USE OF A SLIDE HAMMER TO REMOVE REAR AXLES

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ARCHINSTL
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USE OF A SLIDE HAMMER TO REMOVE REAR AXLES

Post by ARCHINSTL »

If you rent/borrow a slide hammer, be aware that many/most of the flanges which are attached to the threaded rod of the hammer and thence bolted to the hub do not have the correct hole spacing for our little drum studs; I had to make one from a piece of flat wood. Not a big deal, but annoying and unanticipated.
If you have to actually pay for a rental (no refund as at Advance or AZ) - be sure to take a tracing of the studs to the rental store. Or even take a brake drum or the spare wheel.

CAVEAT:
If the outer retainer is rusted in place on the backing plate (or the bearing in the axle), I would strongly suggest squirting a penetrant between the retainer and the brake backing plate and tapping the former with a hammer to break it loose before using the slide hammer. Overly zealous yanks on the hammer could pull the retainer and backing plate as a unit, resulting in "some brake line problems"...

And "Yes," I did try the drum reversal trick, but this axle's bearing was too rusted in place, and I was afraid of boogering the studs' threads.
Tom M.
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Re: USE OF A SLIDE HAMMER TO REMOVE REAR AXLES

Post by Petros »

I used one of the holes in the axle hub (the one to allow to get a socket on the 12mm bolts holding backing plate and retainer on). It is off center but it worked. I put a large washer behind the hub at the hole, and a nut on the end of a long thread rod, and but a "slide" on it (chunk of steel with a hole in it), and use it as slide hammer.
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Re: USE OF A SLIDE HAMMER TO REMOVE REAR AXLES

Post by MR2Di4 »

At the behest of ARCHINSTL I am adding pictures and a description of the homemade slide hammer I used to extract a difficult axle recently.

Image Image Image

I came up with this after looking at leftover telephone pole hardware. It comprises of various 1/2" nuts and bolts and is infinitely adjustable to whatever you're trying to apply force to, provided there are attachment points on whatever you're pulling. The key is the hooked (or eye) bolts on both end of a center cross-bolt that can be secured in place with two nuts on either side and has a 1/2" thread at the attachment end that can be used with bolts and washers, or for wheel-pulling, some form of hooks threaded onto the ends. Between the two hooked bolts sits an eye nut into which I threaded a 1/2" section of Allthread (essentially a incredibly long bolt) that threads all the way through and contacts the cross-bolt giving a small degree of stability to the unit. As I was piecing this together I considered just using a chain to hook to the cross-bolt and use sharp jerks but that would have resulting in uneven pulling and less of the needed shock. The Allthread is about 4 feet long and could have easily been shorter, I just didn't want to cut it. In order to hold it in the desired direction I set the stack of end washers forward to allow a place for my hand, although real slide hammers usually have the hand grip ahead of the weight for safety. Just be damned sure whatever you use is STRONG enough to take the brunt of your blows. You can use whatever you find as a slide if it's got the weight/mass to do the job. In my case I used the brake drum I'd been using already, only now with more force.

A couple of things to note about doing this job: 1. The backing plate definitely has a tendency to want to follow the axle off especially since the outer bearing race clearance is very tight. I would suggest that, after the axle bearing retainer flange has been unbolted, to try and wind on a couple of the nuts to hold the just backing plate in place. 2. Once the axle is out there is usually a fair amount of scraping and cleaning to be done. If you remove the 10mm bolts on the clips holding the brake lines you should be able to get enough play to move the plate up and hold it out of the way with twine while working.

MR2Di4 8)

EDIT: Left-click on the photos individually; they will eventually open up on Photobucket in a larger format - takes a bit, though. Tom M.
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Re: USE OF A SLIDE HAMMER TO REMOVE REAR AXLES

Post by marlinh »

Image

Here is a modification I made to my slide hammer for pulling rear axles.
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ARCHINSTL
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Re: USE OF A SLIDE HAMMER TO REMOVE REAR AXLES

Post by ARCHINSTL »

Good on!
OT and kinda odd, but - I liked the composition of the photo. Industrial art!
Tom M.

EDIT - After reading dlb's post...my analysis is: The soft green of the grass and the ancient hoary hue of the aeons-old stone and the modernity of the Industrial Age tools, with their polished chrome, grey steel, and the stolidness of the cast iron hammer.
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Re: USE OF A SLIDE HAMMER TO REMOVE REAR AXLES

Post by dlb »

ARCHINSTL wrote:OT and kinda odd, but - I liked the composition of the photo.
that's funny because i thought that too. it's just a pic of a tool, but it's kind of nice.
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Re: USE OF A SLIDE HAMMER TO REMOVE REAR AXLES

Post by marlinh »

What a scream, I don't know what to say except that rock is my front step.
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Re: USE OF A SLIDE HAMMER TO REMOVE REAR AXLES

Post by keith »

To remove axles, all I have ever done is put the tire back on with the lug nuts getting exactly 3 turns, no more, no less. Then I push the tire in and jerk it back out, the axle always pops right out that way. Been doing it that way for over 30 years. I do have a slide hammer too but it is for body work.
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Re: USE OF A SLIDE HAMMER TO REMOVE REAR AXLES

Post by c_j »

keith wrote:To remove axles, all I have ever done is put the tire back on with the lug nuts getting exactly 3 turns, no more, no less. Then I push the tire in and jerk it back out, the axle always pops right out that way. Been doing it that way for over 30 years. I do have a slide hammer too but it is for body work.
Nice, simple method keith.

Here is my tool specifically made for this job (circa 2000):
axle_puller_slide_hammer_1.JPG
axle_puller_slide_hammer_2.JPG
It got pulled out of the dusty corner where is has sat for about 10 years, and will be used again this weekend. Made from threaded rod, a drilled-out fishing weight (20lb lead 'cannonball'), the 3-hole steel strap, nuts, and washers. All that's missing is the wheel nuts (and of course the drum would be off, etc).
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Re: USE OF A SLIDE HAMMER TO REMOVE REAR AXLES

Post by dlb »

i usually use keith's method (albeit with the drum on backwards rather than the wheel and tire) but this time i got fed up after 20 minutes of unsuccessful banging and a blister. so i got caveman on it: i looped heavy rope behind the backwards drum on the axle 4 times, then threaded the rope through the stud holes of a second drum i had, and tied a big knot. i gave the rope about 2-3 ft of slack and threw the second drum out and the axle popped out after just a few tosses.
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Re: USE OF A SLIDE HAMMER TO REMOVE REAR AXLES

Post by keith »

Why do you guys put the drum back on, backwards or normal? I don't put the drum back on at all, just the tire and wheel. The tire and wheel have a lot of mass and you can get a really good grip on it.
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Re: USE OF A SLIDE HAMMER TO REMOVE REAR AXLES

Post by dlb »

i think larry mcgrath first suggested putting the drum back on backwards and that's what worked for me for the last year or two. you're right that the tire/wheel has more mass but i would worry more about deforming the wheel if the bearing was really stuck in there.
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