Hub puller & ball joint separator tools

[sixdogsisback]

Can anyone suggest which types are best for the Minor. After many years of improvising I have decided to buy a hub puller and a ball joint separator. There appear to be two types of each. One type of hub puller is a three legged devise with a center screw and the other type attaches to the wheel nut studs. With the ball joint separators one is a scissor action type and the other is a tapered fork. Obviously there is a good chance of damaging the rubber boots on the ball joints. I would appreciate opinions as to which types are best.

Cheers Clive

[MarkyB]

I've managed fine for many years without a puller.
Don't believe everything you read in the manual!
Both types of ball joint splitter work fine, the gaiter seems to survive OK.

[bmcecosse]

Second vote for no puller required. The scissor type ball joint splitter is the one to go for.

[beero]

The scissor type ball joint splitter is the one to go for.

Second vote for this

[sixdogsisback]

Well I've also "managed"for about 50 years without these tools as they were expensive years ago. I've also written off track rod ends in the past trying to get them to part. I gave up trying to get the front hub off my current Minor some time ago as the wheel bearing was only advised to be "slightly noisy", so I abandoned it. It's fine using a hammer and levers to free these items if you have an assistant or three hands, but I don't. The tools are now quite cheap to buy, especially if they are only used very rarely, so I'm going to buy them and dispense with trying to use my feet as a third hand whilst I tap round the joint or hub.

Clive

[MarkyB]

When using the scissor type splitter you generally put pressure on with the tool then give it a sharp whack to free the joint.

[bmcecosse]

Hubs just pull off by hand -or at worst - using the wheel as a lever to shoogle it off....

[brucek]

Try also fitting the brake drum on the wrong way round, tightening up the wheel nuts until they are flush with the studs and then pulling sharply againts the wheel nuts - there is just enough movement between nut and stud to loosen most hubs. Make sure you pull squarely though

[sixdogsisback]

Well thanks for the tips using wheel and brake drum. I'll give these a go. I've always managed to get the hubs off in the past, but this one is stubborn. It's amazing what a bit of rust will do to hold things. A few years ago I had a struggle to get the brake disk off a Citroen Xantia. There was nothing holding it but a tiny amount of rust, but it was as though it was welded to the hub.

I believe there's a trick using an old half shaft on the Minor rear hubs, if you have the width in your garage, but I think the wheel trick might work on this also.

Regards, Clive

[chesney]

I have a 3 leg hub puller and so far, the only use I have found for it on a Minor are getting dynamo/alternator pulleys off in double quick time, and with minimal damage (if any).

[ian.mcdougall]

3 legged puller would be a general hub puller and gear puller the ones that bolt on would have a stud pattern which would be a limiting factor on uses . As an aside I still have my 3 leg hub puller I made for A-level engineering and the Engineering drawings of a clutch for my A-level engineering drawing ( most of my class went for the cycle as there were a lot of past pupil drawings to copy but I got an old clutch and dismantled it and measured and drew it all of 42 years age now )

[philthehill]

Old Chinese philthehill saying:-
If you do not have it you will not use it if you have it you will use it.
I have had both the Sykes Pickavant scissors track rod end splitter (bought when I was a BMC garage apprentice) and the hub puller (plus slide hammer) for many years and would not do without them. I also have various three/two legged pullers and those that I have made or adapted; they all have their uses. You cannot have too many tools. Makes life and doing the job a lot easier and a lot less stressfull!!!!!!! If you do buy go for the best you can afford!

[hanvyj]

I had a stuck hub. No pulling with a wheel could get it off.

Good tip is to reverse the drum, brace along the back with a spanner or bar and then tighten the wheel nuts. Basically functions the same as a puller!

[philthehill]

That is where the hub puller and slide hammer combo come in handy!