The Front Hubs and the Hub Puller

This week I removed the front hubs.  Again, I had to pull the cotter pin inside the hub, then use an extra large socket with extension to remove the bolt..  However, this time the hub did not slide off the way the back hubs did.  Lots of tugging and staring did no good.   Then it hit me, maybe I could use the Hub Puller I just purchased for the tool kit!  It is amazing how often the obvious just sails right on past me....

An original hub puller is expensive and doesn't look like much, but works pretty darn well.  It screws on to the hub (and can be flipped around to reveal a reverse thread for the other side of the car), then a bolt in the center screws in and pushes against the axel/stub thing to push the hub out.  It is a simple device, but probably the only one in the original tool kit that I would even consider using.

 

Once the hub is off, there are two backing plates to be removed.  The bearings remain inside the hub and will be removed later.

Following that, I had a nice day of degreasing parts.  When you read articles or blogs on car restoration, degreasing is a process that is mentioned as an aside, if at all.  Today I found out that it is not a minor job!  Most of the afternoon was spent scrubbing the hub parts, only to reveal rust.  I will probably have to remove the rust in the blast cabinet, but at least now I can pick the parts up without gloves and an apron.  Later, when all the parts are clean, I got to clean the cleaner!  The fun never ends...
 

Something I ignored last week was the removal of the rubber gasket from one of the rear axle pieces.  I decided not to attempt this until I found out how to do it properly.  It turns out that it was pressure fit, so all I had to do was to tap it out from the rear with a hammer.  Obvious now, but I'm glad I did not wack it only to find out that it screwed in!