Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Brown trouser time, ha ha. Hope my bearings are nice and quiet when I finally get mine going....just out of interest simon, what sort of adaptor did you use on the press to hold the flange in place? I'll probably use this method as well if mine need replacing, as I have a press

Robert

It is very difficult to get into a press because of the strut and also the angle of the back of the hub.

I tried heat, I tried a friend's press; big old thing with a U shaped bed supported on one side, I tried heat and the press.... we just watched the press flex.

I was so cross that I got my 12ton puller out - a story in itself, bought over the internet massive great thing, hydraulic cylinder as big as your forearm. - I put the strut in the vice and perched the puller on top (the thing has 18inch long legs). started pumping... you get to a point with hydraulics where you stop and check that you are not trying to push something against itself, stopped , checked, all ok... more anger, a longer handle, I didn't care if it bent or broke it was coming off..... Bang!...... checked I was still alive, realised it could have been a bad situation... realised I still had to do the second one!

My advice to anyone is don't attempt to use a puller it isn't the right tool for the job. Buy the adapter thing or pay someone else to do it!

Simon

AHM wrote:It is very difficult to get into a press because of the strut and also the angle of the back of the hub.

I tried heat, I tried a friend's press; big old thing with a U shaped bed supported on one side, I tried heat and the press.... we just watched the press flex.

I was so cross that I got my 12ton puller out - a story in itself, bought over the internet massive great thing, hydraulic cylinder as big as your forearm. - I put the strut in the vice and perched the puller on top (the thing has 18inch long legs). started pumping... you get to a point with hydraulics where you stop and check that you are not trying to push something against itself, stopped , checked, all ok... more anger, a longer handle, I didn't care if it bent or broke it was coming off..... Bang!...... checked I was still alive, realised it could have been a bad situation... realised I still had to do the second one!

My advice to anyone is don't attempt to use a puller it isn't the right tool for the job. Buy the adapter thing or pay someone else to do it!

Simon

Hi Simon

Thats the best advice I have read in this thread. Buy the tool that Stuart said or have someone with one loan you it. If you don't have a 1/2 inch AIR impact wrench (150 psi minimum), bring it to someone that does. The right tool and the right socket on the air impact wrench and its no drama its off in 5 seconds, next one is the same. Spend the money or do someone a favor and help out some one else. There is a right way and then theres the way that cost you more than if you did it the right way in the first place. If you have to drive a couple hundred miles to get it done then DO it, its cheap with the right tool.

Gary

p.s. - I borrowed the tool from Russ when I needed to remove the hubs off a pair of knock-on struts for someone. Yes, I am cheap ass too!

Salut Allison

Do you have a photo of the tool you had made up, please?

@+

Vernon

I had my brake mount welded back on by a specialty shop and it worked out fine

A slight diversion of the thread but this comment caught my eye. I had a warped rear disc for a while with the obvious symptoms. The thought of that vibration going through the cast ally lugs scared me as I thought of the consequences of a lug breaking off
It now has a straight disc on it and a visual check didnt reveal any cracks but your comment about having the lugs welded back on made me wonder if I should still be nervous?
Any (not too scary) comments welcome.
Thanks
Baggy

Hi,
Vernon - and anyone else who's interested - this is the tool. Its double-ended with opposite threads each end
Peter & Allison

Baggy, the lug I had welded was purely a result of ham handed repair work. I can't remember exactly how my bro' managed to break it off; all I heard was "Oh S***" and that was that.

PS He paid for the welding, so all good. No problemo with brake run-out after the repair.

+1 on Gary's remarks. We clearly had no idea what the heck we were doing, but the hub removal was so drama free I don't recall the details. This is a good thing. I believe we would have used the air impact as we had it strung out during the chassis assembly and it was one of the rare occasions we could fit that brute on a bolt head.

Enjoyed the brown trousers story though.

Thanks for the re-assurance Stu

piss-ant wrote:p.s. - I borrowed the tool from Russ when I needed to remove the hubs off a pair of knock-on struts for someone. Yes, I am cheap ass too!

I used to borrow Chris' puller when I worked in Cambridge and Sevens & Elans was there too. Moving in different directions lead me to buy the tool from Ray. I have never used my impact wrench with the puller. The method that has never failed me is to run the puller bolt up as hard as I can with a box wrench then whack the head of the bolt with a heavy, soft faced mallet (obviously striking along the axis of the bolt and axle). Two or three cycles of this always gets the hub to pop off.

Thanks to all for the encouraging advice, and I eventually managed to remove both hubs. I had the right tools but I was initially just a little to restrained in the manner I was using them. A copper hammer may have been better than the club hammer though as the wood I used to protect the spinner no doubt took away some of the shock factor required. The hub remover supplied by S J Sportcars did its job too.

Thanks again

Since removing the hubs the uprights have been to TTR for the crack repair, narrow spring conversion, new bearings and strengthened drive shafts.

Thanks again

Right picture this time.
Peter