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Thread: Replacing magnesium wheel bearing races

  1. #1
    Subsonic's Avatar
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    Default Replacing magnesium wheel bearing races

    I've never changed bearing races on a magnesium aircraft wheel. I imagine gentle heating in an oven to 280 or 290°F or so might allow it to drop out like they will on an aluminum wheel, or maybe they'll tap out easily using a socket of the right diameter as a driver, once the wheel half is warmed up well. Comments, recommendations?

  2. #2
    HunterJ's Avatar
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    Default Re: Replacing magnesium wheel bearing races

    I shop pressed mine out and back in. Just took a little extra care and time in setting up.

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    Brian's Avatar
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    Default Re: Replacing magnesium wheel bearing races

    Quote Originally Posted by HunterJ View Post
    I shop pressed mine out and back in. Just took a little extra care and time in setting up.
    Same here. I have a set of large SAE & Metric 3/4 inch drive sockets. One size socket fit against the race and inside the wheel perfectly which was used to push with a small hydrolic press. I used small blocks of wood on the back side to support the wheel on both sides of the race to avoid possibly cracking the wheel. A little penetrating oil helps.
    Brian
    Monrovia, CA

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    JPerkins's Avatar
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    Default Re: Replacing magnesium wheel bearing races

    Definitely recommend heating like you stated, or boil it. Makes it come out easier, less force = less chance to muck something up.

    Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

  5. #5
    Administrator Steve Pierce's Avatar
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    Default Re: Replacing magnesium wheel bearing races

    Good idea. I have always just pressed or knocked them out but can see where heat would make it come out easier. Some Scott 3200 tail wheels don't have any material cut away to allow you to get on the back side of the race so I TIG weld a couple of beads on the race and when I flip it over and drop it on my steel welding table the race will usually fall out.

  6. #6
    tjlebaron's Avatar
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    Default Re: Replacing magnesium wheel bearing races

    Use a punch and hammer from the inside once wheelhalf is apart. Take one of the old races to a grinder and reduce the diameter enough that it will easily slide back into the wheel. Then use it with a hammer to install new race. Throw it into your tool box for the next time you need to install a race.

  7. #7
    Subsonic's Avatar
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    Default Re: Replacing magnesium wheel bearing races

    Ok, here's what I did. I put each wheel half on a 4x6x12" block of wood and set it in my oven at 290 degrees F. 12 minutes later I used a drift punch and ball peen to very gently tap on the exposed race edge, and walked around the perimeter. Each race easily dropped out in about 7 to 10 taps. Perfect. I'll use the same process in reverse to put back the new ones. No fuss at all! Thanks.

  8. #8
    Subsonic's Avatar
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    Default Re: Replacing magnesium wheel bearing races

    Update: Replacing the race - cleaned machined area where race seats. Reheated rim in oven to 290 F for 12 minutes while new race sat in freezer for same 12 min. Race was tapped a couple times and dropped perfectly and fully into position. Used drift punch tapping ever so lightly around perimeter of race to ensure complete seating in position. Came out beautiful. So easy! Virtually no effort to seat fully into position. A trick I'll never forget.

  9. #9
    Rotormech's Avatar
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    Default Re: Replacing magnesium wheel bearing races

    Is this how you move the race in the tail wheel fork? There is no way to punch it from the back side.

    CDCEE822-CFF5-442E-87C7-417120FC11A3.jpeg

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Replacing magnesium wheel bearing races

    To clarify, the previous post was in reply to Steve’s solution to running a TIG bead on the race.

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