Velocita Rosso Posted November 29, 2022 Share Posted November 29, 2022 Hi not been on for weeks and just noticed this question. I have had many a problem over half shafts in my time and offer my expert opinion. A bent flange? Just buy new ,for what they cost..well worth it . A bent axle? Highly unlikely. Because the axle is well supported by the bearing carrier, and t he only place it may bend would be between bearing exit ,flange to tip. However they generally snap inside the flange hence giving a wobble. I have had two snap inside the flange,and you cannot see it unless the flange is removed with a bespoke 4 stud puller......or when the wheel falls off taking the flange and drum with it. The last time was in Austria on the 10cR .Just remove the shaft Assembly,replace bearings and fit new flange......and I will bet all ills will be cured. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glang Posted November 29, 2022 Share Posted November 29, 2022 The proper tool isnt even much use for anything else either! However as its already bent you might get it off with a conventional puller which would be more useful in future - thats what I did anyway... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banksy82 Posted November 29, 2022 Author Share Posted November 29, 2022 24 minutes ago, Velocita Rosso said: Hi not been on for weeks and just noticed this question. I have had many a problem over half shafts in my time and offer my expert opinion. A bent flange? Just buy new ,for what they cost..well worth it . A bent axle? Highly unlikely. Because the axle is well supported by the bearing carrier, and t he only place it may bend would be between bearing exit ,flange to tip. However they generally snap inside the flange hence giving a wobble. I have had two snap inside the flange,and you cannot see it unless the flange is removed with a bespoke 4 stud puller......or when the wheel falls off taking the flange and drum with it. The last time was in Austria on the 10cR .Just remove the shaft Assembly,replace bearings and fit new flange......and I will bet all ills will be cured. Thank you for the words of experience. I've heard stories of front trunnions (or more correctly the knuckle) failing but not the rear. I bet losing a wheel wakes you up pretty quickly! I'm sure you are right about just fitting new but I am as always trying to do this on a budget - I've done some work on the Engine, gearbox and overdrive and I am fairly happy with those for now but I still have the front suspension to look at before I am comfortable with the car and judging by the rest of the car the diff can't wait forever! Even forgetting the bearings; for new I would be looking at £130 per side plus shipping and then another £60 for shoes and drums etc. Add £100 for the correct puller and I am looking at over £400! Hopefully I can pick up a pair of good used flanges for reasonable money and I'm sure they will tide me over! Once I have the car to a point I would be happy to drive distance I will start to think about which jobs I skimped on the most! Karl 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banksy82 Posted November 29, 2022 Author Share Posted November 29, 2022 38 minutes ago, glang said: The proper tool isnt even much use for anything else either! However as its already bent you might get it off with a conventional puller which would be more useful in future - thats what I did anyway... Might be worth a try - I think all of the pullers I have may be too big but I'll give it a go. Can't break it any more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glang Posted November 29, 2022 Share Posted November 29, 2022 Bit of heat might help as well. Hopefully the PO got it off previously (and put it back on bent🤪) so it might not be too stuck... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banksy82 Posted November 30, 2022 Author Share Posted November 30, 2022 Tried a normal hub puller and got it to the point where something was going to give.. as I quite like my puller I stopped and I have ordered the correct one! Just replacement drive flanges to find! Does anyone know of any decent breakers? I've come across Spit-Bitz and spitfire graveyard in the past but are there any gems I've missed? Cheers Karl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velocita Rosso Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 On 30/11/2022 at 19:26, Banksy82 said: Tried a normal hub puller and got it to the point where something was going to give.. as I quite like my puller I stopped and I have ordered the correct one! Just replacement drive flanges to find! Does anyone know of any decent breakers? I've come across Spit-Bitz and spitfire graveyard in the past but are there any gems I've missed? Cheers Karl Don't forget that pulling is not the 100 PC way to remove flange. When you get full tension on the puller , you use a club hammer to hit the puller shaft , and the flange should pop off. After a couple of whacks, if not off, tighten puller and whack again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banksy82 Posted December 2, 2022 Author Share Posted December 2, 2022 1 hour ago, Velocita Rosso said: Don't forget that pulling is not the 100 PC way to remove flange. When you get full tension on the puller , you use a club hammer to hit the puller shaft , and the flange should pop off. After a couple of whacks, if not off, tighten puller and whack again Good advice! I'm hoping to leave the shaft on the car is there any real risk to the wheel bearings or the bearings in the UJ and diff when clouting the puller? Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velocita Rosso Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 1 hour ago, Banksy82 said: Good advice! I'm hoping to leave the shaft on the car is there any real risk to the wheel bearings or the bearings in the UJ and diff when clouting the puller? Cheers No That is the way...bearings supported by bearing housing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banksy82 Posted December 2, 2022 Author Share Posted December 2, 2022 1 hour ago, Velocita Rosso said: No That is the way...bearings supported by bearing housing Fab, Thank you - Beer owed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velocita Rosso Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 2 hours ago, Banksy82 said: Fab, Thank you - Beer owed! Where in the country are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banksy82 Posted December 2, 2022 Author Share Posted December 2, 2022 4 minutes ago, Velocita Rosso said: Where in the country are you? Middle of North Wales! