The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Tons 'o Fun Wheel Removal...Success!!! 9/21/16

OK, I know I'm often challenged by the simplest things but pulling a wheel off might be a new low even for me.
On my '48 dually the front wheels (original 17") are rusted to the hub extensions and won't budge. I've done the usual, soaking, pounding, swearing etc but still no go.
Is there a puller that would work or something I could rig up to help free things up?
Suggestions welcome!


UPDATE:

OK, they're off! As you see, I've been after a solution for awhile now. I kept soaking, pounding, etc., then last week I went out and bought a couple of short lengths of chain, borrowed my come-a-long back from the guy who borrowed it last year and purchased a dead blow hammer. I've wanted one for awhile but never really had a need for one.
Put the new tools on the flatbed, jacked the front end up on stands, removed the lugnuts and the right side wheel practically fell off into my hands! Ditto the left side!
Did "Speedy" realize I was getting serious with the new tools? Maybe he just has an evil sense of humor, or maybe it just took a long time for the penetrating oils to do their work.
I don't really care, the wheels are off and I can continue with the world's longest running brake job.
Next problem up is that the wheel cylinders are adjusted way to tight and the adjusters are frozen/stripped.
Maybe I'll get to use that come-a-long yet!

If you are going to replace the lug bolts, might try loosening All the lug bolts and driving a short distance.

Ed

Hi Ed,

Thanks for the suggestion. With hub centered wheels I'm reluctant to drive with loose lug nuts though that technique has worked for me on other vehicles.
I'm hoping someone has unstuck their wheels before and can say 'I know exactly what you can do'. And then tells me what worked!
Yes, I'm an optimist.

keep some penetrating oil on them.
If not concerned about the paint some heat on the wheel at the hub might help. However be cautions and might want to remove the tire if you're putting serious heat on it.

An air hammer might help to hammer/shake the wheel at the flange with hopes of getting some initial movement.

This puller was recently recommended by "crenwelge"
http://www.kienedieseltools.com/p-2...xRZyx5fO97VoMnb4f6ljvbbJI_jlAaAokX8P8HAQ

Grigg, that $1500 wheel puller looks great but is out of my budget! I'll have to see if any of the big truck shops have one or one like it as the rental center here has nothing even similar.
My truck is not driveable due to brake issues and I don't look forward to the $250 tow into town. I'll keep soaking and working at it!

No, I wouldn't buy it either.
But you might get an idea from it, or might as you said find one to borrow locally.

How about making a puller by putting a small hydraulic jack against the center of the hub and putting a chain through the hand holes of the wheel on opposite sides? The bottom of the jack would be against the chain. Would be even better if you had a short piece of channel, 4 or 6" wide, to put against the bottom of the jack.

Thanks JFNAR,

I probably will try something like what you're suggesting. Right now everything is still getting a daily soaking while I figure out the safest way to put a good pull on the wheels without bending or breaking something. Good thing I'm more patient than I used to be!

Mix up a 50/50 mixture of ATF & Acetone, it is reported to be the very best penetrate for loosening up stuck stuff.
The suggestion of driving with the nuts backed off only one turn should not be dangerous if done at slow speed.
Any good paint store sells acetone, good luck and keep us all posted. Howie

bump

For getting the drums off you probably want to remove the hubs, at least on the front. You can do the same on the back. Be very careful with the drums because they don't make new ones and the good used supply is drying up. I believe some folks unbolt the wheel cylinders to create some freedom of movement with the brake shoes.

My truck has dual rear wheels and uses hub extensions on the front. Rears are done, I'm on the front ones now.
I'm new to a lot of this stuff and haven't had any experience with hub extensions. I don't see any way to get the brake drums off without removing the extensions first. Is that right?
Oh, I'll be careful to not break anything. I hope! The problem is that the front brakes are really tight--one wheel turns when I put a breaker bar on it but I can't move the other one at all--and the adjusters seem to be stripped or frozen. Once the extensions are removed I'll figure a way to get the drums off.

We've had discussions about front hub adapters for duals before. Usually it's just a one piece dual wheel type hub, no extension, and confusion as to how the drum is bolted on.
To remove the drum first remove hub from spindle and then unbolt drum.

Unless you do have actual hub extensions bolted into a standard single wheel hub? Then remove extension and then drum. This would be uncommon and I think aftermarket but not 100% sure, I've never seen any in person.

Have pictures?

I'll try and get a picture tomorrow. This is on my '48 GMC but my '48 Chevy has the same set up so I think it's just the usual set up not aftermarket.
Everything is new when you don't have experience! But I'm learning.

Here's a picture of an aftermarket extension.
[IMG]http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn214/jfnar/57%20chevy%203800/DSCF1040.jpg[/IMG]
They're intended to put dually wheels on the front of single wheel trucks but I'm using them on the back to run dually wheels as singles.

@jfnar, Nice picture but that's definitely not what I have!

If you don't have that then I expect you have a common dual type wheel front hub, all one piece plus bolted on drum.

Grigg, that's what I'm thinking too. Having not done this before and not seeing an illustration in either the GMC or Chevy shop manuals of my setup I'm still not sure of the proper removal process.
I guess the first thing to try is removing the outer wheel bearing and trying to pull the whole assembly off. I'm anticipating a problem because of how tight the brakes are.
If I can't remove the whole assembly is it possible and/or advisable to remove the extension part of the hub after unbolting it from the brake drum?

I'm trying to tell you there is not "an extension part" you seem to have "a hub" and a drum. The hub is one piece, only one part, does not disassemble.

Take the spindle nut off and see if hub and drum will remove.
Back off the brake adjusters if you can. Perhaps unbolt wheel cylinder and hope wiggling it around to create slack in the brakes if no luck with the adjusters.

You might be able to unbolt hub from drum or may not without access to the inside, and even if you can remove the nuts may need to press studs/bolts out to free the drum from hub. This all goes easier after hub and drum are removed from spindle if at all possible.

I understand what you're saying, the hub is bolted to the drum. The nuts do come loose, so I have the option of trying to remove the hub from the drum if I can't remove the assembly as one unit. Thanks for the help. I'll report back when I get it all apart.

Hubs and drums removed. I was able to use a 3 jaw puller and get the hub/drum assembly off with no damage to any parts. I do need to get the shoes relined, so onto the master cylinder while I wait for their return! Thanks for the help. Jim

Great news,
Have any pictures of what you're working with?

I packed my camera away when I took an extended mainland trip and I'll be darned if I can find it! With no cell service where I live I make do with just a landline, so no phone with a camera either.
I'll post some pictures when I can.

Simple solution would have been use a balance puller between the wheel and brake hub. I had the same issue on mine.