[size=13px]Well, the time has come around for the dreaded hubs to come off. I've read so much online about the difficulty in removing them and the damage that can occur to the shafts if unsuccessful, that I'm rather worried about attempting it. So, I think that by far the best option, rather than to make half-hearted attempts with inadequate equipment, is to do it properly first time using the correct tool. With that in mind, I'd very much appreciate if someone could either rent/loan me one for a day or two (I would willingly pay a deposit and if you want a fee too, that's fine) and obviously I'd pay for carriage in both directions if you're too far from Cardiff. Does anyone have one available...Thanks in advance.[/size]

 

Wish we could help you. The Foundation and JCNA have 4 in good working condition but you must be a member and the postage/shipping would be stupid to you. The tool weighs almost 15 LBS w/o packing. The JEC did have a tool loan program--not sure if they still do. Best of luck.

 

We meet again, Voucher Boy! This is a task that is just as frustrating as everyone has made it out to be in other posts. I had delusions that my crappy Chinese three-leg puller was better than everyone else's crappy Chinese three leg puller. It did not take long for me to break it, as predicted.
If you have steel wheels, this may help. I did manage to get the hubs off using this little eBay find. Its ancient and looks like it was forged in the fires of Mordor but it is super strong and the end of the screw mates up with the cup shape on the end of the axle fairly well, minimizing thread damage. I have no idea who made if or if you can find something similar in your area but it may be worth a try if you cannot borrow the correct tool. Pulling from the wheel studs does seem to be the way to go. I did buy a die to clean up the threads a little when I was done, also an ebay find. 7/8-14 thread. The hammer blows seemed to have tweaked the threads just a little at the end and I didn't want force the new castle nut.

I hope this is of some help.

 

Coventry Foundation, as you say, it's obviously impractical to send etc...but thanks for the reply and advice anyway.

cdg66mk2, yes, we meet again. You'll be charging me for consultancy soon! Seriously though, I appreciate all the help from everyone on this (and other) forums. One day when mine is finished, hopefully I too will be able to dispense valuable information and anecdotal stories to assist others. So far I've just been a drain on peoples good will! That looks a hefty piece of equipment, and far beefier than the puller I used for my son's clutch recently. I wouldn't even attempt to use mine as it nearly threw in the towel just doing that! If no luck with the Churchill, I will look out for something similar, as it has obviously worked for you. I'm not in a desperate need of the puller just yet, however I would like to remove the hubs asap. I just don't want to end up with my build on hold for this job to be completed. Although I guess there's always 'something' to be getting on with. On the subject of dies, I intend to get a set of taps and dies to refurbish the threads of all nuts and bolts on the car before re-assembly. I will be replacing many of them, but the ones I retain will benefit from a quick run down to re-cut the threads as most have been affected by rust to some degree. I had a great day at the garage today, and power-washed the rear axle and front subframe, prepared the engine bay down to the metal and gave it a coat of primer, then started panel sealing everything underneath in readiness for the Gravitex coating in a day or two. I'll update my blog when I get a chance.

 

I think that the JEC in the UK run a specialist tool hire service available to members.
You could contact them to see if they can help;
https://jec.org.uk/contact

 

Hello VB
I used this puller with great success, however the end does not fit the axle, so I made an adapter to keep the threads from mushrooming and to center the puller _ worked very well.
My adapter threads on to the end of the axle.

I could loan the whole thing out to you, but shipping to GB may cost a bit.
At the very least I can send you the adapter.

The Churchill tool has 12 threads per inch while the OTC has 14, so it has lots of pressure, it's made in the US, so not junk from China.
You load the tool up with a big torque bar and whack the end with a 10 pound hammer, then load it again _ repeat until it comes off.

You can't use the lug nuts on the car because they're tapered, you have to go out and get some standard nuts.
It's also very important to centre the whole thing as best you can _ eye-balling it works well enough.

You have to get the one with the adapter plate so it puts pressure on the entire hub, not just three studs.
There is also an adapter that goes on the end that one can hammer, but it's quite useless here.

https://partsavatar.ca/otc-hub-pulle...iABEgILdvD_BwE

 

Once you do get a correct tool remember that the best way to remove stubborn fittings like this is with patients not brute force. Set the tool up and put pressure on the releasing nut with a long breaker bar. Place a hydraulic jack on the floor under the handle of the breaker bar and pump up a little pressure with the jack then go away for an hour or even overnight. Use lots of penetrating fluid on the hub. When you return apply a little more pressure with the jack each time so eventually the puller will ease the hub off. Apply to much pressure to quickly and the pullers break.Using the hydraulic jack you are just putting just enough pressure on the breaker bar to start it pulling the hub apart a fraction at a time to start with but over a long time.
I was taught this technique when trying to get an old seized engine to turn over with a breaker bar and jack on the crankshaft pulley bolt with lots of oil down the plug holes.

