I'm putting my new races in and ran into a problem. While pressing/hammering them in, the larger set (inner?) get down to about 1 mm from meeting the surface and won't go any farther. I've tried hammering with a 2.5 lb sledge hammer and using my c-clamp press to no avail. It won't budge.

Is the gap supposed to be there?

I, for the life of me, can't remember it being there yet it seems to need to be.

 

If you were not careful when installing the race you may have pushed up some metal that is now trapped under the race. It almost looks like there is a small shaving sticking out from below the race in the second pic you posted. Small slivers of metal can be scraped off the bore if the race had gotten even slightly crooked.

I think you should remove the race and verify there is no metal slivers or other foreign debris under the race.

 

To remove the race I would need to get it welded out. Right now, that's not possible. But, there's nothing under there. I checked it before I put in the race. It's also happening in an identical fashion on both of my hubs.

 

There should be no gap under the race. If it is not an optical illusion of a gap from a small chamfer at the edge of the seat or the fact that there was not a large enough of a chamfer at the back corner of the race to clear the radius at the bottom of the bore the you have gotten something under the race.

 

That's all I needed to know. I don't think there's anything under there. I just don't think I have the right tools.

 

You ever read the MAZDATRIX FAQ on replacing the races? If not, go to their site and read their FAQ.

http://www.mazdatrix.com/faq/frontbrg.htm

 

Yeah, it doesn't really help.

Maybe if their pictures were bigger than 40x40...

 

after using the mazdatrix method of notching, i use a punch from the opposing side to knock my races out and a small brass drift to seat the new races into a rotor, working around the race in a 360 degree circle. there should be no gap as stated between the race and the seating surface. you may want to remove the race and clean all areas on both the race and the rotor itself. i use a small amount of grease on the new race when installing it. it helps is to seat smoother.

 

That's what I was trying to emphasize with the Mazdatrix FAQ. The notching to make room for a punch to drive them out. By the way, I butched this up a couple of years ago. Ham fisted, brain dead. Went to the wrecking yard and got a used front hub/spindle for twenty bucks. Still in use.

 

I already have them out. I'm putting the new ones in. To get them out I had a guy weld a piece of metal on the race and punch it out. I wasn't comfortable drilling/dremeling into my hub.

I'm having the exact same problem on all 4 races, they just won't seat all the way. All 4 are very close, but just won't go all the way in. I'm taking them to a machine shop to get pressed in.

 

For future reference, I have found it helps to put the races in the freezer for a couple of hours before pressing them in. This usually makes the process quick and easy.

 

^^very good idea. this will allow the race to shrink and should make it seat completely and will expand as it warms up, making the race tight in the hub.

 

Might as well heat the hub also...get the best of both phenomena.

 

Tried that too and it still did the same thing. However, getting it in to the point where it stopped was easier.

 

Update: I took them to get pressed in at a shop. Very very little change. They even took a couple out and looked and there were no burrs. I'm not sure what's wrong, but are they usable like that? The picture there is the largest gap. The others are smaller.

 

have you test fitted the bearing in that race? perhaps compare it to a unit that has not been seperated and see if there is a noticible height difference where the bearing sits

 

The bearing will fit in the race fine. It's where it will be on the spindle that's the problem.

 

Any other opinions? They may or may not be going on tomorrow.