Is this hub ruined? Advice? (see photo)

I have a worn axle shaft U-joint on the passenger side.
Vehicle is a 1997 Cherokee.
After researching online it looked fairly straight forward to replace.
I removed the axle nut, caliper and rotor and the three bolts on the
back side that hold the hub on.
The hub was tight, so I used a three jaw puller on it.
I hooked the jaws over the round hub face with the center
of the puller on the axle shaft.
Well, the hub seperated!
The outer part/bearing race pulled right out of the other half
that contains the bearing.

I put it back together using the axle nut to press the hub back together
and all looks to be fine, but I am wondering if this has damaged the hub?

Did I do something wrong or is this just some bad luck?

Any ideas how to remove the remaining part of the hub as I still need to
remove it to repair the U-joint?

I tried to pull it by threading bolts into the triangle section of the hub
and using the puller on them, but the axle shaft gets jammed crooked
by the center of the puller and I am concerned that I will damage
the shaft or something in the differential if i apply much force.

Thanks.

Yes it is completely destroyed.

It is not suppose to seperate.

The hub comes out of the knuckle and slides off the shaft as an assembly. It is held to the shaft by the nut. The nut keeps the hub together under high stress.

Buy a shop manual it will show you how to take it apart properly and put in the new bearing.

John

Why can't he take it to a machine shop like napa and have them press it back together?The bearings look intact....Just curious....I mean think about it thats how the hub was built in the first place at the factory...Probably wouldn't cost more than $25.00 for them to press it back together.

I know that the earlier hubs are "servicable" I had a 86 xj and the local napa rebuilt the unit hubs on that....

Any ideas how to remove the remaining part of the hub as I still need to
remove it to repair the U-joint?

Here's how I do it.
To remove the remaining portion of the unit bearing, I take two of the three bolts from the bearing (I always keep extra around) thread them in the back into the two lower holes in the back of the knuckle.about three threads(right where they came out of). Then I turn the knuckle to full lock and beat the bolt with a BFH. Then turn the knuckle full lock the other way and beat that bolt. By now the bearing is usually loose and ready to come out. Sometimes you have to beat the other side again. This does ruin the bolts and that why I keep extra on hand. To remove the bolts since they are screwed up just use vise grips to get them turning, remove bolts and hub. Enjoy.
Cleatus92

I've done this quit a few times with broken axles on the trail.

There was a post somewhere about putting a bolt in behind one of those 3 loosened hub bolts, and turning the steering wheel to push on the bolt. I don't remember exactly how it went, so you might want to search unless you can figure it out.

cleatus92 said:

Any ideas how to remove the remaining part of the hub as I still need to
remove it to repair the U-joint?

Here's how I do it.
Then I turn the knuckle to full lock and beat the bolt with a BFH. Then turn the knuckle full lock the other way and beat that bolt. ..... This does ruin the bolts and that why I keep extra on hand. To remove the bolts since they are screwed up just use vise grips to get them turning, remove bolts and hub. Enjoy.
Cleatus92

I've done this quit a few times with broken axles on the trail.

Click to expand...

the first couple times hit the bolts with a socket on the bolts and it will keep them in good shape, or use a brass hammer... apply anti size to where the hub connects to the knuckle and the 3 hub bolts... it get much easier every time after...

yes that hub is ruined, I had one break on me like that wile my ex borrowed the jeep and thankfully the brake caliper held it together and didn't f- upthe knuckle...

There is a little ramp on each of the ears so you can get between them and the dust shield with a flat head screw driver. Tap in screw driver(s) and tap the bolts in the back. I take these off at the salvage yard all the time to get spare shafts and unit bearings. If you go easy it will come off without ruining the bolts. If it rusted bad then you may have to use the BFH but try it gentle first. BTW before you remove the bearing put the nut back on the end of the shaft, put a 2x4 over the nut and rap it with the BFH to unseat the outer shaft from the tapered splines in the bearing if you didnt already seperate it when you broke the bearing.

