>No insults intended, it's just that the 3 arm puller that I have is capable
>of pulling hubs on semi's and it only cost $50. I would think you could get
>the hubs off a spitfire with a steering wheel puller.
*************************************
The problem with all the "regular" type gear pullers, be they two, three,
or four arm type is not that they have sufficient "pull" but the flange, if
installed correctly, cannot be removed without rendering it useless using
one of these type pullers. A proper hub puller that grabs all four studs
would work but it must pull all four - this is a thin, forged flange and as
such needs all the support it can get. If installed *correctly* and run
for any length of time, and one of these gear pullers is used to try and
separate the flange from the axle the resulting force will more often than
not bend the flange into an un-usable item, suitable only for a paper
weight thereafter. The "tool" shown (mine included) provides the necessary
rigidity, and allows the pulling force to be distributed over a far greater
surface than any conventional type gear puller, and in a more direct
fashion insuring that the part is pulled off in a straight line, and not
bent in the process. On top of that, the square shape on the axle flange
does not lend itself to the usual three fingered type, and I assure you if
you use a two fingered type you will bend the flange - even a four fingered
puller would most likely distort the flange (it doesn't take much to ruin
one) because the back surface of the flange is not flat, machined, but a
slightly tapered forging.
That is why one needs a "tool" of some sort to remove these particular
flanges - the tool described is a dual purpose stiffener and puller.
A brake drum was mentioned so I thought I would add that I doubt that it
would add the necessary rigidity to remove one of these flanges. Most
times it would probably end up breaking as these are cast items and rather
thin at that -
Barry Schwartz (San Diego) bschwart@pacbell.net
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