Rear Hub puller

[EdHolly]

Started to get a feint noise from the rear end, but my hearing isn't that good so left it for a bit. Eventually heard it loud enough to not be imagination !

Jacked up the back and seen a shiney witness mark on the disc on the LH side, pulled the pad out then noticed there was a bit of play in the rear bearings. Pulled the strut out and knew I had to remove the hub to get it apart, guess it is 25 or more years since that was last done. Didn't want to put it in the press as you can't gently apply pressure and I hate that huge bang when things let go.

So made this simple device and with a bit of heat on the hub when the bolts were really wound up, it let go with little more than a whimper. Don't know what the factory special tool looks like but guess probably similar to this.

It consists of a ring of 12mm thick steel (14 or 15mm would be even better as did get a bit of distortion just where the studs go in) drilled for the 4 wheel studs and tapped for 2 3/8th UNC studs. The bridge over the top is 1" square steel. Had the studs hence the UNC / UNF mixture, but you need UNF for the nuts to get maximum force.

Simply wind the big nut off the hub flush with the end of the axle thread, bolt the ring to the wheel studs, place the bridge over the studs and wind the 3/8th UNF nuts onto the ends of the studs. I used long nuts and pulled them to about 50 ft lbs. Didn't look like letting go so warmed one side and let it cool then warmed the other side and success !

A simple tool to make - the steel ring cost me $20 and a bit of time on the mill drilling and tapping ... Ed[/url][/img][/img]

[worzel]

Hi

just for info I have a pair of hub adaptors specially for removing the rear hubs- if I'm not mistaken (I've not looked at them for ages) they are Lotus stamped/embossed so might be a factory tool.

Consist of two discs of steel about 14mm thick and about 5 inch in diameter . They are threaded on the inside with one being a lefthand thread. You just wind one on to the hub (knock on type only) and use a conventional 3 leg puller on the disc.

I'll dig them out and post a picture if I can locate them.


Regards


John

[martynbrown]

Some time in the 1980's I had a rear hub puller made for me by a local machinist, photo attached. It has a right hand thread in one end and a left hand thread in the other. We realised that this might be of interest to others and started selling them via adverts in Lotus News. I think we sold around 100, which largely financed the purchase of a new chassis for our Elan in 1989. Ironically I never kept one of these pullers, I've just got the prototypes - two separate pullers, one with a right hand thread and the other with a left hand thread.

Regards

Martyn

[Europatc]

Im sure Kelvdon had something similar, could be mistaken.

[EdHolly]

My car is early series one, therefor bolt on wheels ... makes it a bit harder ...

Careful using a 3 eared puller, they can bend things pretty easily .... even the manual says that ...

Ed

[mariodschy]

Im sure Kelvdon had something similar, could be mistaken.

That's right, bought one last year - works perfect.