Systems and methods for preloading a bearing and aligning a lock nut

An apparatus for providing a load on a bearing mounted to a shaft, the apparatus comprising:

• an attaching mechanism releasably connectable to the shaft;
• a press mechanism coupled to said attaching mechanism, said press mechanism pivotably connected to a first extension and a second extension, said first extension and said second extension engageable with an inner race of the bearing mounted on the shaft and configured to provide a compressive load to the bearing;
• a rotatable wrench integrated with said press mechanism, the wrench comprising arms engageable with a lock nut on the shaft and configured to engage teeth of the nut and rotate the nut when said attaching mechanism connects to the shaft;
• an aligning ring rotatable relative to the lock nut, the aligning ring extending along an axis of said press mechanism and integrated with said press mechanism, the aligning ring having an aligning projection extending radially inwardly from a circumferential portion of said aligning ring and configured to engage an axially aligned shaft slot of the shaft to align said press mechanism relative to the shaft when said attaching mechanism connects to the shaft;
• and
• a stop ring integrated with said press mechanism, said stop ring extending axially and radially outwardly from said press mechanism, said stop ring comprising at least one contact portion and located to contact an inner radial surface of said first extension and to contact an inner radial surface of said second extension to limit a radially inward movement of said first extension and said second extension toward each other to position said first extension and said second extension radially outside said attaching mechanism and the nut.