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Hub Removal lessons learned - with pictures!

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BMH95

Well I decided to wait for heavy tools before tackling the hub job. Here's how it's going so far . . . . is that puller plate really supposed to be curved like that?:cool:



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Is that a gap forming?



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Will an air chissel take care of that? How hard are the dust sheilds to replace?



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Geez, I was hoping that at least the hub would separate or something. :-{}



And to answer my own question, yes! That was a gap, and YES!, the air chissel did get it loosened up a little without destroying the dust shield. And then I walked the hub out of the knuckle with an impact on the puller. All in all, it took about 5 minutes worth of work, and 15 minutes worth of kroil soaking (with pressure on the puller). Tools are the key!! (hopefully that puller isn't permanently bent)



#ad




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Nice and rusty!





And now I'm done with the driver's side. It was a little easier, knowing what to do. I put the puller on it, and then cranked down with the impact. Then, I put more pressure with the breaker bar and 30" extension. After that, I turned the wheel lock to lock - which made some popping noises. Then I put the air chissel (hammer with chissel bit) on it and ruined the dust shield (it'll still work). Then I decided to try giving it some persuation... Two thumps with a 3lb mallet and it popped out about 1/4 inch. Then it was a matter of walking it out with the impact gun again. This one was stuck more than the passenger side. Leasons learned . . . Impact gun, breaker bar with extension, and a mallet to smack the knuckle when there is A LOT of pressure on the puller. I got the puller off of ebay for about $70 -- not having to spend all day beating on it: PRICELESS. It wasn't too bad, because I got the right tools ahead of time. The power steering method DID NOT WORK for me. This puller is permanently bent now, and it's almost a 1/2" thick steel plate. I would have broken something important had I kept cranking on it with the steering / extension on the housing method.



Now it's on to the ball joints next . . . (have another tool for that)...
 
Last edited:
NICE thread and pics/info - been covered before, but your effort is well laid out and explained without all the blood sweat and tears of earlier reports.



The difficulty and evident rust lockup seems to maybe be an east coast or cold climate thing, aggravated by road salt? the hubs and rotors on my '02 still look pristine - hope they stay that way! :eek:



Wonder if the trick might be to apply the loosening lube a week or so BEFORE the actual removal attempt, instead of at the time the project is actually underway? :confused:
 
Do you mean, like, plan ahead? Isn't that just as bad as using directions?



I think the problem is the design. There is a small gap at the top of the dust shield that allows water (and penetrating oil) into a little channel (there is a taper on the edge of the knuckle) that encompasses the entire hub. I think this allows water to sit in there until it's cooked off by heat or evaporates. And if you throw salt or calcium chloride in the mixture of water, then it gets worse. That's my theory anway.
 
one word to the wise, take the speed sensor out before you do it just incase the new one doesn't come with a sensor



I have always had good luck with ethier my 5lb chevy wrench or the air chisel.
 
My hubs and axles came out pretty easily.



I didn't seperate the hub from the axle though. No reason to if you are just changing axle u-joints
 
BMH95 said:
Well I decided to wait for heavy tools before tackling the hub job. Here's how it's going so far . . . . is that puller plate really supposed to be curved like that?:cool:



#ad




#ad




Is that a gap forming?



#ad




Will an air chissel take care of that? How hard are the dust sheilds to replace?



#ad




Geez, I was hoping that at least the hub would separate or something. :-{}



And to answer my own question, yes! That was a gap, and YES!, the air chissel did get it loosened up a little without destroying the dust shield. And then I walked the hub out of the knuckle with an impact on the puller. All in all, it took about 5 minutes worth of work, and 15 minutes worth of kroil soaking (with pressure on the puller). Tools are the key!! (hopefully that puller isn't permanently bent)



#ad




#ad




#ad




#ad






Nice and rusty!





And now I'm done with the driver's side. It was a little easier, knowing what to do. I put the puller on it, and then cranked down with the impact. Then, I put more pressure with the breaker bar and 30" extension. After that, I turned the wheel lock to lock - which made some popping noises. Then I put the air chissel (hammer with chissel bit) on it and ruined the dust shield (it'll still work). Then I decided to try giving it some persuation... Two thumps with a 3lb mallet and it popped out about 1/4 inch. Then it was a matter of walking it out with the impact gun again. This one was stuck more than the passenger side. Leasons learned . . . Impact gun, breaker bar with extension, and a mallet to smack the knuckle when there is A LOT of pressure on the puller. I got the puller off of ebay for about $70 -- not having to spend all day beating on it: PRICELESS. It wasn't too bad, because I got the right tools ahead of time. The power steering method DID NOT WORK for me. This puller is permanently bent now, and it's almost a 1/2" thick steel plate. I would have broken something important had I kept cranking on it with the steering / extension on the housing method.



