48 ford rear axle nut tension

[28rp]

Yep-done that-don't want to test the friendship with the axle threads-thinking I might bleed up the other three wheel cylinder-new ones-,try to bleed up the old one behind the drum and take her for a quite tootle up the back road with the axle nut just up tight enough and see if that will pop the drum out to the backing washer. It appears that the drum has never been off the car as the original felt material to stop oil drips was still in situ!
Any thoughts on that scenario?

Ash

[mercury mitch]

Ash tighten hub puller as much as can with wrench then with 4 pound hammer hit the bolt 6 times as hard as you can, then tighten bolt again and repeat process. Use a tyre lever between wheel studs to stop hub from turning, this is the process I use to remove mine.cheers

[28rp]

Thanks Mitch and everyone else for their input-much appreciated-I actually got it off yesterday morning by heating the hub a lot more than I was comfortable with-got the whole tapered piece cherry red and quenched with a lot of water all at once-steam every where!!!
Just noted this in Scientific Magazines Ford and Mercury V8 service manual (1956) the following comment
NOTE : It will be found that the hubs will loosen up much more readily if the wheel on the other side is jacked up, leaving the weight of the car on the hub to be loosened.
Has any body on Ozrodders tried this method?
I would have thought it would have made the job more difficult.

Thanks everyone,

Ash

[Oldcol]

Your probably right Terry , but it has to be tight or it will stuff the hub and axle .
Col would know how tight as he plays with them more than others would , where are ya Col ?

...well,oddly enuff I've been chasing down Flathead parts and rebuilding a Flatty diff out of a '35 (just finished it today)...but to answer that previous post about loading opposite the side....it would make no difference,they are a floating axle and the weight of the car is taken on the bearing inside the hub and the spigot on the end of the housing. I'd be a bit bothered by the heat and quench thing...cracks!,you mightn't see them but you'll have compromised the integrity of the hub. Be a good idea to chase up another one,and also lookout for the correct hub puller,it snaps into that squared off machined groove on the tapered section of the hub....they are a bit hard to find but should be in every Flatowners arsenal. Also ,not a good idea to belt the taper above the keyway,it'll sometimes get the hub off but other times it'll split the hub 'coz it's the thinnest section right where you belt it....cheers.

[28rp]

Thanks for that info Col-yep ,I was uncomfortable with heating the hub-but had exhausted all avenues available to me short of butchery. I have a copy of the K R Wilson puller- I am told- that fully engages the groove behind the tapered section of the hub-it has tube split in two with the threaded drive? that fits inside to press against the axle and a nut on the thread with a lip that engages the top end of the split tube. Another large tube is a neat fit over the other two to hold it together. I really didn,t want to start using too big a hammer to remove the hub.
Maybe I should crack test the hub?
Heat was suggested by my old mechanic mate who worked on these things in the 60,s
I ,m only a wet behind the ears old Ford mechanic

Ash

[Oldcol]

Yep,that's the one but there are a couple of other types that show up from time to time. I'd look out for another hub if possible ( and hope someone else hasn't cooked it and quenched it )....one thing you really need to avoid is losing the drum and the brakes...it's unpleasant!

[28rp]

Thanks for that Col-I have a a reasonable collection of 'stuffed' 48 drums that will provide me with a spare hub or two. Hopefully some ham fisted bugger like me has n,t heated them to within an inch of their lives! It,s pretty hard to tell when they are rusty.
I understand that the studs are a little tricky to get out due to possible warpage of the hub, or is that only the early 40 /41 style with plate mounted on the inside of the drum. The studs are swaged in are n,t they?
I have the removable ones from Sacro Vintage Ford for my 35 Pickup.....

Cheers

Ash

[Oldcol]

Yep,and they're a bit of a pig to get out...and replace. I'd be looking for a decent drum on a hub if possible....