John

not sure about that hub being ruined or not. but screw the press, and having to buy a new one just because it seperated...i heard the same thing

i took a 5lb sledge hammer and wacked my hub back together, and put the bolt back on. it was 6 months before it went bad

I also accidentally pulled a hub apart once using a slide hammer to remove it without leaving the nut on the axle shaft. I put it back together immediately before any contamination could enter (just pushed it back, and used the axle nut to tighten it), and it lasted for some time. However, it did go bad within 20 thousand miles or so. I would not write off this hub as needing immediate replacement, but I'd keep an eye on it.

As far as the original question is concerned, one way to get it off whole is to use a slide hammer axle puller, but only after having loosened the axle nut and then put it back finger tight. Another way is to take a very big lead hammer and whack on the back side of the flange (again, you must have the axle nut on for this). As soon as there's any sign of movement outward, in the form of separation from the backing plate, you immediately douse the crack with kerosene, fuel oil, 5-56 or your other favorite penetrant and if possible use a prybar or other device to help it out. Sometimes it helps to douse it, then hammer it back in, and repeat. It will come out a little more each time. I've never had much luck on very rusty ones using the bolts in back. It just ruins the bolts, and if you bend one in the hole you can have a hard time getting it out.

Gotta keep the axle nut on for most methods!!

I've never seen it done with a screwdriver....I always thought that would just dig into the dust shield.

Anyways, you can get it off easily with a hammer. Undo the three bolts holding the hub to the knuckle, and keep the axle nut on!! Bang on it from one side, then the other. Once one side pops out a bit, hit the other, so the thing doesn't jam up sideways. This method works great with any decent hammer, even on ones that haven't never come off and are sitting it a junk yard. No penetrating oil required. Then you have to deal with the axle nut. If you have an impact gun, it's no problem to hold the hub in your hand and pound the nut off with an impact gun. If you don't have that luxury, which I usually don't, I put the hub back in, throw the three screws in, tighten it evenly and just have the hub in the knuckle a tiny bit, snug to the knuclke, but not "in" the knuckle, if you know what I mean. Just so the thing doesn't flop around. Then you can go to town with a breaker bar. I've used this method a lot, and it's probably teh best method for most backyard mechanics.


Most people who work on jeeps have probably seperated a hub. I have, more than once. Once because I didn't know any better, and then another time because I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. both times I put the hub back together and was alright, although they both failed not too long thereafter. Neither of them were new, so I can't say if me pulling them apart had anything to do with their subsequent failure....maybe a little bit?

Another way I used to use was to thread in dedicated hub bolts to bang on, and bang on the actual bolts. It works, but it's more time consuming and trickier cause you have to keep turning the wheel and such. Same principel as banging the hub. You can put sockets on the end of the screws and bang on those too.

You don't need to beat the hub bolts with a BFH. Put a bolt between the end of the yoke and the inner C, turn the steering wheel ,and the should pop right off. You might have to walk it off the knuckle by doing the smae thing to the other side of it.

WOW ! This site rocks:yelclap:
I am a newbie here and posted this just last night.
I checked it this morning to see if there was a response and there were 10!
Thanks everyone for trying to help.

I was able to press that bearing back together with the axle nut and it seems
fine, but I will probably end up replacing it soon just to be safe.

I will attempt once again to remove the hub today using some of the
techniques suggested.

I wouldn't press it back together or bang it back together. Your life and others are depending on these little guys. Cough up the 150 or whatever it is. WIth your hands on the top and bottom of tire, check for any flop or play. If none, your ok to drive around temp. IMO. Check the other one too. Way back when I was 16, In my stock 88, my wheel nearly came off on my rustheep. as long as the nut is on, the wheel can't immediately separate, but it will flop around and make handling tough.

RyanM said:

as long as the nut is on, the wheel can't immediately separate, but it will flop around and make handling tough.

Click to expand...

I call BS on this one, not as an ass, but In my experience when the hub separated it snapped the axle stubby at the nut. I kept the busted stubby, but forgot what I did with it.

