Improved Hub Puller

[Blue Chips 533]

I built a hub puller a couple of weeks ago, which worked great (see below), but I thought I could improve upon it, so I fabbed up a new version, which has two advantages over the first one: It has a cavity for the hub spigot, so it can be bolted flat against the hub flange, which can add some rigidity to the flange, and it can be used with hubs that have been retrofitted with studs, as well as those that are still using lug bolts. Mine still has lug bolts, but I used a separate set of bolts and washers with the puller, rather than the lug bolts, in order to prevent any damage to the puller plate or to the tapered part of the lug bolts. The center bolt is longer than it needs to be, but that's what I had on hand. I put a dab of anti-seize on the center bolt threads.

 

Previous version of hub puller:

 

New version:

 

Back of puller (I dressed the weld a bit, just for the heck of it):

 

Front of puller:

 

 

 

 

Edited 17 hours ago by Blue Chips

[SylvanLakeWH 30,110]

That is a beautiful job!!!

 

[ri702bill 10,915]

Grade 8 fine thread bolt - excellent choice. Is there any kind of a bearing on the business end?

[ebinmaine 76,395]

6 minutes ago, Blue Chips said:

fabbed up a new version

 

 

That - my dear boy - is a work of art that looks like it would work well.  

 

 

 

[WHX?? 53,648]

And a fine thread screw 

That one would work really good on older star & three bolt hubs. No way would you break one. 

[Handy Don 15,554]

49 minutes ago, Blue Chips said:

I thought I could improve upon it, so I fabbed up a new version,

Ok, I’m making a note of where to rent a puller when the day comes that I need one!

Very elegant. Only thing I think it mightn't do well is pull a hub with a broken flange--i.e. after someone already messed up! 

Edited 16 hours ago by Handy Don

[ri702bill 10,915]

14 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

is pull a hub with a broken flange

Those usually end up getting cut & split to remove... or split the case & unbolt the diff. to get the snap ring off. Remove axle & hub, off to the 20 ton press...

[Bill D 2,498]

Beautiful!!   You should sell those.

[ebinmaine 76,395]

18 minutes ago, Bill D said:

You should sell those.

 

Agreed.  

 

 

[Achto 30,421]

Excellent work !!! 

[c-series don 10,923]

I currently don’t need one, but I certainly want one! 

[Blue Chips 533]

2 hours ago, ri702bill said:

Grade 8 fine thread bolt - excellent choice. Is there any kind of a bearing on the business end?

Not yet, but it wouldn't be hard to put some kind of a simple 'bearing' at the end by drilling a hole in the end of the bolt and inserting a T-cross section piece (like a bolt head) and maybe a washer as well. I may look into that.

[Handy Don 15,554]

1 minute ago, Blue Chips said:

Not yet, but it wouldn't be hard to put some kind of a simple 'bearing' at the end by drilling a hole in the end of the bolt and inserting a T-cross section piece (like a bolt head) and maybe a washer as well. I may look into that.

Thrust bearing?

[Blue Chips 533]

Just now, Handy Don said:

Thrust bearing?

I'll look into possible options. I think the main thing is to prevent the end of the bolt from getting mashed and to prevent damage to the hub from the twisting bolt. A roller-type thrust bearing would reduce effort, but it would have to be a pretty small bearing. Maybe a sintered bronze oil-impregnated washer between the end of the bolt and an inserted bolt head...or something like that.

[lynnmor 8,360]

I made a similar one that I considered marketing but the material cost and hours were high and I doubt that it would sell for the price I would need.

 

 

[Handy Don 15,554]

25 minutes ago, Blue Chips said:

I'll look into possible options. I think the main thing is to prevent the end of the bolt from getting mashed and to prevent damage to the hub from the twisting bolt. A roller-type thrust bearing would reduce effort, but it would have to be a pretty small bearing. Maybe a sintered bronze oil-impregnated washer between the end of the bolt and an inserted bolt head...or something like that.

Yes, not a lot of room there!

[Blue Chips 533]

31 minutes ago, lynnmor said:

I made a similar one that I considered marketing but the material cost and hours were high and I doubt that it would sell for the price I would need.

 

I think the only way to make anything like a profit on something like this would be to crank them out with something like a CNC laser or plasma cutter and CNC lathe/mill, and you'd have to sell a lot of them to get the unit price down. 