Now it's on to the ball joints next . . . (have another tool for that)...
Click to expand...



Nice pictures very well done !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Yep, for the rust belt guys the unit bearings really suck!



BMH95 said:
... The power steering method DID NOT WORK for me. This puller is permanently bent now, and it's almost a 1/2" thick steel plate. I would have broken something important had I kept cranking on it with the steering / extension on the housing method. . .
Click to expand...



BMH95 I’m with you on the steering trick, why risk the extra wear or damage on the tie rod ends? Even though I did it, I disliked the idea of hammering on the bearing housing and mounting bolts or applying all that force to the ball joints and ujoints with a puller. After the typical struggling (and getting the wheel flanges off) I finally ground a couple of thin slits in the bearing housings, down to the knuckle (think of a split ring lock washer) to weaken the housings before they would come out.



To do it over again for a rust belt truck, I would replace the stock bearing mounting bolts with some long enough to go through the bearing ears and push against the back of the wheel flange. Then use the four bolts as the primary means to force the bearing and wheel flange apart. If the bolts can not generate enough force to separate the wheel flange then use a hub puller to apply more force. This way the least amount of force is applied to the rest of the axle components. Once the wheel flange is off then use Ryan’s neat bearing housing puller to remove the rest. Simple, straight forward and the job gets done with no collateral damage and the minimum amount of stress applied to other components.



BTW with that bent puller have you checked if your wheel flanges bend at all?
 
I didn't care if the wheel flange was bent, because the bearings are shot on both sides anyway. I was more concerned with just getting the old parts off. I'll post the ebay link shortly.



Now I can't get the ball joints off, and I bent my ball joint tool severely trying.
 
BMH95 said:
I think the problem is the design. There is a small gap at the top of the dust shield that allows water (and penetrating oil) into a little channel (there is a taper on the edge of the knuckle) that encompasses the entire hub. I think this allows water to sit in there until it's cooked off by heat or evaporates. And if you throw salt or calcium chloride in the mixture of water, then it gets worse. That's my theory anway.
Click to expand...



I'm not sure that this is as bad as on the back side of it, where the dust shield on the axle is, there is a gap between the dust shield and the knuckle, which allows crap to get in there and corrode.



Either way it is a royal PITA to get these things off!



Jeff
 
so that puller presses against the end of the axle stub in the hub?


hmm. . maybe at work when i have some time i should start making a puller. . make up a plate out of some scrap 3/4" or 1" plate and weld in a threaded sleeve so a porta pack cylinder could be screwed in...

don't really like the idea of pressing against the axle stub shaft though...
 
steved said:
The 3rd gens are tougher to separate... mine took a lot more to pull than my 2nd gen, and they stayed together.
Click to expand...

Either mine separated easily, or my tools are capable of a lot more force than I thought. Mine separated rather quickly with the combination a puller and a 14 lb sledge. I can't imagine the total force was more than 5 tons. Probably closer to 2. 5 tons.

The inner race separated from the knuckle with a force that must have been in the 20-30 ton range, based on some info I found here from a guy who removed the knuckles then put them in a 50-ton press to remove the bearings.

Of course, all these loads are pure speculation on my part. I could be way high (or low).

Ryan
 
I wouldn't do it unless I wasn't already planning to replace all of the u joints, ball joints, and hubs. In that case, the collar of the axle shaft sits directly againse the diff housing neck. It's good meat on good meat there.



I still can't get the ball joints out. I've bent two ball joint presses now, and they haven't even budged.
 
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Issue 128 – Digital Version
Digital Magazines
FREE!
TDR Test Drive - Digital Edition
Renew
Subscribe
Gift Subscriptions
Back Issues
Subscription Status
Address Change Form
Buyer's Guides
Ram Diagnostic Trouble Codes
The Perfect Collection
The Perfect Collection Vol. II
TSB Updates
Dodge/Cummins Historical Overview
Cameron Collection
What Makes Us Tick?
Product Showcase
Advertising



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