Trouble getting rear wheel hub off

[Jon Weywadt]

I am renovating my rear brakes after the left caliper apparently got stuck and wore the pads completely down. Actually scratched the disk. 
Since I wanted to renovate or replace the left disk I pulled off the hub. It stuck a bit but finally pulled off by hand. So I decided to take the right disk off too. Not in bad shape, but do both sides at the same time, right…  Well, the right hub did not want to come off. I could pull it a little bit, enough so the bearings were loose, but no further. So I tried a puller, but it only pushed the axle back in, the hub did not come out. Hadn't seen that coming. 
I then removed the screws from the disk so I could turn it enough to where there was solid metal behind the wheel lug threads and used the wheel bolts to push against the disk. That started pulling the hub out and after a few tries with a wrench between the bolts and disk, it finally came off. Of course, now I will have the same problem getting it back on after I service the disk and calipers.

Any ideas why it could be stuck like that? No, there is no rust. 

I may try putting the hub in the freezer over night to shrink it a bit. Perhaps it will slide in then, or at least enough to where the wheel nut can pull it back the rest of the way. We shall see.

[Anders Dinsen]

Hi Jon

Here's a copy of the workshop manual page on taking the rear wheel hub off. And refitting it (picture 5). It's obviously not supposed to be as easy as it apparantly was on your left wheel

/Anders

[roy4matra]

I am renovating my rear brakes after the left caliper apparently got stuck and wore the pads completely down. Actually scratched the disk. 
Since I wanted to renovate or replace the left disk I pulled off the hub. It stuck a bit but finally pulled off by hand. So I decided to take the right disk off too. Not in bad shape, but do both sides at the same time, right…  Well, the right hub did not want to come off...

Any ideas why it could be stuck like that? No, there is no rust. 

It is supposed to be tight!

I have already told Jon, but I will add it again here for others who read this forum, the hubs should be so tight they really should require a slide hammer or hub puller to remove them.  If you can get them off by hand with no tools, then they are too loose.

There is a way to remove the hub without a puller, as Jon found.  If you release the brake disc from the hub, since the disc is at the back and cannot go far, you can use some levers in between the disc and hub, to work the hub off.

When refitting, you should be able to push the hub part way on, with just enough shaft thread protruding to start the hub nut (without the thick washer at this point).  You can then use the nut to push the hub on further.  Once it is on sufficiently far enough, remove the nut and fit the thick washer, and refit the nut.  Now tighten it all the way and torque it up.

When locking the nut, do not hit the flange all the way into the grooves.  Just tap it so that it becomes flat across the top of groove.  That will be more than sufficient to stop any movement, assuming it could move with all that torque!  And it will be much easier to unlock and remove the next time you need to do so.

Roy