3/4" drive one by Tuesday morning for $20. I might just pay my local indie to do it on Thursday, and buy/borrow when the other front bearing fails.

Strangely enough I do have a 36mm 1/2" drive 12-pt socket already in case I ever need to do the rear bearings. Bought it for the oil filter cap (which is 6-pt) but happened to get a 12-pt socket from a clearance bin somewhere. Now all I need is a torque wrench capable of 200 foot-pounds. My wrench only goes up to 150. Maybe if I apply my body weight (almost 200 lbs with clothes and shoes) to a breaker bar at slightly over 1-foot distance from the socket, that will equal 200 ft-lbs?

[LivesNearCostco]

Update took the new FAG hub/bearing with me to Harbor Freight but stupidly left the new axle nut at home. One of their 1" drive metric impact socket sets was unsealed. Opened it, sure 'nuf the 46mm impact socket would NOT fit inside the hub lip. But lo and behold they also sell 3/4" drive 12-point (non-impact) socket sets in SAE and metric. The metric set had 45mm and 48mm sockets but not 46mm. The SAE had several including 1 3/4", 1 13/16", and 1 7/8" sizes. 46mm is 1.81" or 1 and 12.97/16". Would a 1 3/4" or 1 13/16" socket fit? Sure I would probably never use all those other SAE sizes, but for $50 (coupon) the kit included a 3/4" ratchet and 3/4" breaker bar, which alone were about $20 each plus $13-$20 for the 46mm socket.

They let me open it and verify those 3 sockets would all fit inside the hub lip. Bought it, came home and yes, the 1 13/16" 12-pt fits the nut. 1 3/4" is a hair too small. But haven't had time yet to attack the hub. In fact I need to raise it up and verify the problem really is the hub and not the recently replaced tie rod.

[terraphantm]

I used a 1 13/16 without issue. This one fit perfectly: http://www.amazon.com/Sunex-2-Inch-16-Inch-Impact-Socket/dp/B006MPBYXE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376283421&sr=8-1&keywords=sunex+258d

I imagine you can use the non-deep version (Sunex 258) as well. It wasn't on Amazon when I was buying

[LivesNearCostco]

Thanks for the tip terraphantm! I'm sitting here typing away in the smell of my defeat.... the HF 12-pt 1 13/16" fit, but I just couldn't loosen the axle nut. Everything was going so swimmingly well until then... got the wheel studs out of the hub without using a torch, got the dust cap out without making too much noise, unstaked the nut... then the nut wouldn't budge. I put nearly all my weight on the breaker bar, but it's only a 20" breaker bar and I forgot to buy a pipe to extend it.

It does appear the socket you listed on Amazon would be less likely to round off the nut or slip off.

On the upside, I determined the bad bearing is actually the right front, not left front, which makes sense because it made less noise in right turns. And I removed my brake rotors and caliper brackets for the first time. My choices are buy a pipe and try all over again tomorrow night, or pay the indie on Thursday.

[terraphantm]

Thanks for the tip terraphantm! I'm sitting here typing away in the smell of my defeat.... the HF 12-pt 1 13/16" fit, but I just couldn't loosen the axle nut. Everything was going so swimmingly well until then... got the wheel studs out of the hub without using a torch, got the dust cap out without making too much noise, unstaked the nut... then the nut wouldn't budge. I put nearly all my weight on the breaker bar, but it's only a 20" breaker bar and I forgot to buy a pipe to extend it.

It does appear the socket you listed on Amazon would be less likely to round off the nut or slip off.

On the upside, I determined the bad bearing is actually the right front, not left front, which makes sense because it made less noise in right turns. And I removed my brake rotors and caliper brackets for the first time. My choices are buy a pipe and try all over again tomorrow night, or pay the indie on Thursday.
An impact gun makes taking that nut off a hell of a lot easier

[LivesNearCostco]

Good suggestion. I might have to go buy an electric one for $50. My battery-powered one *might* generate 150 foot-lbs with a fresh battery, but probably not. Or there's the pipe idea...

[LivesNearCostco]

TerraPhantm was right -- HF electric impact gun did the trick. First tired 20" 3/4" drive breaker bar, then 25" 1/2" drive breaker bar. Estimate I put 240 ft-lbs of steady torque on it that way. (If I put my entire body weight on the last inch of the longer bar, it should have been over 360 ft-lbs, but I couldn't fit both hands on the last inch of handle.) But it wouldn't budge.

Several very loud bursts of action from the impact wrench rotated the nut 60 degrees then I could loosen it with the 20" breaker bar. But ran out of time so I made it as tight as I could, bouncing on the 20" breaker bar to tighten the nut almost to where it was before. (Of course it's a one-time use nut, so technically the car is no longer safe.)

Now do I pull the hub tomorrow after work in my driveway, take it to Pit Row (rent-a-shop) to use their air tools and really big torque wrench (I think spec is 214 ft. lbs), or just let the indie do it Thursday morning? He said he would charge me for just one hour since I took the studs out already. I get a huge sense of satisfaction from fixing things myself, but it might just be smarter to take it to a professional. Maybe I will pack my tools and new hub in car with some garage clothes and maybe stop by Pit Row after work.

[Crickett]

Do you have (or have access to) a hub puller or slide hammer of some kind? If so, I say DIY it! When I pulled mine, the inner race was stuck on; I had to – carefully! – cut a notch into it w/a Dremel (or like) & use a chisel to knock it loose.

Good luck!

[LivesNearCostco]

No hub puller or slide hammer at home, but do have an imitation Dremel rotary tool. If I go to the DIY place (Pit Row) I'm sure they could loan me both. I read a DIY that said if the inner race is stuck on, you can remove the brake dust shield (3 bolts) then more easily pull the inner race, possibly with the standard 3-jay puller. If I have time to leave work early today, I will try to do this at Pit Row. Otherwise have to take my daughter to a swim lesson at 4:30pm.

[LivesNearCostco]

Went to Pit Row, the DIY garage and lift rental place near San Jose Airport. (That's San Jose California, not San Jose Costa Rica, in case anyone was wondering.) Nice place, owner is a former BMW mechanic or BMW engineer or something like that, from Germany. Showed me how to use the lift (after I signed the waivers) and the air tools. The hub and outer bearing portion came right off no problem once nut was out. The inner section was stuck. Couldn't get big 3-jaw puller to hold it, but a small prybar on the inner dust shield did it. Used their big torque wrench and my 1 13/16" socket (plus adapter) to torque to 214 foot lbs.

Since I broke loose the axle nut yesterday with the impact wrench, I could have done it at home, but it was really nice to use the lift and air tools. It took me 90 minutes and part of that was learning my way around the tool chest and transferring the one wheel stud I re-installed recently from the old hub to new hub. So tempting to go back to Pit Row whenever I need to wrench on the car, but I'll try to save it for the big jobs -- it's $30/hour, including using their tools. For an extra $15/hour, the owner will help you.