Removal of wood wheels

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Besides my Pierce Arrow, I own a 1930 Studebaker Commander. I have a rear brake that locks up when I hit the brake pedal. The car has wood wheels. I decided to remove the wheel to look and adjust the brake. I find that I need a special wheel puller to take the wheel off. I have been searching for one and unable to locate the size I need. Is there any other way to remove the wheel without the puller.

Thanks

Bob Krauss

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Bob I have several old pullers and a couple “knockers” what size do you need,hub and/or axle threads, I may have one you can borrow?

John Kelso

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Thankyou John,

As best I can measure the diameter of the Hub Is 2-3/4 the threads are 16.

Bob Krauss

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David I’m sorry the largest I can find is 2.5

John

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A method to get the wheel hub to come off the tapered axle shaft:  Loosen the axle nut enough that there is a slight gap between the nut and the hub.. REINSTALL the cotter pin!   Then take the car for a drive, and go around a turn or two. or weave back and forth.  Use the brakes, the heat generated will travel to the hub.

All the above will tend to get the hub to let go of the tapered axle.  This procedure does NOT always work..

I have a puller for my Series 80 cars.  So I first tried the puller to remove a rear wheel from my 1925 7 passenger touring.  No luck.  I then used the above ‘loosen and drive it’ procedure.  Again, no luck.. I then combined the puller, and the loosened axle nut [with a cotter pin installed] and drove the car for a full season, probably 500+ miles.. and no luck..

Prior to the 2018 meet in Wine Country in California, where I would be driving on a lot of hills and winding roads, I HAD to work on the rear brakes..  So I left the puller on, with the nut loose, and put two hot air guns aimed at the wheel hub and let them heat the hub.. It got to over 250* and STILL no luck.  I gave up and used a torch to heat the hub to higher temperatures.. the paint suffered badly from this heat.

BUT the hub finally let go of the axle.. And surprisingly, there was zero rust.. it was a nearly perfect 100% contact between the axle and the hub and it had been aggressively tightened in the distant past and it had REALLY STUCK.

So, I’d give the ‘loosen and re pin the nut’ procedure and take it for a drive.. It might just work.

Greg Long

 

 

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