• The site migration is complete! Hopefully everything transferred properly from the multiple decades old software we were using before. If you notice any issues please let me know, thanks! Also, I'm still working on things like chatbox, etc so hopefully those will be working in the next week or two.

Wheel Hub stuck to the axle, need ideas?

M

mitchd123

New member
2003 GP SE 206k

Just replaced the pass side wheel hub...piece of cake, probably replaced before. The drivers side hub is completely stuck to the axle. I need some ideas here.


1) I sprayed the axle with penetrating oil.

2) I unscrewed the large axle bolt to the end of the axle.

3) I placed the round end of a ball peen hammer in the middle of the axle and smacked it with a 4lb sledge several times. Nothing.

4) I popped the wheel studs out of the hub, and placed a piece of flat 3/8 steel over the axle and hub. With three holes in the steel and some nuts and bolts I tried creating a mini press to push the axle back away from the hub. The steel just bent.

5) Time for action, I took out the 12 pound sledge and beat the 3/8 steel covering the end of the axle several times......nothing.

6) Went down to the Harbor Freight and bought a large gear puller, $30 bucks. The piece of junk broke in 2 seconds with hand tools and minimal pressure.

7) Went to sears and bought a Heavy Duty 2 arm Gear Puller...7 ton puller, $40 bucks. Tightened it up as tight as a dare.

8) With the gear puller under pressure I heated inside the hub with my torch. It's a small oxygen / mapp gas torch. I was able to heat it, but not get it cherry red it's still winter here, 20 degrees outside. Nothing. I was hoping the heat expansion would pop it.

9) I gave up for the night. Once it cooled down I sprayed it again with penetrating oil and left the puller under pressure. Hopefully it will pop overnight, but I doubt it.


Any ideas? Am I missing something? Could there be a snap ring or something? Or is thing just been rusting together for years????
 


They get stuck. Everything you have tried should have popped it out. But rust will take it's place in there..only other option is to pull the whole spindle/knuckle assy off and pull the axle with it and try a press. Or take the loss and get a new axle. Unbolt the hub from the knuckle, and put the new parts in.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
 
my snap on heavy duty air hammer with a punch bit does a pretty good job getting them out... I've worked on my far share of grand prix and never had one seize onto the cv shaft so bad that i couldn't get it off. then again i also have the right tools and a lift.... heating the bearing will do nothing with that little torch. it doesn't get hot enough.
 
If you go to Advance Auto Parts... I dont know if Autozone has the same tool to rent... They have a tool that's designed to remove stuck hub assemblies, it has a slide hammer on it.

Did you try hitting it while it's under pressure from the puller? Tighten the puller up as tight as you wanna go, spray it at all sticking points and then give it a few good whacks, try to tighten it a little further, spray again, then whack again... you could atleast tell if you're getting anywhere by if you can tighten it any further.
 
if you can get the car up to Braintree i can help you get it off...


is it stuck to the spindle or is it seized to the cv shaft?
 


Thanks guys for the advice! Joe, thanks for the offer. It is seized to the CV shaft, its free from the spindle.

With all the advice I know for sure now that I'm not missing something like a pin, e-ring or snap ring.

I've tried given the puller a few whacks with the 4lb sledge...but I don't want to bend my new puller.

I like the air hammer idea. I may stop by Advanced auto to see what they have.

Worse case I may cut the other old hub assembly in two. I'll pop out the studs and use some nuts and bolts to make a press. I'll place a piece of steel between the two hubs plates and try to squash the two hub plates together with 5 nuts and bolts in the old wheel stud holes. I should be able to get a lot of pressure that way.

Thanks again for all the suggestions!
 
ive used a large 3 gear puller, cranked it tight, if it dont move hit the drive bolt with a hammer. they will move at least a little bit. then make tight again, hit bolt again, repeat till its free.
 
Heat works too, a mini torch can get hot and help break it free.

I just spin the nut on the axle shaft 3-4 turns so it's flush with the end, that way it can't damage the thread while I whack the shaft end with a sledge. Should give more direct force on it instead of having the smaller hammer infront of it.
 


these dont have a pin or a snap ring.... If you get the air hammer blast the side of the bairing that bolts to the spindle and hold the axle so it doesnt spin on you
 
This exact thing happened to me on a Cadillac. First thing is bolt the hub back to the knuckle. Then put a jack stand under the control arm and lower the cars weight onto the stand. Then use the ball peen and the 4 lb sledge. Took about three dozen very hard hits but it finally came out. Very stubborn. Don't be polite while swinging that sledge. I had to buy a new one with a longer handle. The longer the handle the better

Don
 
Re: Wheel Hub stuck to the axle, need ideas? (solved)

Ok so I finally got it off. And it had nearly welded itself together with rust.

I used the old hub from the passengers side to make a press using the lug stud holes. The first time I tried it stripped 3/8 rods doing this, so I moved up to 1/2 inch rods. I've never seen anything like this. I bent two pieces of 1/4 steel, so I finally just put the steel head of my sledge hammer between there. Insanely stuck.

1024.jpg

What really surprised me is it didn't just pop. Once it started moving it moved a little bit at a time. Finall after it had moved about an inch I was able to switch over to my Craftsman gear puller.

puller.jpg


I hope no one else runs into this.

After all this work...the trac off light remains on. Next I'll look at the wires.
 


You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top