 

I built a puller by threading an old knockoff and a puller screw. Put the retaning nut on the stub to protect the threads. Granted mine is a desert car so I didn't have to fight old rust. Patience is the key. I recall putting the nut a couple mm's short of snug then wigwagging on a quiet street to put a lot of side load on the tires. It took a while with lots of penetrant but came loose in the end. I wonder if there's a market to reproduce the bevy of Churchill specialized tools.

As an aside, I have the transmission tools for the Triumph boxes, Lucky boot sale find, the fellow didn't know what they were.

I wonder how many Churchill tools are just quietly rusting with no one knowing their value? LOL

 

Paddyx350 - Cheers for the link. I emailed them, or rather used their online form, to request further information. Awaiting reply.

JeffR1 - Thanks for the offer and info. Again, the shipping costs would make it impractical, but appreciate anyway. It's a pricey puller, so I would hope it works! Good point regarding the tapered nuts, I am ditching the 5 studs and going for splined hubs, so I may grind the taper off a few so they're flush.

Cass3958 - You're absolutely right, application is often as, if not more, important as the tool. I've not used that technique before, but I will certainly put it to the test when I get a suitable puller. I have a pair of rusty rear brake calipers that I've had soaking in Plusgas for weeks, and probably won't attempt to dismantle them for another few months, so I'm no stranger to the methodical approach. Slowly slowly catchy monkey and all that! Thanks for the tip.

GT6Steve - Yeah, I've seen many pictures of people that have mushroomed the end of the shaft or trashed the threads. I'm praying I won't have that to deal with, so I'm happy to wait and get the correct tool/technique in order to avoid that. I bet you're right, there must be loads of tools out there that the owners have no idea of their value, and I bet an equal amount that have been chucked out.

I did laugh at the attempts by Vic to remove his hubs in this video. I follow his channel and find his Jaguar posts very enjoyable, and this one in particular hit home. He managed it with a puller that's available for on Amazon around £100, so that may be an option, despite the fact he broke part of it in the attempt.

 

Vic needed to give the puller a bang with a 10 pound hammer, just getting a bigger and bigger torque bar just breaks things.
The other problem with Vic's tool is the screw shaft is too skinny and the threads are to course.

The hydraulic one was suitable with it large shaft and fine threads, but the rest was junk.

Mine was on there tight as well, but with the proper puller and following correct procedures, it comes of in about 5 or 10 minutes.

Another member here bought the OTC puller and I sent him my adapter, and he got it off with very little trouble.
The adapter must be used though, or the threads will be damaged.

The Churchill tool has this big ball bearing on the end to centre it on the axle.

The thread is buried somewhere, but the OTC puller will work.

VB, grinding the taper off is not advisable unless you can get it square, it's very important to have the nuts seat squarely on a given puller considering the force that's involved here.
A set of high grade nuts are not expensive.

Give me your ZIP code, from that I can figure out just how much it's going to cost to ship it, it should be less then purchasing the puller.

 

GT6 the Coventry Foundation rec. hundreds of LBS of Churchill and Zelenda tools every year. We have almost 3 full sets of all special Jaguar tools up to 2010 with one set in California. We are also saving the Triumph/MG/Austin/Austin Healy and so on but they are a second priority. We have contacted several of the larger "other" British marks to see if they wish to take them over and run a tool loan program but it seems only the RR./Bentley club and the Foundation and JCNA have the need or is it desire. As an aside the hub pullers (both solid wheel and splined hub pullers travel thousands of miles each year.

As a secondary comment to the gent that used a bronze hub and made a tool. Glad it worked but sometimes they are loose and a tap from a lead hammer will remove them--other times it is like the fellow in the video but never that hard with the proper tool. The comment that he should have taken up all the slack and hit the tool with a brass or lead hammer is right on the mark! The proper tools have a designed "landing pad" for a hammer.

