Hub Puller

[SoCal'beaming]

Thanks Dan .... I was actually just poking fun at myself, this should have been done this winter. I've just finished the eng./comp. and have just about everything to start the frt. end. I might get to the rearend by .......... well ........ soon! ...... very soon! ....... I'm a lot slower then I use to be.

 

[cuppy65]

I tried every puller I could find and finally bought this on e bay . The hub popped right off. However the hydraulics was not enough. I ended up unscrewing the hydraulic end bolt and just used the two remaining parts. I held the the part bolted to the hub with a large pipe wrench , which the end of the wrench rested against the floor, and with another pipe wrench tighten the center push bolt as much as I could and then rapped on the end of the puller and it popped off. I think the thing with what ever puller you use is the be sure you can utilize all four wheel studs and that the center push bolt is large enough to take the force required . This puller has both.https://www.ebay.com/itm/163042468099?hash=item25f616a103

 

[DanR]

Cuppy, That puller looks interesting. The design appears simple.

Curious as to the material the "hub" is made of? If aluminum, could be the weak point !

 

[greenbean]

Not following this thread very close, but when I had to pull my SV rear hubs, Rick at SS loaned me his perfect rear hub puller for just the cost of shipping

 

[65beam]

Just as parts stores have peg boards on their walls that have designated pegs for tools, the dealers had the same thing for factory tools. I have seen one of these boards with all of the tools and was given a chance to buy it several years back but declined since I had no use for the tools. I've heard that Doug Jennings had most if not all of the tools when he had Tiger Auto. Don't know what he has now. A couple weeks back we removed the 4.22 gears from the RHD Harrington and installed 3.89 gears. Doug clamped the axles in his vice and used his hub puller to remove them. The puller quite easily removed the hubs. I have the tool to center the timing chain cover but it's useless if you've made the mod to a seal.

 

[cuppy65]

The puller I bought is all steel. No aluminum.

 

[DanR]

The puller I bought is all steel. No aluminum.

Thanks for the comfirmation, Cuppy! Your "tool" looks a lot like the Rootes Puller posted in another thread here!

 

[spmdr]

Well, it's been a while since I have seen that artical about the hub puller.

I don't know what puller may be moving around (shipped among friends), but the one I had made is WAY overkill for general use.

I recently used a more simple single plate one I bought from a Tiger guy, retiring from Sunbeams.

I used it on the "Weekend Racer" Alpine S2.

The hubs came off harder than I remember a Std Alpine hub coming off,

Almost as hard as taking off a Tiger hub!

I'll have to take a pic of the "New" puller instead of describing it.

...even though it has a center bolt/screw that I didn't use...

More about it later.

DW

 

[Cali_59]

Cuppy, Do you have wire wheel spines?.. wondering if this one will work for me.
Thanks!
Chris

 

[Van Bagley]

I'm at my wits end trying to get my hubs out. I have been working on them every day for the past 4 days. I have borrowed a puller from Auto Zone which did not fit, 2 different ones from O'Reilly. I even cut the spline in half for it's junk anyway. Has anyone used the puller that is available on Amazon for $118
HELP!

 

[Barry]

Try entering "hub puller" in the forum search function at the upper-right on this page.

 

[jumpinjan]

I wrote a tech article on this rear axle servicing 17 years ago now. You might want to review it again.
http://sunbeamalpine.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/issue_5.pdf
Jan

 

[jumpinjan]

This is what I have now, made by OTC p/n 7394 (but mine has four levers..not 3), but it might still work well with just 2 levers.
Summit has them: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/otc-7394
Jan

 

[puff4]

I used to sell OTC back when I ran a tool warehouse in another lifetime, Jan. OTC tools are virtually indestructible and built for heavy service - I very rarely ever had one come back broken. I also have one of those pullers and it definitely does the job.

 

[jdoclogan]

I have the same puller and it has never failed. That being said, there has been a couple times where I needed to screw it very tight and whack the center bolt with a heavy hammer. Once, and I know it is not advisable, I heated the hub. Not super hot to where the grease begins to smoke but where you wouldn't want to touch it.

 

[spmdr]

Here is some more info about the article in post # 15 above.

The article was edited by Steve Laifman for the TU site.

Steve took editorial license with the info I gave him.

The puller that Dan Westland made is made out of some very trick Stainless Steel!

