PontiacBonnevilleClub.com

Hi there,

I've got a stubborn wheel hub. It's past bad, needs to be changed ASAP, and it also appears to be practically fused to the axle spindle. Yes, I've removed the axle nut, and the 3 hub nuts. I put a wheel hub puller on it(the thing with the 3 arms) and put it on so tight, it snapped one of the arms right off. Now I have to go buy a new clamp, but I'm terrified the next one will suffer the same fate. Squirted ludicrous amounts of PB Blaster on the axle(shoulda done that the first time, but honestly was not expecting the puller to snap ) but I'm concerned. My mom's already telling me to take it to the shop and let them break their tools on it, but I can't afford it. What else can I do to help weasel this thing off?

Use a slide hammer not a puller. I'm gonna guess 32 yanks.

Get a big sledgehammer and whack the axle to get it out, then go in the back with a large punch or piece of flat iron and punch it out from the back.

Not the safest method...

Use a claw hammer and beat with a heavy mallet to ply the 2 pieces apart. Gonna take some strenth and a good pair of safety goggles.

Also be sure to secure the brake caliper out of the way using a bungee cord or some bailing wire. The more room you have to wrestle the hub out, the better.

I saw a mechanic at a shop fight one of these for almost half an hour on my car, trying all sorts of things. In the end he had to use an air chisel. That sucker was indeed welded onto the knuckle.

Here's an alternative approach to consider that is less work and low-cost.

Go to a salvage yard and get a used knuckle with hub still attached. A little more work to install, but you don't have to mess with any of that hub removal headache.

I did this for a Grand Am last fall. Acme Auto Parts in Pontiac was able to give me this for $45. I just now checked car-part.com and see that they have ten in stock right now that will fit a Bonneville, and all are $45. Look for "steering knuckle" and "has ABS" in the description. They prefer to sell hubs & knuckles together because they don't want the hassle of getting the hubs off any more than you do.

Ken_W

Flange puller from Autozone loaner tools:

You attached to 3 wheel lugs using your lugnuts. A bolt screws through the center against the axle end and pulls on the hub and pushes the axle.

Add Blaster and heater. If it doesn't move at first, leave it under tension and apply heat and vibration.

http://contentinfo.autozone.com/znetcs/ ... 2/image/4/

harofreak00 wrote:Use a slide hammer not a puller. I'm gonna guess 32 yanks.

I agree. I used to fight these, too. Since buying a slide hammer, have yet to have one it wouldn't remove. Some just take a few whacks, others a bit more.

I disassemble these cars for a living, anything other than the slide hammer, and you are just wasting your time.

Agreed on the slide hammer. Safest and quickest method. Just watch out when it comes flying off!

I've had some (Not on a Bonne, but that's not the point) that didn't come off with a slide hammer, it took the air chisel to remove them.

We got it, thanks guys. Dad insisted on using another puller, it took at least an hour of us tightening it,pounding the edges of the hub, and tightening it some more(after heating it) before it started to come free. The spindle was bone dry though, no grease whatsoever.