 

Picture of the adapter tool for the OCT puller.
It should be snugged up just lightly on the axle with lot's of grease, you want the grease to ooze out as it's threaded on and tightened.
Same with the puller, lots of grease in the threads and where the end of the puller makes contact with the adapter.
Just don't grease the shaft, unscrew the shaft and grease the female part of the puller too _ get plenty of grease in the threads, just don't assume it's going to be enough.
The adapter was made from a fitting at a custom hose and hydraulic shop, it came threaded that way, I just had the machinist face it off and centre drill it to fit the puller.
If you try and use the OTC puller with out the adapter, the puller does not fit the axle at all, it will move sideways and bend the axle.

Yes, the puller is struck on the end of the shaft, it's designed for that.
Whack it one or two good ones _ tighten it up and continue, it will come off.
The brass (or copper) inside the adapter is to protect the axle from the pressure of the puller, you don't want steel on steel contact.

 

Great, thank you for such a comprehensive response Jeff, very much appreciated. I will try to replicate your design for the adaptor, and ensure I incorporate the copper/brass components. Like everyone that attempts this I guess, I don't want to ruin the shaft at the expense of a little preparation and patience. I have seen some horror stories, and certainly don't want to end up in a similar position. I will update this post with the progress I make....wish me luck!!

 

Well, it finally arrived, 'H' Day. The day I'd been half dreading, half excited about. Time to pull off those pesky hubs. I'd gathered every bit of info I could, searched every Jag forum, scoured the internet and asked everyone online for advice. I had set aside this weekend to 'do the deed'. I bought a reasonable hub puller from Amazon ( ), as they have excellent after-sales, I knew if I spannered the thing, they would always give me a refund. It was more expensive than most, but certainly not as expensive as the models I'd been recommended that were out of my price range. unfortunately, I simply don't have the budget. So, armed with my 'In-Budget' puller, a wealth of second-hand knowledge and that sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach, I set to it. I cut a suitable piece of angle-iron to act as a backstop to prevent the disk/hub rotating as I applied the pressure. The additional metal meant that the puller arms were uneven due to the thickness of the arm, so I dug out some suitable spacers for the remaining 3 arms. I tooks some time to assemble the puller onto the hub to ensure it was central and true. After a recommendation from JeffR1 to use a special tool with copper/bronze end to pop onto the end of the shaft to prevent damage, I attempted to make something resembling it. I used a couple of old penny's (sorry Queenie) into which I drilled holes to accept the cone end of the pullers centre pushrod to prevent it from drifting. Luckily they are the correct diameter (almost) to just pop in. And again, as advised, I plastered everything in grease to prevent things grabbing. I loaded the puller with a fair bit of pressure with the aid of my 24" breaker bar, but not so much to really stress things. Then I applied some heat. I pointed my blowtorch and heat gun at the disk and left it for an hour. It was enough to make the disk hot, too hot to touch for sure, but even with both of them, it was never going to be enought to make them get red hot. Anyhow, after the hour had passed, I decided to have my first attempt. I loaded up more pressure on the breaker bar, and after every extra quarter turn, a couple of whacks with my lump hammer. After a few turns, and at the point when I thought that things were starting to get a little stressed, an almighty crack and off it popped. To say I was jubilant would be somewhat of an understatement. So, with my heart in my mouth, time to see what exactly had gone 'crack'. No problems, the hub had released, no damage at all to the shaft and I dismantled the whole lot and everything was good. So, with my 'Winning Formula', I started on hub number two. The first two pennies were destroyed, so another couple were sourced and drilled and inserted to await their fate. I cranked it up and applied the heat to the second hub and waited the statutory hour before trying again. This time, before I'd really loaded up too much pressure, after one of the whcks on the disk, off it came in a far less explosive pop. I was slightly underwhelmed by the lack of drama, but no less satisfied that I'd actually got both hubs off in less than 2 and a half hours. So, there you have it, all done, no damage to the shafts (which was always my main concern) and on an outlay of only £43 (oh and 4 penny coins).

A real 'Thank You' for everyone's advice and encouragement, I really do appreciate it. Next job is to find someone to skim the disks, well, actually they don't need skimming so much due to wear, just a clean up and more to ensure they are true than anything.

 

Great to hear you got it off, thank God eh !

It must be made from descent steal, it says made in Germany, if it was Chinese, it probably would have buckled.

 

Excellent, one side of the mk2 popped of with ease on mine but the other side ate 3 pullers and lots of patience!

 

Here is hoping your car's former owner/mechanic did not use JB Weld on the axle stub and key!!!!!
And be sure to put a sacrificial nut on the Axle, to keep it from "blooming", before you start WHACKING it.

 

Yeah, I saw a post about that happening, JB Weld. Needed a mahoosive press and it destroyed the halfshaft in the process. Did that happen to you Ponysnake?