Hub Pullers

[Richard Williams]

Can anyone recommend a three legged hub puller suitable for the FRONT drums of early cars. A car I just bought has been standing for 15-years and it seems the first application of the hand-brake (that was me) has seized the two front wheels rock solid. I guess those hand-brake components had little lubrication and now will not return under the return spring tension. All a bit of a bore as it makes it impossible to move the car around! Towing 10 yards along the drive didn't seem to persuade them to release!

 

[mr-reno-139]

hi dont forget that drums are designed to come off seperate to hub /drive flange
some vans with bigger drums had m6 thread which use10 mm bolts to screwin and extract drums with aid of copper hammer
do not be temted to undo hub nut and then use puller on end of shaft as you will force driveshaft back into gearbox causing damage a slide hammer would do possibly but would be hard work (see below)
another idea but only if you happen to have scrap drums lying around is remove dshaft nut tap shaft 5mm in to make sure thats not siezed as well, bolt old drums on backwards over studs using suitable washers to protect nuts use goggles and copper hammer
ps swearing will be involved as you are now attempting seperating wheel bearings and siezed brakes good luck paul

 

[malcolm]

I've had problems with handbrakes with neglected early cars too. Disconnecting the handbrake shaft from that lever that you pull might help a little.

From there get the wleels straight, pull the wheels off, and try to lever the drums off. That should work as the hubs won't be glued to the brake shoes like they would if the handbrake had been left on for years.

 

[angel]

I have used a cheap large 3-legged puller for some years with success. This includes two R4s, one with rusted handbrake cable, the other with seized wheel cylinders (3 out of 4!). The claws fit in the space between the drum and the backplate (as they bear on a very small surface you should be very careful that they will not slip). The drum will be removed, but at the cost of cracked shoe linings or stretched fixing clips-not too bad anyway.
If only Renault put these M6 threads on every drum they made... like all Japanese cars have.

 

[mr-reno-139]

if you are still struggling it may help to use cutting disc on angle grinder and carefully cut hand brake cable next to drum as cable is probably siezed rather than brakes themselves
thats assuming
(A) new hand brake cables are still available for drum brake cars
(B)of course the square adjusters arent rounded off either
(C)if they arent also siezed solid ,that you turned them the correct direction ie up with spanner to release, before the special spanner slipped and removed your knuckles

do let us all know how you got on
good luck paul