by Ed Esslinger in the May 1998 RootesReview
Needing to remove my rear wire hubs to replace the oil seals, and not having the factory tools (who does?), I made a “plug” that works great on my Series V.
The plug is 3-1/4 inches long and should be no greater than 1-3/4 inches in diameter. I made mine up, using a short pipe and two end caps, from the hardware store. (Tell them it’s not for a bomb!)
To use the “plug”:
- Loosen the rear wheel knockoff
- Apply the hand brake, hard on.
- Jack up the car and remove the wire wheel.
- Using a 1-1/8 inch socket, a short extension and breaker bar, back the axle nut almost all the way off, but leave on enough to protect the axle threads. (If the hand brake won’t hold, use method in step 8).
- Remove bolts holding brake drum, release the hand brake and remove the drum.
- Install a spare bolt in one of the brake drum holes.
- Place the “plug” in the center of the hub and screw the knockoff on until it’s tight.
- Place a box end wrench over the bold in the brake drum hole and an extension pipe over the wrench to the floor (to keep the hub from turning).
- Strike the knockoff with your knockoff hammer.
- Once loose, remove the axle nut, washer, hub.
- When reassembling replace the axle nut with a new locking type.
Note: on early Sunbeams, the axle nut has a split pin, which must be removed through a hole provided in the hub, before it can be removed.
