Flivverking Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 When it comes to needing specialty tools I tend not to fool around to long searching or waiting to find it scouring flea markets and posting ads,being too frugal,or waiting months to go by to attend some large auto affair that may or maynot yield what I'm looking for. Especially if I know where I can acutally buy the tool new, get it quick and it's guarenteed to fit and work. Thank goodness we still have this gentelman George McMurtry turning out the much needed rear wheel hub pullers for our out dated rolling stock.. Still going strong at 85 years young ,his interest in helping out the antique automobile enthusiast by custom making hub pullers has hasn't waned a bit . After the purchase of the 1927 Chrysler 70 a few weeks back, it was emediately evident I would need a hub puller pretty soon if I want to get the old bus up and running after 50 years dorment and back to running arrands and making road trips ,hopefull before this year is over? One hour after sending a morning email inquiry to this custom hub puller man, my telephone rings and it's Mr.McMurtry . He called because my size relayed to him ,(which I got from the net) didn't match his last recorded model 70 Chrys.puller. We got the size narrowed down and we are good to go! I should have the puller soon.. That type of man this George McMurtry is,is that he called me the next day to inform me that he was going with his wife of 65 years for a last minute appointment and would not start making the hub puller that day. How about that for condiseration! If you plan to keep and DRIVE your car and do proper maintaince a hub puller is required and a new quality made one isn't a bad investment. For those with long running restorations and have that luxury of no time limits and are exposed to many venues to find old pullers, enjoy the puller search. For those who are ready to pull those wheels, give Mr.McMurtry a call. Note:George is an easy going talker an a great conversationalist and not short on inspiring life stories and has a willing ear for yours. Cheers. D.M.S 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kuhner Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 Can you share his contact info? I think I talked to him at Chickasaw a couple years ago and lost his card. Now I need a puller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArticiferTom Posted June 19, 2020 Share Posted June 19, 2020 I believe www.Customhubpullers.com . should get you him . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flivverking Posted June 19, 2020 Author Share Posted June 19, 2020 George McMurtry 308-586-1930. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kuhner Posted June 20, 2020 Share Posted June 20, 2020 Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flivverking Posted June 21, 2020 Author Share Posted June 21, 2020 Mr.McMurtry called me tonight to tell me my Chrysler 70 puller is in the mail today.4 days after first contact. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeC5 Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 I had George make one for the Dodge a few years ago and it worked like a charm and is very solidly constructed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zepher Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 That was some really quick turnaround on your new hub puller. Maybe I should contact him and have another hub puller made since the one I currently use it almost as old as my cars. Thanks for posting this info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shaw Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 Several years ago I had George make pullers for several of my Prewar Buick buddies. At that time he offered a group discount to do several of the same size at one time. I suggest that if you know of others who need the same puller, you could ask him about it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flivverking Posted June 25, 2020 Author Share Posted June 25, 2020 Puller arrives this afternoon while my 88 years young friend and Model A Ford passionist came to inspect the 1927 Chrysler 70 and bring his box of 250 old keys to try the spare tire lock.Nothing. On to Mc Murtry puller. The puller is well pack in solid foam sheets and instructions and paper. work It fit perfectly and sinched up well and I"m not rushing..I've seen enough( and most of you veterans too) bashed up pullers ,bolt heads ,plus ruined axle ends from abusive impatients. I have good tension on it now and have and will be giving the pressure bolt a few hard square wacks with a 4 pounder off and on and applying a bit more bolt pressure as we go. Usually the hub pulls for me either right away or over night does it This one probably and over nighter. Now! on to he familar process of working with old cars and the expected unexpected. My 88 year year old friend and I go for lunch just when mail comes with the puller. Great! We will try the puller for fit and maybe get them ,(or is is those? ), wheels off after returning from lunch. And thats what we did,return from lunch and proceed to install the puller only to discover I do not have a jumbo 1-7/16" socket for the big Chrysler axle nut. ( the unexpected no. 1). I only go up to 1/2"drive ratchet and 1-1/4" socket so a 3/4" drive breaker or ratchet is needed for a jumbo 1-7/16" socket is to be aquired . We have no more Sears tools around here and as I supected the local Homedepot and auto parts stores didn't have the individual socket or 1/2 wrench handle or set on hand and I am not familar with large truck or steam locomotive repair centers to investigate ,but I was familar with the local Harbor Frieght store and had just seen thier assorment of sockets and wrenches last week. They offered a jumbo socket set of 20 pieces of slightly better then dubious quality I recalled. So now we are off to buy (unexpextedly no.2) a complete jumbo socket set for one socket and one huge wrench just so I can use my new wheel puller TODAY, with my 88 year old visiter. But it wasn't a complete over buy because I used the new sets jumbo 3/4" , 1-1/8" socket instead of my 1/2" drive ,1-1/8" socket on the new hub puller's pressure bolt. I feel good about that,I think? 