Thread: SIII transfer case thrust bearings

G'day Folks,

I'm trying to dismantle the output shaft on my series III transfer case with a great deal of frustration.

I'm down to the stage where I need to remove the inner races of both roller thrust bearings (cage and rollers have long departed due to failed attempts to remove said bearings).

The main problem at the moment is the front thrust as this prevents the shaft from exiting the TCase whilst the high ratio wheel is in place. On my donor TCase I simply belted the shaft through and broke the circlip in the process, I don't want to break another circlip.

Any ideas on this? Are there any clever bearing pullers out there? My 3 claw puller wont fit through the holes in the casing. I've tried heating the race with a gas torch and driving it off with a mild steel wedge - this only moved it about 5mm in the space of an hour.

I have a feeling this is a result of previous owner buying cheap thrust bearings with incorrect tolerances and driving on an interference fit.

Any help appreciated, I'll post some pics up of the situation soonish.

you need to chisel it off.

put it on a big hard block of steel with a couple of plates welded up along side of it to stop it from spinning out from under you with a chunk of hard rubber (floor matting) or hard wood laid cross grain between the shafty bits that you dont want to hurt and belt the daylights out of a chissel thats slightly wider than the race on to the race like you were trying to split the race.

10-15 hits like you were trying to drive the whole shebang through to china usually frees it. If that doesnt work its time for the grinder. shave it down to within a mm or so of the shaft then smack it with the chisel in the middle of the grind, (not too hard or it will split the bearing and damage the shaft) then give it a couple of good whacks on the flat spot youve mande not in the center but off in the meaty area. you'll find that it may slip around a bit and if it does thats cool whack it back the other way.

A couple of turns at that and it will do one of 2 things fall off or split.


urmmm that only works if the shaft is out and youve fractured the bearing apart but the inner race is in place.

IF your really good with the gas axe you can slice the bearing off enough to shatter it apart or you can try to fracture it off by heating it to red hot and then quenching but this usually means you also need to get the mainshaft rehardened.