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Hub removal hassles.

G

GPjira

NAXJA Forum User
Location
San Francisco Bay area
I am trying to replace the hub/bearing housing on my 88 XJ. I removed the nut, the calipers, the disk, and the three bolts that supposedly hold the hub/bearing housing in. Now I am supposed to be able to "gently tap" the hub to remove it. This is not the case. The axle is loose, I can jiggle it back and forth about 1/4 inch. Someone suggested maybe a ring clip on the axle, but I don't see one. What am I missing?
Thanks.
 
You might have to use a small chisel and get between the bearing and the dust shield. It might take a little while but it will work. Good luck.-------Dave:cool:
 
You're on the right track. Problem is that "gently tapping" probably ain't gonna do it for ya.

Get a couple of sacrificial bolts like the 3 hub bolts. Thread them in so that there's a quarter inch or so left before they start tightening up. Pound it out with a Ford wrench aka sledge hammer. Yes, these bolts won't be much good when you're done. Once you get it moving, you'll be in good shape, and the bolts will keep it from bouncing off your chest.

Also, douse the parting line between the hub & knuckle with PB Blaster, Kroil, or your penetrant of choice.

ChiXJeff
 
Last edited:
I recently did some u-joints for a friend and we just pulled the hubs... Takes a bit more than a tap tap to get em off, but they will come...

In the imortal words of Mr Draves (High School Auto Shop Teacher) ... "Play with it long enough, it'll come"

Jason
 
Put the axle shaft nut back on and use a slide hammer, if you don't put the nut on the bearing will seperate the nut keeps it in one piece. spray the thing down with rust penatrant too.
 
This is a common problem. To remove the hubs, take out the three bolts that hold them on. The best method is to install three sacrifical bolts (from the hardware store) and beat on them from the back side to get the hub free. When you're ready to put the hubs back on, clean up the mating surfaces and coat them with some anti-seize. The bolts you'll need are 12mm with a 2mm pitch and about 120mm long.
 
I just did this to mine. The slide hammer works wonders. Make you sure you get the axle pull attachment. I bought the whole kit at harbour freight for 30 bucks.
 
You could always do what my original dealer did to get mine off after only 2 yrs. When I asked to see the old parts, the stud plate was bent out about 2 inches all around. They beat on it for like 3 hours with a 10 lb sledge to get the hub broken free. Broke a rather large slide hammer before they started going that route.
 
BenXJCA said:
I just did this to mine. The slide hammer works wonders. Make you sure you get the axle pull attachment. I bought the whole kit at harbour freight for 30 bucks.
Click to expand...

As long as you're willing to replace the hub, yeah (as he was....) If you're pulling the hub to fix a u-joint, a slide hammer on the studs is a bad idea. You're pulling on the inside race of the bearing and it's the outside that's held in place. All of that force is going through the rolling members, and beating up on the machined surfaces.

ChiXJeff
 
Have done this several times now. I treat the surface btwn the hub and the recess it fits into with liquid wrench daily for a week before beginning. After you have removed a hub once, coat the mating surfaces with the same antisieze compound used on spark plugs before putting it back in. I had real trouble locating the sacrificial bolts, so I sacrificed the socket by leaving it on during the tapping-New socket is cheaper than the bolts and easier to find. Did not take massive blows just firm taps. This is better than the slide hammer because it does not stress the hub.
 
There is a easier way to remove the hubs. Put the hub nut back on, mount the tire on the hub and use the leverage of the tire to work out the hub. Penetrants will also help here too. When you put the new or old hubs back in use ant-sieze compound.

Jerry H.
Mpls, MN
 
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