I've probably pulled 2 dozen sets of rear hubs and every one was with a puller and hammer. I've sold quite a few hubs or axles to guys (many in this club) who screwed up their parts by using presses and if you look back over prior threads on this topic you'll read testimonies from members who tried this and had disastrous results. Personally, I would never use heat either. I would be concerned about distorting the mating surfaces - even with gas or propane.
I believe there are 2 primary factors that influence success in getting rear steel & wire hubs off these cars. First, you need the right tool! Using gear pullers, no matter how large, just ain't got the snot to do the job. In the absence of the original Churchill tool used by Rootes, I have found no better than the one Jack mentioned earlier - the Proto 4001. It can sometimes be found on eBay and will give you results on either hub type.
Second, you need to be fearless in your attempt. The center cranking screw needs to be hammered HARD. Torquing HARD on the bolt, slamming it 3-4 times, torquing/hitting again (HARD) several more times and it will come off. Most guys are afraid of breaking the hub, axle or even the diff. But as long as you have everything aligned correctly and only hit the bolt head you aren't going to damage anything. I also recommend a 3-6 pound hammer with a short handle because you might smack the fender using a full sledge and then you'll really be p*ssed. It's the combination of pressure AND shock that gets the part off the car. Let's remember that this is the direction given in the WSM and if it was good enough them it's good enough now.
Mark
