Removal of drive shaft inner hub.

[jakesmig]

Hi Steve,
I'm going down same route, a local gearbox fettler has a 50T press so he'll split the parts once new bearings arrive.

John.

[Stagsongas]

Hi Steve,
I'm going down same route, a local gearbox fettler has a 50T press so he'll split the parts once new bearings arrive.

John.

Good move John, and I hope your bearings are cheaper than mine were!

Your point about heat affecting any hardening was a good one which I hadn't read (I hit 'reply' before reading the entire thread) and I'm lucky I decided to err on the side of caution, because;

The colouration resulting from heat treatment during manufacture can clearly be seen in my picture of the shaft posted above, it is lightly blued toward the end with the splines. With sufficient application of heat, those splines would have been annealed.

Regards

Steve

[Staggard]

Seriously though, how hot do you think you have to get that casting for the heat to transfer down the shaft and get hot enough to cause damage to the hardening of those splines. Well I personally would sooner do that than break or distort the flange with a 50 tonne press. It's amazing that when you have done something loans of times along comes someone and says Oh you cant do that we are all gonna die.Please DO NOT heat anything (except your dinner) up as I do not want to be responsible for an outbreak of worldwide shaft snapping.

[Stagsongas]

Graham,

The answer is F hot!

But you can't deny that using no heat removes 100% of the annealing risk, and if say 20T on a 50T press does not cut the mustard, you don't go any further.

Im certain that heat has been used judiciously by skiilled hands many times over, and Armaggedon did not ensue, but like you said earlier, there is heat and there is HEAT, and not everyone is good at judging that.

Just my £20 worth (inflation you know!)

Regards

Steve

[jakesmig]

Ditto with Steve.

Graham, in post 8 I gave an opinion on applying heat in this particular case, and in post 12 I presented a practical example which backed up the reasons behind that opinion.
I daresay it would need to be a metalurgist who would tell you to what degree you could apply heat with no adverse affect, and whilst the practical experience of a trained mechanic who frequently carries out a particular task is a valuable asset, you and I know that there are cases where a mechanic f**** up because he / she didn't think it through completely or just missjudged something.

If I just had to warm it up I wouldn't have worried about affecting the case hardening on the shaft, but given the force I was subjecting the flange to I presumed the heat I would need to use would be substantial and would transfer into the shaft.

I'm not a mechanic therefore fine judgement in these things are subjective, plus the tools I am using for things like this are not entirely 'fit for purpose'. It was getting to the stage I was going to burst something or hurt myself so it was time to admit my limitations and farm the work out to someone who does it for a living.

John

[Stagsongas]

I forgot the Hephalump in the corner of course. Wanting to replace the oil seals does not necessarily go hand in hand with wanting (or needing) to replace the output shaft bearings as well. They are closer to the hub, and they don't like too much heat either.

Avoidance is better than cure, especially when there are goons like me around....

Regards

Steve

[Bazstag]

Good luck in separating them, mine took nearly 23t and when it did go I nearly shat myself

[Stagsongas]

Good luck in separating them, mine took nearly 23t and when it did go I nearly shat myself

Mine were 20 miles away and I still heard the bang.

Mind you, the shop had just phoned me to say my shafts were ready "and I think your hubs will be separated by the [BANG!] ......time you get here..."

[elvimto]

I made a puller at work bolted the hub to it and tightened the center bolt I used a fine thread then with heat starting on the keyway wormed the hub up I got both of them of I did tweak one slightly but skimmed the face and its running true. The spline end did not get hot so I have no problem using heat. Just like as been said there is heat and there is heat, used correctly it will assist you no end.

[Mike Stevens]

I've only ever managed to change one of those and that was with a manual hydraulic puller. With the whole lot mounted in a bench vice, wound up to max, gentle tapping with a hammer finally got one to let go. Let go it did with the freed part flying horizontally for > 10' across the workshop before indenting itself with much force into the side panel on some bit of gear. I vowed never to do one of those again but luckily it didn't hit anyone.

At least it went back together a lot more easily.

Cheers,
Mike.

[Marco Polo]

As I said earlier a little bit of force from a 3 leg puller and drop it on the floor, the shock parts the taper earlier than sheer force! You don't apply massive amounts of force to the steering ball joints, the two hammer method works, so why try and reinvent the wheel? A well aimed blow with a mallet to part a taper was in year one of my apprenticeship. Its difficult to aim a hammer between a 3 jaw puller so far easier to drop the whole pretentioned assembly onto the floor to shock it free! Brutal but efficient.....

[Stagsongas]

I made a puller at work bolted the hub to it and tightened the center bolt I used a fine thread then with heat starting on the keyway wormed the hub up I got both of them of I did tweak one slightly but skimmed the face and its running true. The spline end did not get hot so I have no problem using heat. Just like as been said there is heat and there is heat, used correctly it will assist you no end.

If the devil drives and you must resort to heat, that is probably the best way to do it. The Diff, the oil and the entire casing then act like a heatsink, minimising the effects on heat treated or hardened components. Also, a purpose made puller helps things along and it would be the best possible if it were made to bear on the entire flange as opposed to only some parts of it.

Regards

Steve

[jakesmig]

Took L & R assemblies to a local gearbox fettler and he pressed them out on a 50T press, he also replaced the bearings at the same time. Easy done and no blood spilt.

John

[Stagsongas]

Took L & R assemblies to a local gearbox fettler and he pressed them out on a 50T press, he also replaced the bearings at the same time. Easy done and no blood spilt.

John

That's what suited me too John. What I didn't bargain for is the diff(erence) the new bearings made to my car, it is so much quieter.

Into the bargain, no little pool of smelly EP90 on the floor either (Oh how I hate the smell of gear oil!). Two weeks later and the back end is dry, but give it time.
Anyhow, I still have to deal with the incontinence of the front end, in the area of the original element type filter so I'm not done with cleaning up oil patches just yet...

Regards

Steve