rear hub removal - live axle

[se7enmad]

Ok, attempting to remove rear hub from live axle car this morning to replace studs with longer and stronger ones, proved complicated due to fact that hub appears to be seized.

 

Large puller used, and lots of effort from two people plus leverage and the thing will not budge.

 

Result, one slightly bent hub which will be eventually replaced with alu item.

hub/rear brake assembly

 

Hub seems to have been loctited in by Caterham and no amount of effort seems to be able to shift it. We also tried undoing shaft from backplate but it seems splines are deeply embedded.

 

Will try some more vigorous hammering tomorrow to free it but a bit concerned as amount of force we have been using is large.

 

I see there has been some mention of use of a slide hammer to assist hub removal but the puller we used seemed a lot more appropriate, but wasn't good enough.

 

We dont have facility to apply direct heat to hub and space within garage is quite small so not possible to go under car and hammer from inside out.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Antonella

my photos here here

[Irrelevant]

I had one in a 10 tonne press once . . . and applied heat(lots of it) when it was in there . . . bloody thing still wouldn't budge. Left it for days soaking in Plus-Gas and kept tweeking up the pressure . . . still wouldn't budge.

 

Good luck

[jonboylaw]

The slide hammer will jolt it and may make it easier for removal. I had a similar issue with a Ford Axle and it took a few good blows with a slide hammer to pull out the halfshaft, but it would not move when trying to pull with a puller...

 

Jon

[Pezky]

Hub is held on halfshaft by taper fit and woodruff key, virtually impossible to get off.....sorry

Jonathan

[Revin Kevin]

Antonella,

You will need to remove the shaft and hub from the axle with a slide hammer, some times you can get away with using an old wheel bolted back on and with two people hitting from behind at 180degrees to each other simultaneously. Then put the hub under tension with a puller and use heat. Loctite should never be used on a taper it's a amateurish way of over coming poor fit issues. The hub when replaced should have the tapers lapped together then a shimmed manufactured to space the bearing off the oil seal raised section. This will then give good secure fit and will come apart easily when required.

 

Cheers

Chris

[se7enmad]

virtually impossible to get off.....

 

hmmm... the more reason to give it another try this morning then 😬

 

Not quite convinced about using a slide hammer as we were using a heavy duty puller which did'nt do the trick.

Good to know it is a generally difficult task though, with other cars it doesn't seem to be such a pain!

 

Agree about the use of the loctite and the fact reconditioned hubs were used...

 

Will need to go to the local tool shop and have a look at more tools then!

 

Antonella

my photos here here

[blade_runner]

You really need the assembly off the car, if your changing the bearing as well (advisable if its all out) you will need to put the whole thing in a press, I've had a base plate made up for my press with a hole drilled in exactly the right size to slide the ital half shaft through and I press against the bearing and the end of the shaft, remember to keep the hub nut on loosly because if the shaft goes it goes with a BANG! and the shaft will end up hitting the floor! I find it easier to take the whole assembly off the shaft ie bearing as well.

I've done this several times on my car, both with my press and with a hydralic puller and not had too much trouble. However my press is out of action at the moment as a few months ago I helped seven_nut overhaul the ital axle on his blade, and it bent the base plate and damaged the seals on the ram as the hubs were so dam tight! we got one apart eventually and found out the guy that had built the car had used Loctite on the taper shaft which made it a nightmare to break apart, the second shaft and hub we could not split apart and thats when we damaged my 10 ton press!

I took this hub to work and a couple of the Mechanical fitters had a go with it in the 50 ton press and they ended up spreading the end of the shaft and knackering it.

Luckly seven_nut had a spare shaft and hub hidden up that he found and we overhauled that and fitted it.

 

'Pinky Pics' here

[S47zz]

Can be a real bitch to remove - you definitely need a slide hammer, it's the only way to get the halfshaft out

[elie boone]

I managed to get the hubs off, maybe it's beginners luck. I use a heavy 3 leg pully with and extra securing ring so the jaws can't open under tension, i do have to say it's a case of loosen or else something has to brake. U need to put everything under strain as much as u dare then leave it for a few minutes and apply some then with a big bang it may come off.

If space is limited it's even more difficult to do.

 

I heard that Jigsaw was working on a remouveble hub but i have no clue haw far they are with it. Oh BTW they use a anglegrinder to take them off. and just replace the hub.