How to remove this spherical bearing?

[stownsen914]

Looking for a little help … I’m having a hard time removing the circlip that holds a spherical bearing in its housing (a suspension member). It’s a plain clip without holes, so is a little harder to grab. The part I don’t get is that when I try to gently pry it inward to get it out of its groove, it immediately hits the ball of the bearing. It seems spacially impossible to move the circlip far enough. I could probably pry the heck out of it and get it out, but it I’d probably destroy the clip and damage the housing in the process. There must be a better way?

[problemchild]

Yes, you may destroy the clip by using a dental pic or small screwdriver, but the housing will survive. If it won't, it was not good anyway.

Then like most racers, you will end up with a 100 pack bag of clips with two missing ..... which you will not be able to find next time ..... leading to multiple bags of clips each holding 98 or 99 clips ..... which will never be where you thought you left them

[BorkRacing]

Yes, you may destroy the clip by using a dental pic or small screwdriver, but the housing will survive. If it won't, it was not good anyway.

Then like most racers, you will end up with a 100 pack bag of clips with two missing ..... which you will not be able to find next time ..... leading to multiple bags of clips each holding 98 or 99 clips ..... which will never be where you thought you left them

I put packs of 5 in 20 different places...

[BeerBudgetRacing]

I put packs of 5 in 20 different places...

Awesome idea.

[Bob L.]

Had somewhat a similar deal on my Tiga S2.... clip with no way to grab. However, Tiga had provided a hole, drilled radially into the groove from outside.... you slid the ring around/over hole, then pushed a drift (welding rod) in from outside to push the ring out of the groove enough to catch the backside with small screw driver blade and pry out.

It looked like there might be room enough to drill your part from outside and make a similar hole... push clip around/over and do the same. Structurally, will not weaken the part enough to worry....

Hole should match the ring or be slightly larger... say 3/32"?

Good luck.

Bob L.

[tlracer]

Is it a high misalignment bearing, or does it have separate bushes inserted? If it is the latter, removing those and carefully turning the ball will give you more flex space on the circlip.

Dental picks are the only tool I have found to be effective - I have one I reground to a chisel point that is fine enough to get into most circlips.

Once it's out, look to replace with an inverted internal circlip . These have a constant radius inner and are 'necked' on the outer edge with long, reversed lugs. They have the same angularity clearance for bearing movement but the holes for pliers are accessible.

[stownsen914]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. It is a single piece, high misalignment bearing as far as I can tell. I'll try a pick in the circlip groove to "grab" it from the backside. I don't think there is a hole in the housing, but I'll check.

[Extreme1]

Straighten the bearing in the housing, then put a small flat screwdriver under one of the ends. The end will come out of the groove, then work all around the circlip until it comes completely out.

[lowside67]

Straighten the bearing in the housing, then put a small flat screwdriver under one of the ends. The end will come out of the groove, then work all around the circlip until it comes completely out.

This was my first thought as well. #1 - make sure the ball is centered so you have somewhat equal space around it. #2 - I am pretty sure there is a small "notch" under each of the two ends of the circlip that you can slide a flat screw driver under one side and then slowly make your way around the entire ring.

My car uses these "Spiroloc" style retaining rings from Pegasus and they are removed in the way I described - start by prying one end out and just work your way around until the whole thing is out of the groove.

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/images/L/8010-001.JPG

-Mark

[bassracer]

Then like most racers, you will end up with a 100 pack bag of clips with two missing ..... which you will not be able to find next time ..... leading to multiple bags of clips each holding 98 or 99 clips ..... which will never be where you thought you left them

I'm dying here. Thought I was the only one. Way faster to order another bag than to trace back to where you put something years ago.

[problemchild]

I'm dying here. Thought I was the only one. Way faster to order another bag than to trace back to where you put something years ago.

But you will find them when you are looking for a 98 piece bag of something else, then move them to a better more obvious location, which of course, will not be obvious in 6 months. If you think it is bad with one race car, try 6 race cars spread amongst 2 trailers and 3 buildings.

[Rick Iverson]

Gents;

Here is what I use, and they were quite inexpensive.

[stownsen914]

Managed to get the clip started out of its groove with a smaller screwdriver and then grabbed it with a needlenose pliers. I'll be replacing the plain clip with one that has holes for C clip pliers. Lifetime supply ordered from McMaster!

Pressing out the bearing was an unnecessary adventure, but I think I've got that sorted now. I suspect that back in the day these housings were replaced as a unit with the bearing, probably no one bothered to replace just the bearing.

[mmi16]

I put packs of 5 in 20 different places...

But when the time comes - you will only look at the 21st place and not find them.

[Roland V. Johnson]

Make sure you use these type clips, or else they probably will dig into the inner bearing when it is close to it's limits of travel.
https://www.mcmaster.com/retaining-r...taining-rings/

[EACIII]

But when the time comes - you will only look at the 21st place and not find them.

Whenever I am looking for something and finally find it I then check one more place so it is not in the last place I looked

[tlracer]

Make sure you use these type clips, or else they probably will dig into the inner bearing when it is close to it's limits of travel.
https://www.mcmaster.com/retaining-r...taining-rings/

Definitely!
(See post #6...)

[sabre1fv]

I recently had to deal with a similar scenario - snap ring partially, but not fully engaged. From your photo, it doesn't look like the snap ring is fully engaged, though perhaps you have already pried it out partially. The snap ring should snap fully in place if the bearing is properly seated (presuming of course the parts are all to spec); if the snap ring doesn't seat properly then the bearing isn't seated for any number of reasons: paint or a burr, more pressure required to seat the bearing, etc.

I wholeheartedly agree with the others on the use of a better style snap ring.

-Jim