Plus 2 hub extractor

[sulzeruk]

Hi all, I was going to borrow Sue Millers rear hub removal tools but they appear to have been stolen in her recent burglary! Does anyone have a pair I can borrow so I can get my rear wheel bearings changed?
Al Cowan

[Jason1]

Where are you Al?

[MintSprint]

Echo Jason's question - where are you?

...and why do you need a 'pair'. I've got a Chris Neil +2 rear hub puller tool that works perfectly well and is surplus to requirements, if you are near enough to come collect it. I'm near Wotton under Edge, Gloucestershire.

[sulzeruk]

Hi, I had tried my old hubs with normal pullers and it knackered the hub. Sue had a pair of pullers that screwed onto the left and right hand thread of the hubs. I am up in sunny old Scotland. Would you be willing to post it?
Al Cowan

[andyhodg]

Al

I have a puller as described in the Robinshaw Elan book. You need to use a wheel spinner to make it work. I have two (one LH and one RH) old eared spinners that I use with the puller. I could post all three items but they must weigh 4 - 5 lbs so I don't know what the cost would be. If you are willing to use your existing spinners that would cut the postage down significantly. Although be warned I had to use significant blows with a large lump hammer to move my hubs.

If you are interested let me know and I will be happy to make a loan.

Regards

Andy

[sulzeruk]

Hi Andy, I have a couple of old spinners here. What do the other parts consist of?
Alasdair

[andyhodg]

Al
Attached is a diagram of the 'puller' and the write up. All taken from the Authentic Lotus Elan and Plus 2 book by Paul Robinshaw and Christopher Ross. Apologies for any infringement in copyright.

Regards
Andy

[kstrutt11]

I have used a similar device with no problems, tipping a couple of kettles of boiling water over the hub while it is under load also helps it to come off easier.
Unfortunatly in my case the bearing was fine and the shaft was worn where it had been spinning on the bearing.....

Kevin +2 s130

[garyeanderson]

The tool is available from Ray at R D Enterprises for $115 U.S.
http://www.rdent.com/
Got to Tool Chest and scroll down about a third of the way.

If you need heat use a oxy/acetylene torch, if you dont have one find someone that does. Real heat is your friend when doing this job. Sometimes you need both of the right tools to do the work, the taper on the shafts can really hold on tight, thats a good thing. You don't want your hubs coming loose while your driving.

[Frank Howard]

If you need heat use a oxy/acetylene torch...

Gary,

This is good advice if you are working with a real stubborn hub. My plan was to start with no heat and then go to a Propane torch if needed. If it still wouldn't come off, I planned on going to Mapp gas followed by oxy/acetylene if the Mapp gas didn't work.

The right one came off without heat. The left one wouldn't budge until I applied the Propane torch.

I believe the reason I had such good luck was because I employed Peter's hub removal tool using an air impact wrench on the tool.

[garyeanderson]

I have had them come off easy and Bill Fralick's Plus2 that he bought from me was a real bear even with oxi/acetylene and a good puller, you just don't know until you go to do it. That is why is best to use the correct tools so you don't ruin the expensive parts. Sometimes you need to make a decision on which parts to ruin. I was putting new bearings and changing out the 4.55 pumpkin on my Elite. The half shafts would not come out even when heated to the point where my friend Carl said "no more". I took it home and cut the nose off the alloy case (A series bmc) with the sawsall and took it apart from there. We saved the expensive pieces and destroyed the parts that were cheap and readilly available. The joys of rebuilding old cars...

Gary

[CBUEB1771]

I believe the reason I had such good luck was because I employed Peter's hub removal tool using an air impact wrench on the tool.

I have used the type sold by RD Enterprises with no problems. I would be concerned about damaging the puller tool using a pneumatic impact wrench. I slacken the hub retaining nut, install the puller tool and put a good axial load on it by running the jacking screw up with a socket and 18" breaker handle. A good axial smack on the jacking screw with a lead mallet usual pops the hub free. I keep the hub nut on the axle shaft to limit how far things fly when the taper releases. Many years ago when I was truly dumb I helped a friend remove a rear hub from an Aston Martin DB4. We used a three arm puller and didn't think to keep the hub retaining nut on the axle. The hub finally came off like a rocket and we were lucky not to have been hurt. The hub and puller put some gashes in the cinder block wall they hit.