Removing Hubs From Driveshaft

[stockhome]

I am in the middle of a suspension refresh and have got the rear wishbones removed.

 

I removed the upper and lower ball joints, undid the hub nut which was a pain in the ar$e. Note to self undo the hub nut before removing the brakes. As it s an S2 i managed to put a wheel bolt though the hub flange so it wedged up to the upright which gave me enough purchase to remove the nut.

 

I have a copy of the S2 Lotus service manual it says, use a suitable puller to remove the hub from the drive shaft. Is a puller needed or can I physically pull the upright/hub/ from the drive shaft without damaging the bearing?

 

Any particular puller tool recommendations if one is needed?

 

TIA

[TheRon]

Once you've removed the hub nut the driveshaft and hub should only be connected by the friction/corrosion of the splines.

 

Just pull the hub towards you a bit (an inch or so) and tap the end of the drive shaft through with a rubber/wood mallet. Don't use anything harder or you'll damage the end of the drive shaft.

[stockhome]

Just tried a rubber mallet and still no joy.

[Martin R]

Put a piece of soft wood on the end and hit it with something heavy. I expect its corroded in?

 

Failing that i have a set of pullers in the garage that may fit?

[jimbo07g41]

Once you've removed the hub nut the driveshaft and hub should only be connected by the friction/corrosion of the splines.

 

Just pull the hub towards you a bit (an inch or so) and tap the end of the drive shaft through with a rubber/wood mallet. Don't use anything harder or you'll damage the end of the drive shaft.

 

First Time i did this I used a metal hammer and damaged the end of my shaft. Really difficult getting my nuts back on!

 

You need something that is not going to disintegrate when you hit it and then give it some big taps.

[jonnyfox]

John used a big hammer tapping, turning and pulling mate......... Took a while but came out.

[r339xjw]

1. put the nut on and hit with hammer so not to damage threads
   

[stockhome]

Thanks for all of the replies guys I will have another go tonight and let you know how I get on

 

Putting the nut back on and giving it a whack sound like a great idea

[Numbnutz]

There are a number of ways to do this, ranging from DIY botchery - to the correct way.

 

Firstly, its easier to do with the hub securely mounted - ie. solid, so if its loose, just bolt it back up and nip the bolts to hold it still. Trust me. Give it a squirt of Release oil first.

 

Options are in order of preference

1. Use a puller or hub remover. They are cheap enough. The most basic is less than a tenner. You can buy a cheap set of 3 or 4 pullers from machine mart for £25-35 for general use or cheaper on Ebay. If you just want something for the job today, then try a Draper 13916 or similar Laser at Halfrauds
    
   I have a really old fine thread puller, and it takes longer to find it than it does to break both sides. If I lost it I'd defo buy another. Not that I use it much. Its very similar to This.
    
   Remove the hub nut, Wind the device's thread back, fit the device, wind the thread in and push out the CV spline. Easy as - I have never had one that does not come out reasonably easily.
   .
   
2. Get a block of hard wood, or thick softwood. Put on the end of the CV spline and give it a short hard whack with a heavy hammer, or lump hammer. Repeat a few times if its stuck.
    
   Note: this can put sudden stress on the bearing, you can hit a finger, you can miss and hit something important, wood is damaged or split, and you can loose your rag if it doesn't work and revert to option 3 in a fit of rage/desperation.
   .
   
3. This is the worst/botch way - Fit hub nut so it is loose and half way up the thread. Use a drift placed in the centre of CV spline (optional depending on temper), and give it a big swing of the lump hammer. Repeat as necessary.
   Once its loose assess thread damage on CV spline, tidy with file or thin hacksaw blade, undo nut and hope it sorts your thread out.
    
   As said - this is the worst option.
   

Let us know how you get on.

[stockhome]

They are off

 

In the end I bought one of the laser Hub pullers from Halfords http://www.halfords....tegoryId_255216. One problem was that the puller was a couple of mm too small/narrow you could get the bolts in either side but they were at a very slight angle. If I had started to tighten it up it could have bent the wheel bolts or damaged the threads in the flange.

 

I used a dremel to file a little material from the inside of both holes and it fitted perfectly. I then used my Christmas present a Ryobi cordless 18v impact wrench to tighten the nut and it came off in seconds.

 

Thanks for all the advice guys

[Martin R]

Sheldon, just for reference. I have a Halfords trade card. It gives a decent discount on tools i believe

[stockhome]

Thanks for the offer Martin i may take you up on that one. I do seem to be amassing lots of tools at the moment. some of which I will not use again. Hopefully I should not need to buy any more. (famous last words)

 

Although I did take a trip over to see Leigh (Dr H) yesterday as he kindly offered to lend me his Eliseparts Ball joint and bush removal\refitting tools. Will save me a few quid

[Numbnutz]

Halfrauds Trade card is great on Halfrauds own products. Not so much off other stuff - but worth using if you can get hold of or have one.

Some offers are cheaper than using the card, so check for offers before using.

 

But for own stuff for example - their torque wrenches are almost half price. £40 on my card. Bargain, life guarentee and certified too.