Followed the procedures in the manual for R&R of the main rear axle bearing and now have part of the bearing still attached to the hub.
Pressed the hub out of the hub carrier and the bearing separated with the portion closest to the outside of the hub remaining (about 1/2 inch deep
with concave face where it fit into the bearing). What's the best way of removing? Is there a way to heat and extract similar to the preferred installation procedure?

Thanks,
Steve 88 S4 Auto

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Steve,

The manual shows the best and easiest way to remove the bearing from the wheel hub.

Harbor Freight Tools sells a large bearing puller, much like the VW 407. 
Can't be more than a few bucks. A must have for anyone owning a shop press. That same tool works on the Torque Converter Bearing job too, where
the flex plate is pressed from the housing with the bearing attached.

Note the oven treatment of the carrier for the installation.  Measure the I.D before and after heating, and before assembly.  Good luck,

Barry
90'S4, Slate Metallic

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Hi Steve:

First advice, if you don't have a press with a bearing puller handy, is to take the part to an automotive machine shop that does. While it is possible
to cut the ring off, that procedure often causes damage to the stub axle in the process.

If you are stuck using local tools, try this: With the axle well supported, use a good cold chisel to put three notches in the bearing ring spaced 120 degrees apart around the ring. Grooves in the axial direction, spaced radially at 120. This causes the ring to distort slightly, breaking the tight contact in the areas between the grooves you've made. You can heat the ring some using a torch, but you have to do it fast and you want to keep the axle from heating at the same time if you can. No matter, after that you use that same chisel and a BIG hammer (not that New England Hammer, use a good one...) to drive the ring off the axle. Keys here are support of the axle, avoid damage to the threads, don't hit the axle with the chisel, etc.

The bearing ring is hard, the chisel is hard, and the hammer is hard. That means safety glasses/goggles, preferably worn under a good full-face shield.
The chips will fly, and they go directly to your face and eyes, always with bad results.

Look long and hard for a place that can do this for you in a press. With the proper tools there is no risk of damage to the stub axle. It will cost you --maybe-- $25, and will be worth that many times over.

That bearing must have been in pretty poor shape. I've pulled the axle out of the bearing on mine with a relatively small blow with a rawhide mallet,
part of the CV joint service. To me that says that the fit is not so tight.
The bearing fit in the housing is another story I hear. So it's quite possible that a few blows with the hammer and chisel will get the ring off.
Just don't get carried away to the point where you risk damage to that expensive axle.

Good luck!

dr bob
'89 S4