 

I like your idea of a removeable handle to prevent the puller from rotating when turning the puller bolt (or if you need to rotate the axle or tighten something else). On mine, I left most of the big hex nut exposed so that you could put a box-end wrench on it while turning the puller bolt with another wrench.

 

 

Edited 14 hours ago by Blue Chips

[kpinnc 16,479]

3 hours ago, Blue Chips said:

I fabbed up a new version,

 

That is very nice. 

[lynnmor 8,360]

1 hour ago, Blue Chips said:

 

I think the only way to make anything like a profit on something like this would be to crank them out with something like a CNC laser or plasma cutter and CNC lathe/mill, and you'd have to sell a lot of them to get the unit price down. 

 

I like your idea of a removeable handle to prevent the puller from rotating when turning the puller bolt (or if you need to rotate the axle or tighten something else). On mine, I left most of the big hex nut exposed so that you could put a box-end wrench on it while turning the puller bolt with another wrench.

 

 

I do have a CNC mill, the cost of quality steel is the major obstacle.  I too have a newer version partially designed, it will have features to solve a number of pulling problems besides just a hub puller.  Perhaps that might make the cost more palatable but the cost would be even higher since the machining will take longer and small accessory parts would need to be supplied.. 

[mrc 1,026]

blue chips...nice job!!!

 

lynnmor...i have found that buying high quality tools always saves time and money in the long run.     example:  i bought a cheapo harbor freight ball joint press kit.  i actually bent and distorted the 'C' clamp.    one day i saw the snap-on truck. the driver said the master ball joint press kit was going on sale in two weeks.   the snap-on kit was about 11-12 times as much as the HF kit.    worth every penny.   far superior!   plus, when i'm trying to fix a tractor/car/truck i do not want to have to fix my tools first. 

[JoeM 9,386]

Nice job chips!

 

I have the bush mechanics 20 dollar version. (that full threaded bolt is pricey) 

I have never busted any newer hubs and had a few stubborn ones. I just give it the onions. 

[ri702bill 10,915]

8 hours ago, lynnmor said:

I considered marketing but the material cost and hours were high and I doubt that it would sell for the price I would need.

Yup! I can relate to that. Seem most folks love the idea but when it's time to put the cash on the table, it becomes an issue.

It's like dealing with Midgets wearing Cargo Pants. The money is in the pocket, but they just can't get the hand deep enough in there to reach it !! 

[squonk 45,047]

When threading the bolts into the hubs, Back up the back side  with heavy washers and nuts from like McMaster-Carr

[ranger 1,837]

11 hours ago, Blue Chips said:

I built a hub puller a couple of weeks ago, which worked great (see below), but I thought I could improve upon it, so I fabbed up a new version, which has two advantages over the first one: It has a cavity for the hub spigot, so it can be bolted flat against the hub flange, which can add some rigidity to the flange, and it can be used with hubs that have been retrofitted with studs, as well as those that are still using lug bolts. Mine still has lug bolts, but I used a separate set of bolts and washers with the puller, rather than the lug bolts, in order to prevent any damage to the puller plate or to the tapered part of the lug bolts. The center bolt is longer than it needs to be, but that's what I had on hand. I put a dab of anti-seize on the center bolt threads.

 

Previous version of hub puller:

 

New version:

 

Back of puller (I dressed the weld a bit, just for the heck of it):

 

Front of puller:

 

 

 

 

Brilliant! Now that you have made this, you’ll probably never have an another worn seal or stuck hub again! It’s always the way. As for a thrust bearing, I think a sintered bronze, “Oilite” type washer would most likely crumble and collapse under the pressure? Perhaps use a couple of case hardened, or fully hardened steel washers with a few drops of “ZX1” friction eliminator between the washers? I used to use this stuff under the heads of the cylinder head bolts on diesel engines, it made the final tightening to a specific angle possible without having to use a pipe extension on the breaker bar! Do you have a “Hydraulic” type gear puller? If so you could machine a threaded sleeve to match the hydraulic part and weld it to the outer disc, in place of the hex nut.

[ebinmaine 76,395]

1 hour ago, squonk said:

When threading the bolts into the hubs, Back up the back side  with heavy washers and nuts from like McMaster-Carr

 

 

This deserves being restated. I have personally cracked an HD hub because it was stuck so bad. 

 

I have now gotten into the habit of threading a nut with a couple of thick washers onto the back of all five lug holes on the Hub being pulled.