HELP: xj front hub problems!
 

Hi,

Sorry for the long windedness but I figure I shouldnt generate too
many questions on the situation by including everything the first
time.

I've read some past posts as how to get off the front hub of a '96 xj.
I read these after my problem... and It seems that I may have a rare
unique problem.

At 40mph + there was a whine so I figured I'd replace the wheel
bearing, I bit the bullet and got the $130 one unit hub, and went to
work, I wound up unable to break loose 1 of the 3 bolts that hold it
to the axle flange, broke a ratcheting wrench in the process... (thank
you for free replacement craftsman), I was also unable to get the
36mm axle shaft nut off.

So what else could I do, I called Dad, he said to go get a 4 ft length
of steel pipe and use our friend leverage. And 3/4" drive stuff. And
a full can of PB Blaster. And a Puller. It worked I got the old hub
off.

So I put the new one on, went to put on the rotor and realized I had
put the rotor rock guard on backwards, so I went to remove the new hub
and flip it, disaster struck.

After I removed the 3 bolts and the axle nut and put the puller on, as
I pulled I seperated the new hub and saw the brand new bearings - I
read that these one piece units need a 60 ton shop press to be put
together.

So now I have half the hub stuck to the axle flange with nothing to
pull it by.

(For the night I put it back together,, and backed it out of the
garage.. - thats where my YJ lives :-)

The possible cause of it sticking... I drove the xj home from work
before doing the above process, so the axle flange was hot, and when I
mounted the new hub to the flange I tightened the crap out of it with
above said 4ft pipe, instead of thinking and just putting on loc-tite.
So I figure the axle flange cooled around the beveled edge of the hub
piece and locked it in place.

Solution #1:
This is what I gathered from the forums and the confounded mechanic at
the jeep dealer, use a slap hammer and beat the hell out of it til it
comes off. Or wait till tues or wed - its wed night right now - to
take it in there and get raped for my guess $600, or beat it myself
and ruin the axle flange.

Solution #2:
Take axle off and beat it from the other side - not too sure if this
would even work.

Solution #3:
Buy a drill press and drill out the old hub as to get the 3 bolts
through it, put them through it and mount it to the outside of the
half hub still on the axle then mount the puller to the old hub and
pull it off, this fixes the problem of the puller not having a lip to
hold onto the stuck half of the hub assembly. Possibly add heat, I
dont know if this would help because I only have a propane torch and
not an oxyac.

Solution #4:
My roommate came up with this one - use the grinder to make lips in
the stuck piece for the puller to hold onto - I'm not sure if there is
enough metal to cut a strong enough lip for the puller though. Also
add heat. I like this idea as it would be probably the fastest and
cheapest, but may not work.

Sooo, I am betting on 3 or 4, unless someone knows of some other way
to do it, please all comments and ideas1

Thanks :-)

Mike

Re: HELP: xj front hub problems!
 

---- man, had one separate on me once then figured out or remembered
fast you 'can't' use a puller on a sealed hub. The hubs seize in and it
takes way more to pop it out than the bearing race will stand....

You need to cut the wheel hard to the side and get a spare bolt with the
same threads to put/thread in deep with a 1/2" showing on the back in
the hole of the 'ear' you just exposed and take a 2.5 to 5 lb sledge to
the bolt to pop the hub out. Once cracked, turn the wheel the other way
and move the bolt to beat on the other 'ear'. One way of cranking the
wheel will give you room to smuck the bolt in the bottom ear too.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

mike wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> Sorry for the long windedness but I figure I shouldnt generate too
> many questions on the situation by including everything the first
> time.
>
> I've read some past posts as how to get off the front hub of a '96 xj.
> I read these after my problem... and It seems that I may have a rare
> unique problem.
>
> At 40mph + there was a whine so I figured I'd replace the wheel
> bearing, I bit the bullet and got the $130 one unit hub, and went to
> work, I wound up unable to break loose 1 of the 3 bolts that hold it
> to the axle flange, broke a ratcheting wrench in the process... (thank
> you for free replacement craftsman), I was also unable to get the
> 36mm axle shaft nut off.
>
> So what else could I do, I called Dad, he said to go get a 4 ft length
> of steel pipe and use our friend leverage. And 3/4" drive stuff. And
> a full can of PB Blaster. And a Puller. It worked I got the old hub
> off.
>
> So I put the new one on, went to put on the rotor and realized I had
> put the rotor rock guard on backwards, so I went to remove the new hub
> and flip it, disaster struck.
>
> After I removed the 3 bolts and the axle nut and put the puller on, as
> I pulled I seperated the new hub and saw the brand new bearings - I
> read that these one piece units need a 60 ton shop press to be put
> together.
>
> So now I have half the hub stuck to the axle flange with nothing to
> pull it by.
>
> (For the night I put it back together,, and backed it out of the
> garage.. - thats where my YJ lives :-)
>
> The possible cause of it sticking... I drove the xj home from work
> before doing the above process, so the axle flange was hot, and when I
> mounted the new hub to the flange I tightened the crap out of it with
> above said 4ft pipe, instead of thinking and just putting on loc-tite.
> So I figure the axle flange cooled around the beveled edge of the hub
> piece and locked it in place.
>
> Solution #1:
> This is what I gathered from the forums and the confounded mechanic at
> the jeep dealer, use a slap hammer and beat the hell out of it til it
> comes off. Or wait till tues or wed - its wed night right now - to
> take it in there and get raped for my guess $600, or beat it myself
> and ruin the axle flange.
>
> Solution #2:
> Take axle off and beat it from the other side - not too sure if this
> would even work.
>
> Solution #3:
> Buy a drill press and drill out the old hub as to get the 3 bolts
> through it, put them through it and mount it to the outside of the
> half hub still on the axle then mount the puller to the old hub and
> pull it off, this fixes the problem of the puller not having a lip to
> hold onto the stuck half of the hub assembly. Possibly add heat, I
> dont know if this would help because I only have a propane torch and
> not an oxyac.
>
> Solution #4:
> My roommate came up with this one - use the grinder to make lips in
> the stuck piece for the puller to hold onto - I'm not sure if there is
> enough metal to cut a strong enough lip for the puller though. Also
> add heat. I like this idea as it would be probably the fastest and
> cheapest, but may not work.
>
> Sooo, I am betting on 3 or 4, unless someone knows of some other way
> to do it, please all comments and ideas1
>
> Thanks :-)
>
> Mike