Stub axle removal

[chrisvine]

Please can someone offer advice on the best method to remove the front stub axles.

Initially I tried using impact to break the tapered joint using two club hammers. However it wasn't that easy to get the two to hit at the same time and reasonably close to the taper. I repeated the exercise after applying some heat but without success.

I therefore took the uprights to the local mechanic to see if he could press them out with a hydraulic press. However he was reluctant to do so as he thought the pressure required could damage the parts.

Thanks,
Chris

[mgcjag]

Hi Chris......Both of mine were stuck fast fortunatly i a press, left the nut on so as not to damage the end of the thread & just went for it, it came out with a bang & undamaged......the press I have is an upright about 5 ft tall & a large bottle jack fitted to the top. purchased new & delivered aprox ?80. the most usefull tool i have...go for it Steve

[steve3.8]

Hi Chris,

With limited tools at home the way to go is to use a piece of scaffold tube or similar cut squarely on the ends and stood on a solid surface like thick concrete.Invert the stub axle into tube then hit the stub axle to break the taper,put a nut on the thread wound flush to the end of the stub you are striking for better contact.I presume you?re removing to replace so the stubs are scrap anyway?You could apply heat also but unless you?re using oxy/acet not much gain will be had. BTW using this method with an hydraulic press will cause no damage to the uprights.

Regards Steve

[chrisvine]

Steves,

Thanks for the replies. The stub axles are not worn so I was planning to reuse them if possible. The reason for dismantling was simply to get all the front suspension components shotblasted and then nickel/zinc plated.

I think I will investigate the hydraulic press route just in case they can be reused. I wish I'd taken the plunge when I started the project as there's been plently of times a press would have been useful.

Thanks again,
Chris

[PeterCrespin]

Chris, if the axles are in spec and not worn under the bearing races or damaged anywhere, ask yourself whether the gains outweigh the downsides? Any thickness of plating will spoil a good fit for the bearing races. Hard plating is a potential remedy for a loose fit but you say things are fine with yours.

Personally, for an invisible part which is so critical to have solid, I'd leave the stub axles where they are and put a shiny new nut on the inboard end if appearance really matters to you. The plater can mask everything off when you get the uprights done.

Pete

[christopher storey]

I agree with Peter. You can need up to a 30 ton press to get these buggers out and when they do go they can rival a Cape Canaveral launch . I taped mine off to get the uprights plated and had no problems

[PeterM]

Chris, I agree with Peter, dont be tempted to plate the stub axle, fitting the bearing once plated is never a success, i also found fitting polybushes on to newly plated wishbones challenging but its worth it the parts look great when done

[chrisvine]

Thanks for the subsequent replies. I'll leave them in place and have them taped during plating. Rather naively, I wasn?t aware that they could do that