Wheel bearing pullers are single-purpose tools that, depending on the application, are essential to the proper removal of wheel bearings. In most cases, bearings can be removed without the use of a specialized tool--however, a frequent result is extensive damage to the hub or casing that contains the bearing, making future bearing installation impossible. Wheel bearing pullers are easy to use and almost always are worth their purchase cost in terms of damage prevented to bearing hubs during removal.
Isolate the wheel bearing hub so that it is in a position to be easily accessible; in most cases this will be in a vertical position with the wheel removed. Clean the hub of any grease, dirt or other contaminants that will prevent the bearing puller from attaching securely to the hub.
Assemble the wheel bearing removal tool so that the three arms of the tool can comfortably reach the back surface of the wheel bearing from within the center hole of the bearing. Most bearing pullers have three various-size arms that may be attached to the body of the tool, depending on the specific application. Locate the correct-size arms (they must all fit together into the bearing hole), and attach them to the base of the tool by sliding the end of the arm into the appropriate slot. When assembled, the bearing puller will look like a three-arm octopus.
Grasp the three arms of the bearing puller and squeeze them together. Push the three arms as a single entity into the center of the bearing until the arms grasp the backside of the bearing (called the race). The arms will have small outward-facing hooks attached to them for just this purpose. Do not use excessive force when inserting the arms through the hole in the bearing.
Hand-tighten the center nut of the bearing puller while maintaining a slight pulling pressure on the three arms so they remain hooked to the bearing race. Tighten the center nut until the base of the bearing puller rests again the outside edge of the bearing hub.
Continue to tighten the center nut of the bearing puller. If it becomes hard to do, you may use an adjustable wrench for added leverage. The three arms of the puller will gradually pull the bearing from the hub while the base of the tool remains flush against the bearing's hub. Tighten the center nut until the bearing is removed from the hub. Remove the bearing from the bearing puller and wipe it down to remove any grease or dirt before storing it for later use.
