Thread: Old Nissan Safari query

Helping out a young guy with a 1998 Nissan Safari (the short wheel base jobbie).
He has wrecked a front wheel bearing (started making a noise as he drove along).
He has pulled the front hub apart (sort of) to expose a buggered inner wheel bearing.
The inner race is well stuck to the shaft.
Never seen inside one of these before, but it looks like we need to remove the front stub from out of that hub unit at the front (there's a steel ring with 5, maybe 6, bolts holding it on).
I 'think' that needs to be removed to allow that front stub to come out so that we can smack the inner race off.
Any of you done this job before and can give some solid info please?
Thanks.

Just slice the inner race in place

Originally Posted by longrange308

Just slice the inner race in place

With what?
Can't get a disc grinder in there, don't have a gas axe.

Yep you can do that, just start carefully unbolting stuff until you can get access to what you need. I had to do that once to get one of mine off (the race failed on me when I was trying to remove it and spat balls through everything so needed to completely strip it to recover one offending and very shy and retiring part).

It's not a very complicated setup, I can't remember if I had to pull the swivel hub unit and CV or whatever to do that job as it was about 2005 and I did the swivel hub bearings and seals as a separate job so had it all apart anyway.

Consider doing those bearings and seal anyway, as you are 90% of the way there and it removes the possibility of those bits failing shortly afterwards. The swivel bearings come with shims that align the hub on the axle, I got lucky on one side and slapping everything together same as it came out worked but the other side needed to be reshimmed and the ride height reset (probably it had been dicked with in the past and not set up again right, which is why it fell apart on me).

If you wanted to be argumentative with the inner race and didn't want to strip it apart, you could protect the axle and run a short bead of weld around the race and expand it. It will just pull straight off like that. Having said that, if you don't have the gear to heat the inner race and remove it you probably don't want to start welding on the thing!

Shrink it with welding race but I knew what you meant

Yea unbolt the stub axle pretty sumilar set up to a landcruiser from memory

Originally Posted by Grey Kiwi

Helping out a young guy with a 1998 Nissan Safari (the short wheel base jobbie).
He has wrecked a front wheel bearing (started making a noise as he drove along).
He has pulled the front hub apart (sort of) to expose a buggered inner wheel bearing.
The inner race is well stuck to the shaft.
Never seen inside one of these before, but it looks like we need to remove the front stub from out of that hub unit at the front (there's a steel ring with 5, maybe 6, bolts holding it on).
I 'think' that needs to be removed to allow that front stub to come out so that we can smack the inner race off.
Any of you done this job before and can give some solid info please?
Thanks.

Attachment 267158

Yeah what blip said
Undo the 6 bolts and it'll come off, if it's been stuck on for years might need a little tap.
If the gaskets fucked don't forget to get some sealant on it before slapping it back together.

I've often had to use a small cold chisel with a fine tip to crack the stub axle away from the flange, just enough to get it started. There's another bearing inside the back of the stub axle as well.

Thanks guys.
I've found a man with a bearing puller set and he is going to pull that inner bearing race off the shaft.
I've let the young guy know of the advice from you so he knows what he may be getting into if he keeps on removing parts!

Well, that escalated quickly.
The inboard bearings inner race had heat welded itself to that stub axle housing.
With a good weld bead run around the race to heat it and a lot of pressure from an hydraulic press the race was finally removed.
But no use...the stub axle is badly damaged. The oil seal area has also been ground down from the hub sitting down on it (yes...the owner had heard strange noises before and had tried to just shove in some grease without actually taking the hub apart. No such thing as a quick fix!).
It's not pretty, and probably has damaged the hub too.
So...some parts needed.
Anyone wrecking one of these, or know of a likely source of parts (1998 Nissan Safari)?
Thanks.

Partsouq.

Yuk... Yep that's the issue with these things, so damn tough you can get away with murdering them literally!

My missus (who was a fairly new girlfriend at that time) borrowed mine to nip over the kaimais to te aroha and visit her bro. Fresh WOF, all good I thought. Turns back into the street my house was on and the front left wheel went straight. Left a bloody great groove down the road driving on the front left brake disc... New disc, wheel studs, swapped the spare onto the front left and a wrecker brake shield and good as new haha. If I recall, that was the catalyst for me doing the tractor hub swivel bearings...

You used to be able to get kits with all the seals bearings gaskets and stub axle

Originally Posted by blip

You used to be able to get kits with all the seals bearings gaskets and stub axle

Yep, and it's now being sorted.
The young man has bought 2 of those kits from Aussie.
I don't know the price, but he is happy to get the bits.

Don kyatt used to do them in auck