Charlie Brown wrote:
Ian Inglis wrote:
>
> I had a hub puller made up by my local power station machine shop a few
> years ago, I have had no trouble pulling Spit or Herald hubs since. A
> similar puller is available from the T.S.S.C. , it cost GBP 52.95 at last
> years prices. It grieves me to recommend purchasing anything from this
club
> as, IMHO, all they want is your money but I don't know anyone else
selling
> one.
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He's right. I had a local machine shop fabricate a hub puller, based on
the drawings in the manuals. I measured the lug pattern, figured how big
and thick things needed to be, drilled and tapped the end for a one inch
coarse thread screw (with a nut welded onto the outside end), and bingo,
I've got a hub popper. I do have to use an impact wrench to make it work
(my puny 3" bench vice ain't big enough to keep the axle from turning),
but on my last rebuild, I had no problem popping the hubs, without
distortion. A little anti-seize goes a long way on load bearing parts.
The cost for puller fabrication was about $100, but then I've got two
Spits to keep rolling--I'm thinking long term investment. Pulling these
hubs without proper support will cause distortion. Modern machine shops
generally don't understand this--or how much force is required to separate
the hub from the axle. If there's enough interest working drawings could be
made available...
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Anti seize compound is probably not a good idea. If you think about it, the
only thing holding the hub in place OTHER THAN friction is the little key.
The hub relies on the friction against the axle shaft to hold it on and
prevent rotation. Antiseize negates this friction. As to hub pullers, I
think some people will have a different experience due to the differences
of time, friction, rust, and all of the other things that make some hubs
stick and others pop off easily. If any of you are the lucky ones that have
hubs which came off with ease - God bless ya and count your blessings. For
the rest of us, well, shoot, even a custom made hub puller can only exert so
much pressure before the hub itself starts to bend OR the tip of the axle
starts to mushroom - one or the other is going to happen if that sucker
doesn't want to budge. Me? - I spent $40 US buying a replacement hub from
Kipping and I pray to God I never have to go through the process again (or
maybe I'll borrow Ralph Jannelli's hub remover.....),
Ross D. Vincenti
64 Spitfire 4
64 Porsche 356C Coupe
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