I'm just sharing my experience. you may be fine and dandy with it, but I also know from experience that Jumping an XJ will bend the dana30.

Well I tried many different ways to remove the darn hub with no luck.
Tried the bolts from the back trick, driving a chisel behind the three mounting
spots for the hub, tried beating on the round flange with the axle nut re-installed.
Finally I went out and borrowed a slide hammer puller for axles and tried using it
to pull off the remaining hub, alternating between different bolts. I though for sure
this would work but it did not budge.
I guess I officially give up and will have to take it to a garage (GRRR)

Here is a pic of the puller I tried:

Dano said:

I call BS on this one, not as an ass, but In my experience when the hub separated it snapped the axle stubby at the nut. I kept the busted stubby, but forgot what I did with it.

I'm just sharing my experience. you may be fine and dandy with it, but I also know from experience that Jumping an XJ will bend the dana30.

Click to expand...

Dude, I argued your same point about a month ago. People with rebuilding hub experience chimed in and claimed me wrong. SEARCH IT

EDIT HERE: http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=918715&highlight=hub+stub+nut

i_carumba said:

Well I tried many different ways to remove the darn hub with no luck.
Tried the bolts from the back trick, driving a chisel behind the three mounting
spots for the hub, tried beating on the round flange with the axle nut re-installed.
Finally I went out and borrowed a slide hammer puller for axles and tried using it
to pull off the remaining hub, alternating between different bolts. I though for sure
this would work but it did not budge.
I guess I officially give up and will have to take it to a garage (GRRR)

Here is a pic of the puller I tried:

Click to expand...

Did you try the bolt on the axle yoke trick I posted?

I didn't read all the posts, so ignore if this method has been mentioned. A guy I know that has been a Jeep mechanic for 15 years and here is what he does to remove hubs.

Here's a description another buddy typed up.

The "leverage" method for removing the unitized wheel bearings from a
Dana 30 axle. This method was shown to me by Rudy the Jeep mechanic, who is the best mechanic I have ever met and the only paid mechanic who touches my Jeep or my Dodge Ram. Please note this method requires an impact wrench and air supply.

1) remove axle nut.
2) jack the front tires off the ground...place jack stands under the front axle.
3) remove the two brake caliper bolts.
4) remove the three unitized bearing bolts.
5) place a long pry bar (3 or 4 feet long) in between the rim (still attached to the unitized bearing) and the tie rod bracket on the steering knuckle. Give 2 or 3 hard pulls and the bearing will pop out of the steering knuckle.
6) use an impact wrench to remove the lug nuts, and then remove the rim and tire.
7) remove the brake caliper.
8) remove the unitized bearing.

The first time my unitized bearings were removed, it took Rudy 5 minutes
to do both sides. After doing this 3 or 4 times, it now only takes me about 10 minutes to do both sides. In my opinion, it is by far the quickest way to get the unitized bearings off the axle.

I don't think they are servicable either. I accidentally did that on my passenger side. It was going bad anyway. Howled on roads that were curved left, etc......put it back together and drove for a few more hundred miles. Replaced the passenger side hub.

Made a world of difference! Ride is so quiet now and tiny vibes disappeared. Replace it and be done with it.

To remove the hub you'll have to tap in a chisel or screwdriver behind the hub where that rotor guard is......or dust shield, whatever it is.... I hear using an air chisel is really good to use and easy, but, not all of us have access to one of those!

RyanM said:

Dude, I argued your same point about a month ago. People with rebuilding hub experience chimed in and claimed me wrong. SEARCH IT

EDIT HERE: http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=918715&highlight=hub+stub+nut

Click to expand...

alright I stand corrected, if the nut is on, the wheel will stay on and flop around like a fish out of water.

my stubby broke right at the nut and so the stubby axle broke and the nut didn't hold it together. so yeah sure if it's loose it'll stay together, but if the axle shaft breaks, like in my case, it's coming apart.

in my case the hub separated and broke the axle stubby shaft.