Quote:
Originally Posted by Funky Diver
So I'm currently on with this...
Gently push the axle out?? HAHAHA
Mine isn't budging at all. Any tips before I lose my rag and beat the crap out of it with a sledge hammer?
I know it should come off as the bearing was replaced not long since (2 years ago)
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....having just done a front hub....
Whilst searching the net for how to get the hub off last week I came across a few mentions of catastrophically-stuck axles. One solution mentioned was to use (place) paraffin wax on a heated axle. I found no explanation for why, but it occurs to me (by way of hypothesis at least) that, in principle, if the entire thing (axle, bearing, hub, and all) is heated and then only the axle itself cooled (pretty quickly), there would be a differential and the axle might be able to pop out (after it cools and shrinks relative to the housing which remains hot and expanded). So, I would guess/hypothesise that people are referring to using paraffin (wax) placed directly on the heated axle as a very localised conductive or evaporative coolant (?).
In support of this hypothesis, I do find that paraffin wax is a noted 'thermal conductor' (but I find no mention of it being used for selective metal cooling).
Never tried it, no idea of the chemistry (might be very dangerous/explosive for all I know).... but somebody around here might be able to confirm/deny....
(A similar idea is often advocated for fitting the ABS rings, only in this case the ring is heated and the axle is cold, and no paraffin wax is used).
One further note: when I bought the hub at my local Volvo dealership, the parts department supplied me with an axle bolt on the presumption that I might hammer the crap out of my existing bolt - to get the axle out, I presume - and need a new one.... very thoughtful of them indeed (and not the first time they've helped like this).
I.e., my local Volvo parts guys suggest (imply) not hammering the axle retainer bolt without a replacement to hand....! but I would also interpret this as an implicit suggestion that hammering this bolt would be better than hammering the axle itself....
Andy