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glang Posted December 2, 2022 Share Posted December 2, 2022 5 hours ago, Banksy82 said: Good advice! I'm hoping to leave the shaft on the car is there any real risk to the wheel bearings or the bearings in the UJ and diff when clouting the puller? Well its not ideal as the impact will be taken by the balls and races of the wheel and diff outer bearings which of course can damage them. It depends on the amount of force required and you might be lucky but you wont know if the life of said bearings has been reduced by pitting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobPearce Posted December 3, 2022 Share Posted December 3, 2022 17 hours ago, Banksy82 said: I'm hoping to leave the shaft on the car is there any real risk to the wheel bearings or the bearings in the UJ and diff when clouting the puller? It's the way I used to do it, even if I was planning to remove the shaft afterwards. To be honest, the clout you give it probably isn't as severe as bumping a kerb, it's just a momentary shock load which is substantially damped before it reaches the UJ. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glang Posted December 3, 2022 Share Posted December 3, 2022 kerb impact is usually through the tyre and and at an angle rather than dead on through the end of the shaft so should be less damaging. With hard solid impacts (I cant see much possible damping!) you run the risk of pitting a bearing race/ball as their contact area is pretty small so then, when running, it starts to make a noise which only gets worse🥴 If heat and a normal puller wont release this one the proper beefy tool will do the job with no whack needed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobPearce Posted December 3, 2022 Share Posted December 3, 2022 1 hour ago, glang said: the proper beefy tool will do the job with no whack needed... I've never found that. Ever. The proper beefy tool ALWAYS needs a whack to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glang Posted December 3, 2022 Share Posted December 3, 2022 The workshop manual says nothing about whacking - need more weetabix😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velocita Rosso Posted December 3, 2022 Share Posted December 3, 2022 48 minutes ago, glang said: The workshop manual says nothing about whacking - need more weetabix😂 Been doing this for decade's...does not affect the bearings whatsoever. Tighten the puller until can go no further...one almighty smack is really all it needs...ask an engineer!😉🤬 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glang Posted December 3, 2022 Share Posted December 3, 2022 I am an engineer and whacking bearings is never recommendable. Obviously it can be done, especially if youre going to replace the bearings, but otherwise there is a risk of damage that is best avoided if at all possible👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banksy82 Posted December 3, 2022 Author Share Posted December 3, 2022 I am from an engineering background myself (on the design side) and I am well aware of the theory behind not shock loading bearings - hence my question about possible damage in the first place. I also have enough experience to know that some things work in practice and not in theory! 🙂This is what makes all of the responses on here valuable. I think as the hub does have to come off and that multiple people have had to take to the BFH to achieve this; once I have put as much torque on the puller as I can if the hub isn't free it is the way to go. (Good bearings are useless with a bent hub still attached!) Thanks All Karl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glang Posted December 3, 2022 Share Posted December 3, 2022 Have a good breakfast, heat the hub if you want and it'll come off ok👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velocita Rosso Posted December 3, 2022 Share Posted December 3, 2022 6 hours ago, glang said: I am an engineer and whacking bearings is never recommendable. Obviously it can be done, especially if youre going to replace the bearings, but otherwise there is a risk of damage that is best avoided if at all possible👍 Appreciate the thought...but you are not striking the bearings, ..there is only one strike needed and not repetitive. The direction of force is straight towards the diff flange and there would be no direct force on the outer roller nor inner needle bearings ., It is a recognized method of popping the flange as is using the correct stud mounting puller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glang Posted December 3, 2022 Share Posted December 3, 2022 Ha, Id like to know where the impact force is going then, something must be resisting it otherwise the whole car will move away from you😆 It must be the bearings the same as when youre driving round a corner except this is a sharp impact rather than a steady thrust load... However youre right theres no risk of damage IF the half shaft is off the car then you can whack away to your hearts content. That could be very effective and even more so if you can find some way to hold the shaft (putting it vertical with the u/j flange on the ground isnt good though).... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docwad Posted December 4, 2022 Share Posted December 4, 2022 try some local area reps including tssc as most areas used to have things like churchill hub pullers and spring lifters 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banksy82 Posted December 13, 2022 Author Share Posted December 13, 2022 Managed to get out to the car today. Using the correct puller I have removed one hub without any drama at all - must have been a poor fit after the previous abuse! Obviously with this car nothing is straightforward and it looks like someone has installed a short driveshaft on the O/S! My Comm. number is well into the 50000s so I believe that it should have the long ones. The car had been 'restored' a couple of owners back and I have very little info on what had been done. I suppose there is a possibility they have installed the parts from an earlier car symmetrically but unfortunately light and my tolerance of the cold has stopped play for the day. I thought I would try and arm myself with some info for tomorrow. From the research I have done the only different parts I can find are the shafts themselves, the radius arms and the body mounting brackets. I have read that the early radius arms have the bush eyes at 90 degrees to the shaft whereas the late ones are angled. Looking at mine it looks like they are angled but it is really subtle. The question I have is are there any dimensions or photos of the differences in the brackets / radius arms between the early and late setups so I can try and work out what motley collection of bits I have? Cheers Karl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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