Stuck front hub cotter pin

[richardcox_lotus]

Evening All

So I’ve started refurbishing the front end, and am struggling to remove the hub nut cotter pin. It seems the back tang has folded in on itself and has created effectively a second eyelet.

Brilliant huh ? The enclosed photo hasn’t come out brilliantly but I hope you get the idea. I can’t get to the back tang to reshape it properly as the front tang is in the way

Any suggestions please ? Note I have been using a variety of long nosed pliers; awls, etc.

Can I just keep manipulating them until they break ?

Thanks
Richard

[billwill]

Suggestion: Push it back in as far as you can go, turning if possible so that the bent-over portion is outermost. Use needle nose pliers to pull the bent over section outwards or lever it out with a narrow rod, nail etc. When you have it pointing outwards either wiggle it back & forth until it breaks or bend it back to the original 'straight' shape then push it back through the nut, rotate it with the pliers, get a needle punch or similar into the 'eye' of the split pin to help you lever it out.

The Split Pin will end up bent in a curve when you finally get it out, so use a new one when you put the hub back together.

[h20hamelan]

Can you get cutters in there?
Push so you can cut the bent part

[richardcox_lotus]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Attacked anew this morning.

Success in 15 minutes. Managed to break off the nearest tang, and placed a tiny cube of wood behind the back tang which allowed me to straighten it out and then pull it through.

Now for all the other stuck nuts and bolts.

Regards
Richard

[tvr78]

If you can’t even remove a splitpin it might be a safer idea to polish the car and let a garage do the technical work!

[richardcox_lotus]

If you can’t even remove a splitpin it might be a safer idea to polish the car and let a garage do the technical work!

Thanks for your support.

[h20hamelan]

nobody has ever had to drill out a rusted split pin, that's for sure
along the same note, how would one get out a rusted split pin. It could be difficult. What about if a small pebble got lodged in there, or...
I find most of the modern split pins to be a very light alloy, fine as long as they don't rust then break.
Probably worth having some stainless on hand

[Donels]

If you thought getting it out was a problem wait until to try to fit a replacement. Hours of frustration await...........

[rgh0]

If you thought getting it out was a problem wait until to try to fit a replacement. Hours of frustration await...........

A pair of long reach long nose pliers makes it relatively easy to feed a curved split pin trimmed to the minimum needed length in through stub axle hole. Alternatively or in addition you can drill a hole in the hub that lines up with the hole in the stub axle and feed the split pin through the hole in the hub to the hole in the stub axle

cheers
Rohan

[gjz30075]

If you thought getting it out was a problem wait until to try to fit a replacement. Hours of frustration await...........

Alternatively or in addition you can drill a hole in the hub that lines up with the hole in the stub axle and feed the split pin through the hole in the hub to the hole in the stub axle

That's what I've done to my hubs. Immensely easier to install the cotter pin. The hole only needs to be
the size of the head of the cotter pin.

[RichardHawkins]

I also have drilled a hole in the hub after discovering, while helping an MG friend, that his hubs were drilled. He told me this is an MG factory feature.

Hope this aids confidence that the mod is safe.

Richard Hawkins

[lotusfan]

I also have drilled a hole in the hub after discovering, while helping an MG friend, that his hubs were drilled. He told me this is an MG factory feature.

Jaguar also do it and in true Lotus tradition it adds a bit more lightness!!

[baileyman]

TTR bronze hubs are so drilled. And interestingly, when the bearing are properly snugged down, they line up just right. John