Pulling hubs and rebuilding seals...?

[whoizrob]

All the parts I need have been ordered and Sunbeam Specialties was nice enough to loan me their hub puller and I am mentally preparing myself for the battle royal. I do have a few questions though.

SS mentioned that I need 6 of the paper gaskets which go between the axle housing and the axle bearing retaining ring (not sure if my terminology is right). Does this mean I need 3 stacked per side? I've read that some people like putting some silicone sealant/gasket maker on the gaskets themselves. What is better for our application (goop or no goop)?

I went through my impact socket set to find the right socket for the axle nut and it's a different size than the front and I don't seem to have the right size. Anyone know what size socket I need?

Thanks!

Rob

 

[greenbean]

Please post a picture of the hub puller that you borrowed from SS for the rest of us to see or email a picture to me @ rjbsr2@sbcglobal.net.

Thanks for your help as I to need to do my Series V seals

 

[mikephillips]

The gaskets also serve a shims, that's why you see them listed in different thicknesses. What the SS cataolg says should be correct, but keep in mind that any replacement bearings might not be exactly the same so could require more or less of them.

 

[Ken Ellis]

Well, I've had some questions about this area for awhile myself... and I'm diggin' in soon. What fit is being shimmed here? The "pinch" of the retaining plate on the bearing? Or is it a clearance back at the ring gear carrier? Is it a mechanical clearance issue, or a "seal the oil in" issue?

Revealing my ignorance again...

I should probably read up on the manual tonight, too...

 

[altered]

Rob,

On my car the rear axle nut is 29mm or 1 1/8". It was a pain to get the nuts off, they were really tight. I ran a die over them once I got them off to clean up the threads.

I had read through all of the horror stories of pulling the hubs so I was concerned about it, but I had this puller made http://www.tigersunited.com/techtips/WaltersPuller/rt-WaltersHubPuller1.asp and finally got around to pulling them last night. Having never pulled Alpine hubs before I don't know if I just got lucky or if the puller worked that well. I bolted it on the hub and needed a 7/8" deep socket, the only one I could find was a 3/8" drive, so I thought I would give it a shot. Tightening the nuts in a criss cross pattern I had to lean on that little ratchet a bit but it popped without too much effort at all. I went to the other side and it came off even easier. I don't know if these have been off in the past or not but I won't be concerned if I need to ever pull them again.


Trevor.

 

[Dzynr_Ron]

Well Trevor I may take you up on your offer, spent this morn putting heat on the hub while puller under tension and still no luck :-(
tho shipping might cost more that making one...
hmmmm.. Ron

 

[George Coleman]

http://www.tigersunited.com/techtips/WaltersPuller/rt-WaltersHubPuller1.asp

Try this I made one works great!

 

[Hillman]

Can anyone explain how this works? If there is no center bolt to push against the axle with the hub held, what moves the hub on the axle?

 

[Ken Ellis]

The pulling force is generated by tightening the nuts on the four bolts. The bottom plate bolts to the hub, and the four bolts are long enough to reach the top plate (which rests on the backed-off axle nut). The actual amount of travel required to loosen the hub is about mmm.. notmuch.

The benefits look to be it cannot slip off, and the pulling forces are applied where the designer of the hub expected them to be -- right on the lugs. Other pullers use arms that grip around the edge of the hub. (I'm not sure that matters, ultimately.) The other benefit is you're not swinging a hammer around your car. Us bolt-on guys aren't in-practice with that like the wire wheels guys are.

 

[Dzynr_Ron]

Got my hubs off today !, two month saga over, found my uncle who used to be mechanic had a puller very similar to those shown in old wsm's, a cast iron bell shape that bolted to the wheel studs and screwed the center bolt onto axle end. Even it was tighted with a 3' breaker bar and hit on end with a sledge before it finally popped off 6' from car ! he's never seen them that tight in all his years wrenching, now to get new stud splines turned down a bit....so still happy even tho my Canucks are golfing after tonight ....
Ron

 

[Hillman]

Other pullers use arms that grip around the edge of the hub. (I'm not sure that matters, ultimately.) The other benefit is you're not swinging a hammer around your car. Us bolt-on guys aren't in-practice with that like the wire wheels guys are.

Thanks Ken. Being an Alpine wire wheel guy, I think I missed this part

Not shown is a Cold Rolled Steel spacer that allows extra clearance for long studs and Alpine wire wheel hubs.