Hot tip- Bearing Races

I must agree with 79, a good punch and a decent sized hammer is all I have ever needed. Screwdrivers don't work, cause the handle absorbs all the shock, you need all that energy to translate to the race. Turn the old race upside down to drive in the new race.

you got more kin in Tennesee too... eric

The first/last time I replaced the races I melted the handle of the screwdriver from pounding it so much using M3Fan's old technique.

never know it took half hour per side to get them out, always used a straight punch and hammer and was done in about three hits, now you have to move the punch around from side to side to walk it out and use the right tools inserting them, but getting them out has never been an issue easyist part of the job if you ask me. But then again guys use pickle forks to get tie-rods and ball joints apart too and just junk them, always used a straight punch in a zip gun/air hammer and they come apart pretty quick too.

Being the bearing-crazy (and often-trailering) boat owner that I am, I just replaced the bearings and races on one side of the trailer (did the other side last fall). Rather than hammer the races out myself, which usually takes at least a half hour per, I took them to the trailer store and had the races pounded out and the new ones pounded in. Took about 5 minutes. I asked the guy how he got them out- "Air Chisel" was the response. Would have never guessed that one, but apparently it gets the old races out of the hub in no time. Thought I'd pass that tip along.

Incidentally, the guy mentioned that as long as the bearings and races look OK there is no reason to replace them. I figure for the cost, it's worth the peace of mind.