Removing hubs from a 46 Ford, When do I cut?

I have been working on this for a week, and they will not come off. This is a "barn find" car that had a minor engine fire a looong time ago. I really wanted to restore it cosmetically, except the seized 59AB. A 1962 2bbl 283 is the replacement.

I have tried everything I can find except the K R Wilson tool that I cannot afford for $200. I broke a puller that bolts on the studs, maxed out my porta power, tried a pitman puller that I saw on a tech thread here, that sheared 3/16 off the hub. Tried the threaded sleeve thing, broke my HAMB friendly 65 year old brass hammer, etc.

I find it really hard to believe that any other puller will actually do the job. One axle may already be bent.

At what point does one give up? Can the other tools really do the job?





Any helpful suggestions welcome.

 

Ya gotta take the big nut off first

 

Does it turn?

 

The hub doesnt come off. The drum comes off. Get the nut out of the way

 

I had to look twice, but the picture with the porta-power.........

 

just loosen the nut a little so you don't screw up the axle threads. Have you tried heat?
Get it good and hot, tighten the puller and then slam it with the heaviest hammer you can find.

 

The nut is about 2 turns loose in the pic. Wish it was that easy. At max pull with any method, the washer was easy to turn with bare fingers. Torch work didn't help even with old oil spitting out from inside the hub. wtf? So far both hubs do turn easily.

That was pretty scary to do but I thought it would do the trick for sure. I have been pumping that thing for 5 days straight with no results. And beat the shit out of it with the brass hammer because I have seen guys "shock" a fastener loose. Is this really a serviceable setup for a driver in todays world?

 

i put tension on it with a puller, then beat the end of the puller with a hammer. it shocks it loose. with a good stout puller you can't hit it too hard or too many times.

 

You need a real puller

That homemade one is way too thin and flexable to do it.

The old tool at garages was a 5 leg, forged puller. The legs are beefy and don't flex. they bolt to each lug. The center screw is huge. You tighten it with a hammer, then get a sledge and give the end a sharp hit.

Stating a s'storm I suppose, but the Ford used the thinnest, weakest, axle ends I have have worked with, except maybe a 1925 four cyl Star car. The huge puller, if not completely centered, can easily bend the threaded part of the axle shaft.

 

What the HECK ya mean the hub dont come off...havent work on old fords before have ya??

 

i would say your photo # 3 is the right way to go about it, then heat the hub ( two torches - one on each side) just inboard of the nut a little ways.
that's got to expand it off the tapper axle.
then your next job will be to repair the thread if you damaged them.
i'll make another post about that.

 

You need a real puller. No heat. Loosen Nut take up on the brake drum with puller,then hit puller in center with sharp hammer blow . Drum will pop loose. I have puller that goes around grooves in drum. Never had a problem with it.

 

I left the nut on just in case of thread damage. (the first couple have already been damaged) Man I hate to really get too hard on it with the hammer. Is that my final option and will that fubar the housing and bearings?

Thanks for the quick replies. This could turn out to be a really positive build thread, very little car stuff is challenging anymore.

That kinda is the crux of the problem. I hit it pretty effin hard with a 2 lb sledge, I have a really big one but can't get past the mental block of winding up and unloading with the really bfh. Is a really viscious hit the solution?

I have the strength, but wish for the finesse.

 

this puller from bratton's antique auto parts worked good for me.
they also sell a special nut that screws down to seat on that small shoulder on the axle that sticks out a little past the hub, so you don't ruin the threads in the process.

 

Maybe some one close by you has one of those KR Wilson pullers. I borrowed one from a buddy, and it saved me alot of trouble last time I had to do the brakes. Before that I used a tool I got on ebay. I screwed it on to the end of the axle, and then smacked the shit out of it(several times) with a BIG Hammer, and the shock was just enough to pop it loose. I haven't ruined the guts of one yet, but thats not to say it couldn't happen. I think I paid around $30 bucks for it about 10 years ago. If I can find it, I'll snap a pic.

 

to repair the damaged threads, you need to split a die - so you can get it on beyond the swelled out end, engage it on good threads, and screw it out from the inside.
take a 5/8 X 18 die and grind a groove around it, clamp it in a vise and smack it with a hammer ( safety glasses on!)

 

you should not hit the axle end with a hammer, even if there is a brass hammer in between. The axle end is soft and will distort,bend, or mushroom..

Hitting is only done at the end of a proper puller. On the nasty, overtightened drums, massive pulling tension is needed, before the smack. if you don't have the tension, it will destroy the axle.

i should put up a pic of my Dad's mongo puller from his shop he ran in the 50s. It makes the rest look like toys

 

xix32 good tip! thread files work also.

 

I got one of those proper pullers for $50 used. Works every time.

 

very cool tech on the thread repair, xix32

 

Here it is btw. I guess the hammer is it.

Thanks for the thread tech, that is an excellent idea.

 

great idea on the die

 

nice view!

 

I just removed two 1932 drums that were on a 36 axle that was sitting in the woods for 50 years. I used a harmonic balancer puller, it is still working after pullling both drums. Noi heat was used. Make sure the shoes haven't become one with the drum, They will come off.

 

mine needed the right puller, I tried heat, bf hammer, the same puller you broke and ended up buying the kr wilson one and it came right off.





you could try to find ones of these, they're cheaper ans some say they work good.

 

Your first pic is just like the one I broke. (but newer). The KR Wilson seems really expensive, but all reviews pretty much say "after I tried everything, using the KR it came right off." It seems impossible but maybe it isn't too expensive. Considering the incredible stress I have applied to these components, it seems to good to be true. Maybe I should suck it up and buy one.

I'm thinking I'll remove the fenders so I can get a square hit. Is it possible to bend the axle doing this?

 

I had a drum on a 46 Merc rear end that would not come off! I used a puller like this, ran it on tight with a big impact wrench, and then heated the hub red hot. After it was red hot for a while it just popped off and shot across the shop! It was pretty scary but it worked!

 

i have a good old snap on puller if you were in NW FL you could use it

 

here's some different types:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-Mercury-Model-Hub-Puller-Front-Rear-Wheel-Drum-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem255d6e9a81QQitemZ160481319553QQptZMotorsQ5fAutomotiveQ5fTools

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FORD-HUB-PULLER-1928-1948-FLATHEAD-29-30-32-34-36-40-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2a0ee5399cQQitemZ180638529948QQptZMotorsQ5fAutomotiveQ5fTools

 

what a great idea sometimes less is more