Removing hubs from Ital Axle

[almyland]

Hi

I am about to embark on a differential change on my Ital based Roadster. I have read in the Haynes manual that removing the hubs calls for a special hub puller. Has anyone done the job yet and could they shere their experiences please. Is it a straightforward job etc. I am also wondering how to stop the axle rotating while trying to wind-up the puller!

Thanks in advance.

Cheers Alan

[h_m_cumming]

Re: Removing hubs from Ital Axle

You only need a puller (and some heat) to take the hubs and bearings off the halfshafts. To take out the diff. just remove the four bolts that hold the brake backplate and bearing cap onto the axle casing and pull out each halfshaft clear of the diff. It's worth checking to see if the bearing has been moving on the halfshaft while it's out as this allows the wheel to float in and out while your driving. I made up some longer collars at the back of the bearings when I overhauled mine and shrunk them on. Been OK so far (36000mls)

[almyland]

Re: Removing hubs from Ital Axle

Hi Hugh

Thanks for the advice. Can you be a bit more specific on the subject of ' some heat'! I have a blow torch that I use for domestic plumbing- will that do it? Where do you apply the heat and to roughly what temperature? With brake fluid in the area and oil in the axle might need to be careful.

Thanks again.

Alan

[h_m_cumming]

Re: Removing hubs from Ital Axle

Hi Alan, you don't need to apply heat untill you have the halfshaft etc. in your hand then it's just a case of puller on the hub and heat on the hub to expand it away from the axle(nut off first!!). Any heat will help but the fiercer the better so that the hub expands quickly before the heat gets through to the shaft.If your going this far then it's new seal and bearing anyway. Hope this is clear, Hugh.

[almyland]

Re: Removing hubs from Ital Axle

Hi Hugh

Yes that makes it clear. However, I ended up un-doing the four bolts that hold the brake back plate, oil catcher etc and pulling the whole axle assemby out with a slide hammer loaned by my local garage. Pay back for loaning the tool was that I get them to press the hub off using their hydraulic press - for a small cost. Good so far! When they put the hub under load it still wouldn't budge with 2500 psi indicating. I guess it just wants to stay put. This is just practice on a spare axle - I hope I don't have the same grief when I attack the car for real.

Cheers Alan

[h_m_cumming]

Re: Removing hubs from Ital Axle

Hi Alan,
Thats where the fierce application of heat comes in, to expand the hub away from the halfshaft before the shaft itself expands.The same principal applies when taking off the sleeve at the rear of the bearing(being shrunk on it holds the bearing in place) When I reassembled mine ,I warmed the hub up and fitted it to the shaft first and tightened up the nut then fitted all the bits in reverse order by cooling the shaft in the freezer and warming the bearing up in the oven( an understanding wife). With a piece of tube the right diameter to tap the bearing home and some Loctite bearing fit on the shaft where it fitted it dropped straight down and so far hasen't moved mainly because when I fitted the sleeve after the bearing I Made it a very good interfearence fit and got it really hot before drifting it into place (made my own sleeves, being a tight Scot). If all goes according to plan , the shaft assembly goes back in the axle just as you took it out.
Sounds simple, doesn't it!!!! In actual fact if you look at it logically as you take the bits apart it's not so bad, just the fact that everything is so tight..
All the best, Hugh.

[amalgamated users from prior forum]

Re: Removing hubs from Ital Axle

Message originally posted by: Steve Whitehead
Alan,

I took the half-shaft to a local garage to get the hub & bearing off, and the finally let go when the 10 tonne press reached it's max with some help from an blow torch. Only snag is that in the process the half-shaft was damaged along with the outer seal carrying plate. The damage on the half-shaft is right where the inner seal locates - end result is axel oil now leaks into brakes. Hope you have better luck with your local garage. This is where I would appreciate some help - I need to get my Roadster through its MOT in the next 2 weeks as I'm moving to Cornwall and need a Marina half-shaft (complete with the plates holding the seal and ideally hub as well) or a complete axel (any ratio will do to get car through the MOT and down to Cornwall where I can sort it out in the new house). I'm not having much luck locally having spent hours phoning around and surfing the internet - please can anyone help me or point me in the right direction??? Is there an axel from another more availible car that is easily substituted?

Many thanks,
Steve

[almyland]

Re: Removing hubs from Ital Axle

Thanks for the advice. I'll post here how it all works out.

Cheers Alan