Hub puller woes

AA Ford Discussion Group relating to the repair and restoration of your AA Ford.
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s147881
Posts: 425
Joined: April 13th, 2007, 8:09 pm
Body Type: stake bed 82A
Model Year: 1930
Location: Decatur Michigan

Hub puller woes

Post by s147881 »

I have been having issues getting drivers side hub off. I purchased a heavy duty three leg puller but one of the legs snapped in half. I then made a hydraulic 20 ton puller using old rim and one inch all thread. I pumped up jack before I went to work and when I got home I found two wheel studs snapped off. My plan was to keep pressure on it all night and then put heat to it. Now with studs broke off not sure what to do - any Ideas?
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1crosscut
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Model Year: 1929
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Re: Hub puller woes

Post by 1crosscut »

Sounds as if heat will be your friend on this one. Get a new three leg puller and use a acetylene / oxygen torch heat the hub. You may have to do several heat / cool cycles. I've done this with the puller attached under pressure and after a few cycles it will pop loose. The broken studs will be a challenge now though if you want to use your hydraulic puller. Hope your a good welder or know someone that can weld an extension onto your broken lugs if you go that route.
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Dave
1wonton
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Body Type: Express
Model Year: 1929
Location: Vallejo, Ca

Re: Hub puller woes

Post by 1wonton »

You might try loosening the axle nut and driving the truck around the block a few times. Sometimes the brakes will cut into the drum and this could be the problem. Make a "knocker" that threads onto the axle (make sure it bottoms onto the axle end), jack the opposite wheel off the ground and give it a few solid whacks with a ten pound hammer.
bill worden
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Joined: March 9th, 2015, 9:36 am
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Model Year: 1931

Re: Hub puller woes

Post by bill worden »

Heat did it for me with just a propane torch. You can leave the axle nut on a few threads to catch the drum which, if it is like mine, may tend to launch itself off the end of the axle.
ModelAkid
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Joined: June 3rd, 2013, 6:15 pm
Body Type: 186-B stake
Model Year: 1931
Location: LHC Arizona & UP Michigan

Re: Hub puller woes

Post by ModelAkid »

I have used the 3 leg drum pullers for a long time and never seen one break. I'm thinking you got one made in China? If you want a good old American made one, someone here on the forum could probably sell you one.
I have seen the Ford drum pullers made by KRW but never owned one. They look pretty good, can someone here comment on using those?
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s147881
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Re: Hub puller woes

Post by s147881 »

The puller that broke was a snap-on puller made in USA by KD tools. One leg snapped at the narrow neck while I was hitting on the the dog bone with a 2 lb sledge. My drum is really stuck - I welded two new studs on today to hold the rim puller at all five studs. Re-applied the 20 tons of force from the jack and heated it twice with no luck. I do have the axle nut on to give more surface area for the puller and to catch the drum when it comes loose. Is the some thing else I should do? OR should I just keep heating it and letting it cool while I have the puller installed? Below is a picture of my puller with original 12 ton Jack and before any wheel studs snapped. After I replaced the 12 ton jack with a 20 ton jack two of the wheel studs snapped on both side of the all thread that is closest to the camera in the picture below.
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ModelAkid
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Re: Hub puller woes

Post by ModelAkid »

Does the drum move at all?
If it moves a little the brake shoes are probably stuck to it.
If it does not move at all it must be stuck on the axle shaft. Which of those 2 it is will determine where the heat needs to be applied. As a last ditch desperate option you may need to cut a slice in the drum with a cutting torch where the axle key is. You would not have to cut all the way through, just enough to weaken it, and maybe drive in a steel wedge.
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spectria
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Re: Hub puller woes

Post by spectria »

s147881 wrote:The puller that broke was a snap-on puller made in USA by KD tools. One leg snapped at the narrow neck while I was hitting on the the dog bone with a 2 lb sledge. My drum is really stuck - I welded two new studs on today to hold the rim puller at all five studs. Re-applied the 20 tons of force from the jack and heated it twice with no luck. I do have the axle nut on to give more surface area for the puller and to catch the drum when it comes loose. Is the some thing else I should do? OR should I just keep heating it and letting it cool while I have the puller installed? Below is a picture of my puller with original 12 ton Jack and before any wheel studs snapped. After I replaced the 12 ton jack with a 20 ton jack two of the wheel studs snapped on both side of the all thread that is closest to the camera in the picture below.
Vibration and penetrant are a good addition to your choices. Find a way to saturate the end of the axle with a good penetrant, then with pressure still applied use a blunt nose on an air chisel and work your way around the hub near the end, Hammer the hell out of it.
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1crosscut
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Re: Hub puller woes

Post by 1crosscut »

I've had to heat and cool 7 or 8 times to get some to pop off.
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s147881
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Re: Hub puller woes

Post by s147881 »

The hub is not loose on the axle at all. I will try some vibration today and then some more heating cycles.
1wonton
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Re: Hub puller woes

Post by 1wonton »

After you've applied the pressure just keep tapping on the hub, constant tapping (not hard) will eventually break it loose. Unlikely you will break it loose with presure alone.
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dyoungs
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Re: Hub puller woes

Post by dyoungs »

LOL.... That looks just like set up that I had years ago.... the only thing different was I had a 5 foot peice of 1 inch pipe over the handle...... and a lot of pumping........
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s147881
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Re: Hub puller woes

Post by s147881 »

Lots of tapping with hammer on hub today, another heating cycle, and also used my air hammer with a hammer tool - all to no success. I am out of Oxygen and will need to get my bottles refilled before I can attempt the 5th heating. I have not given up yet - I will continue to apply penetrating Oil, air hammer, and tapping with manual hammer. The 20 Ton Jack is holding good - Not loosing any pressure. WOW - 40,000 lbs and still wont break loose. Who would have thought it could have held on this long. The other hub just about slipped off. This hub had a small hole in the hub cap and most likely let water get in. I thought about putting hub cap back on with hole up and filling it with penetrating oil for a week or month? Has anyone tried that before?
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1crosscut
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Re: Hub puller woes

Post by 1crosscut »

Keep at it. It will come off.
Try hitting it with cold water right after heating it.
Rust is a hell of a good epoxy.
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Dave
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1crosscut
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Re: Hub puller woes

Post by 1crosscut »

Have you been striking it with a sledge on the plate under the base of the hydraulic jack?
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