Changing the rear axle bearings - 

An Old mechanic showed me this meathod more than 20 years ago

Remove the axle shafts from the axle tube....
use  a length of steel pipe and use it like a reverse slide
hammer.  The axle goes inside and you slam the pipe against the
concrete floor.  Slow down when the bearing gets to the point of
coming off and place a piece of plywood on the floor for the next
couple slams so that when the bearing comes off the axel does not drop
against the concrete.  To Press the new bearing in use the same piece
of plywood as a cushion and another short piece of pipe as an
installerand tap the bearing into place with a ball peen hammer. This
installation pipe must match the inner race or you will mess up the
bearing. When I do not have a conventional press available this works
fine.

Randall Knapp (hartcreek@bentonrea.com)  July 2001

ed opinion:  Use care in the installation to abut the new bearing with 
a means of deadening the blow or you can ruin the bearing cage,etc