...Provided by his employer, at the time...


Some time ago, I attempted to drill out the wheel stud holes in the hub ring from the stock 7/16" to 1/2",

to use it on some hubs that were fitted with 1/2" wheel studs.

I Gave up! THAT is some HARD stuff!

I am in AWE of what ever drill he used, not to mention the TAP he used on that stuff!


The point being, the material sets the dimensions, with softer material, Go BIGGER!!!


To give more background, the first custom puller I used was made with HOT rolled steel.

It kept bending and/or Stretching, quite amazing! (how SOFT HOT rolled steel can be!).

And it was designed to use WITH a standard center threaded shaft, puller.

After bending the threaded shaft on the puller, I modified it to use JUST the wheel studs as the clamp force.

THAT is when the soft steel REALLY started to distort!


THAT is when I had the Extra HD version made (post #15).


Post #28 refers to a hub puller I picked up from a Tiger guy, for REAL cheap!

It's basic and VERY HD, how about material 1 1/2" thick!

The only problem with it is the center bolt!

I would NOT use one!

Why? Because it NEEDS to be VERY BIG and with the Finest thread possible!

And THAT is NOT something you will find in ANY garden variety Tap set.


The Key to ALL of this is that the Hub puller Tool NEEDS to be as Strong AND Rigid as possible!

Here is some BEEF!

 

[spmdr]

Some more hub removal notes.

From Tiger experience, Don't attempt to remove a hub with less than 4 wheel studs/bolts in use.

odds are the tough customers will end up with bent hubs, if using 2 or 3 studs/bolts,

...IF they DO come off before damaging the hub.


And just to be clear, The hub puller in post #15 is ALWAYS used with a spacer.

A short spacer is used with std 4 stud hubs, because without a spacer,

you NEED an extra extra long deep socket on the stud nuts.

And then a longer spacer (that is kept centered in the hub, with a bigger OD)

is used to clear the Alpine Knock off hub.


And about the use of a Hammer, DON'T use it!

Again, I would point out, most of my experience is with Tigers.

And they get a much bigger Torque on the axle to hub Nut, a subject of a new (Tiger) thread for sure.

I have used a hammer (with earlier pullers), but I have concluded the desire to use a hammer

is only because of a puller deficiency.

In this case, a hammer is usually the cause of damage to the axle shaft end.


If I were to remake the puller in post #15, I would make the hub ring even More rigid,

with a thicker material and bigger OD.


And just remember, a hub WILL be harder to get off when the nut has more torque.

And odds are, YOU will be the next person to take the hub back off, so don't over torque the axle nut.

 

[volvoguys]

I've seen the type of puller Jan shows but have never used one on a Sunbeam. Will this also work with wire hubs?

Below is a link to opinions I posted in 2008 about this subject. In the 12 years since, I would estimate I've now removed 40 sets of rear hubs (that's 80 hubs) from Alpines and Tigers. With varying degrees of difficulty, they all came off:

http://forum.sunbeamalpine.org/index.php?threads/splined-hub-removal-help.8680/#post-52815

Beyond the dozens I have personally removed, I have guided a dozen or so guys in getting their hubs off, all successfully and without damage. Rootes gave direction in manual WSM 145 Section G page 5 to "smartly tap the end of the hub remover (center) bolt". IMO, the striking of the center bolt creates a quick shock to separate the two machined surfaces, similar to an impact wrench. About the only change I would make to my 2008 opinions would be to allow 5 minutes wait between attempts. If two crank and "tap" attempts don't do the job, walk away for a while and come back because sometimes the hub will pop off after a few minutes of sustained pull. Have a blanket or box below the hub/puller so once they sperate they're cushioned if they slide off the axle stud.

Just my very, very experienced 2¢.

Mark ..... volvoguys

 

[Tim R]

The puller used in these videos on The Sunbeam Alpine Channel on YouTube is owned by the UK owners club. It has adapters for wire or steel wheels and is a great piece of kit. We find that localised high heat while the hub is under pressure (usually from soldering irons) will often make it pop as it cools.

Tim R

 

[Van Bagley]

I bought an OTC puller and it came with 3 arms I was able to get one hub off but the second has turned into a problem with only 3 arms. I contacted OTC and bought a 4th arm. It will be available when I've finished with it.