HOW DO I GET THE REAR WHEELS OFF MY 1923 BUICK?????????????????

BOUGHT A 1923 BUICK TO RESTORE. WHEN I TRIED TO GET THE BACK WHEELS OFF THEY WOULDNT BUDGE. UNDID THE HUD CAP, PULLED OUT THE SPLIT PIN, PULLED OFF THE NUT AND FOR THE LIFE OF ME COULDNT GET THE WHEEL TO COME OFF THE AXLE. WAS TOLD ITS A TAPERED AXLE AND NEEDS A PULLER. MY STANDARD PULLER WITH THE THREE ARMS JUST DOESNT GRIP BECAUSE OF THE "HOUR GLASS" SHAPE OF THE THING. SPENT $200.00 BUYING A BEARING PULLER THAT HAS A COLLAR TH GO OVER THE HOUR GLASS SHAPE OF THE HUB, BUT STILL COULDNT GET TO TO BUDGE. I HAVE OF COURSE UNDONE THE BRAKES COMPLETELY. ANY ADVICE????????

Did you apply any heat from a torch ? Wayne.

This is a very common issue. You need a hub puller specific to the car that threads over the hub in place of the cap. There is someone around that makes them... in fact for a 23 Buick you may not even have to send him a hubcap to copy the thread from. I don't remember the name but a search on "stuck wheel" or "hub puller" will probably turn it up. If not, I'm certain someone will chime in with the information.

George's Excellent Hub Pullers. www.customhubpullers.com

Consider using a driver rather than a puller. First douse the contact area with a good penetrant. Get an impact driver or a cap nut, (or improvise using double nuts, or?) , and screw it onto the axle shaft. Jack up the opposite rear wheel. Give the nut a sharp hit with a heavy hammer, straight on. Disclaimer; there is an unknown degree of risk of damage to the spider gears, make the hits sharp but not exceedingly heavy. This is the old "Pep Boys solution" that has done the job in many instances.

An old Model T trick (they suffer from the same problem) is to loosen the nut about a quarter to half a turn, reinsert cotter pin, then drive the car around the block a few turns. It usually works. If the car isn't drivable stick with the correct wheel puller combo. I wouldn't recommend heat.

Terry

I'd have serious reservations about driving it with the nut loose. Its a tapered interface with a key way. I had a 1911 REO that someone had driven with the nut loose. When it came loose the key ripped a big sliver of metal right out of the axle, effectively ruining it. It would probably work 99% of the time and for the 1% when it doesn't, just pop down to the local junk yard for a used 23 Buick axle. Not likely. These old-time tricks can be amusing and even are worth knowing for the odd real emergency (though I can't imagine what that might be) but are no replacement for using the correct tool.

Agree with getting a correct Wheel Puller. I would not use heat on these wheels. A Buick of that vintage would have a thread pitch of 20, and a diameter of 3 and 3/8ths if memory serves me correctly. Dandy Dave!

Yes. Dandy Dave is correct. Get a wheel puller. I just had George McMurtry make one for my '22 speedster www.customhubpullers.com

I have done exactly as Dave Henderson suggests and it has almost always worked. A hub puller is best but, if you don't have one .....!

Al

Although my suggestion above was to consider trying a driver rather than a puller, there likely ARE pullers out there that would work for your Buick, including some that I have. Before going to the expense of having one made, suggest you measure and post to the forum the diameter and thread count per inch of the hub to see if one can be located. .

913jay,

Congrats on the '23 Buick and welcome to the forum! We all jumped in to help without a formal welcome. We would love to see photo's of your restoration project.

Dwight

Wheel knockers are used to get many a wheel like the 1922 Buick off and are not a lot of money. the key to there use is to thread the knocker on the wheel, replacing the castle nut, jack up the other side of the car so the weight of the car is pushing on the axle, then strike the knocker. Georges pullers do this in reverse by loading the taper from the front, then striking the puller will bring the hub off with a bang. I leave the castle nut on loose if there is room so nothing flies across the room. I have had to warm the hub on a rusty Series 80 Pierce to get it off even with a lot of pressure from the correct puller. I have seen sets of 5 knockers bring about $20 on e-bay. correct original pullers $50-$75. I also own 3 of Georges pullers for cars I could never find the correct one before I needed them off! I think I last paid $165 from George. hope this helps. Karl

I tried various rental pullers with no success and finally had George fab one up to fit my '25 Dodge Brothers and it worked like a charm. That was before George even had a web site!

Where do you live? there may be a member close by with a proper puller. other wise you will have to get one made. I had one made for my '10 overland several years ago. It was frustrating because of the 6 or 7 pullers I have none of them were the correct size. Does anybody have a picture of one that the OP can see. I can snap a pic and post one later today or tomorrow.