😬🍸🍸🍸🍸 3 hours ago and three tries the hub has not budged..when 36 hours go by with no movement I will then add a few more pounds to the hammer blows and a double the reps! For now I'll let some good healthy pressure ,moderate heavy shock try to release the hubs over some time. I subcribe to the unproven notion that the over night temperture swing adds to the hub release under pressure ..It just sounds good?. My 88 years young friend really wanted to see if the hub puller would break thinking it's contruction was basically just pipe stock threaded on the inside and a steel end plate for pressure bolt and it's threads etc. simply being welded to the pipe end. He was impressed that the puller body is machine from a solid hunk of steel .The I.D. .bored out and treaded and the O.D turned or ground down. Even the outer nut to crank on and off the puller is machined ,not welding on.Only the pinch bolt lugs are welded on. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flivverking Posted June 26, 2020 Author Share Posted June 26, 2020 Less then 24 hours success! Right passenger wheel I gave up on this morning as I was begining to get to heavy handed..Switch to left driver side and just with cranking down on the push bolt and heavy two foot bar I just I just pretended I was in my ripped 30s and 40s and the hub pulled. Back to the right hub I just did 3 cycles of simple and careful propane torch heating, within in a couple of hours I was able to muscle that hub off too with no more hammer blows All the brake hydraulics should be stripped off and shipped off hopefully early next week. Do I hear cash register bells? 😨 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 Remember to put the hubs back on DRY. Absolutely nothing on the taper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zepher Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 With the way that brake hardware looks I would be real interested to see what the bearings look like. I have a puller for the wire wheels on my Pierce that is one of the old dog bone models where you smack it on nice and tight and let it sit with the axle nut still on it and wait for a real loud bang when it finally lets go. That is if it doesn't pop right away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan L Posted April 22 Share Posted April 22 Tried mailing George on www.Customhubpullers.com to get a puller made for my 1928 Durant with wooden wheels. It looks like the site is down and I saw a thread he was in ill health. Does anyone have one to sell/lend or rent. Any help is much appreciated. Tried to make one but failed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zepher Posted April 22 Share Posted April 22 I would not pull on the wooden spokes. Your best bet is to pull on the hub itself by using pressure on the large axle nut as the puller shown a few posts above does. Pulling on the wooden spokes is a recipe for disaster that will lead to deformed, split of broken spokes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted April 22 Share Posted April 22 George passed a few years ago and the business is closed. If you want a hub puller made, contact Dave Brennen on this site. He does a great job. He is at https://forums.aaca.org/profile/87870-dandy-dave/ 44 minutes ago, Alan L said: Tried mailing George on www.Customhubpullers.com to get a puller made for my 1928 Durant with wooden wheels. It looks like the site is down and I saw a thread he was in ill health. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leomara Posted April 22 Share Posted April 22 If you can wait, there are hundreds of these on sale every year at Hershey for $5.00 to $40.00. Again I'm assuming you can attend. If not keep your eye out on ebay as they appear regularly. Make certain the seller knows what the dimensions are of their puller if you cannot check it for yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodge28 Posted April 22 Share Posted April 22 I took the wheel off my 28 DB senior to Barry Welding Services in Ann St. in Barry Ontario. He made one to fit. 200 hundred dollars Canadian . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted April 22 Share Posted April 22 1 hour ago, dodge28 said: I took the wheel off my 28 DB senior to Barry Welding Services in Ann St. in Barry Ontario. He made one to fit. 200 hundred dollars Canadian . Can you post a picture? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason1928 Posted August 3 Share Posted August 3 (edited) On 4/22/2024 at 12:54 PM, Alan L said: Tried mailing George on www.Customhubpullers.com to get a puller made for my 1928 Durant with wooden wheels. It looks like the site is down and I saw a thread he was in ill health. Does anyone have one to sell/lend or rent. Any help is much appreciated. Tried to make one but failed. I did almost exactly the same thing, however I attached harmonic balance puller to the center. I tightened it and whacked at it and tightened again and again until I could see the spokes deflecting, which is when I stopped and backed it off. I whacked on the shaft of the puller so hard that the nub, that protects the end if the shaft, split into two and took a chunk of skin off of my shin. I think I still have a scar. That was a few years ago but the wheel is still on. I'm just back at trying to remove it, which is how I found this discussion thread, and I'm trying to decide if I should make one myself or get one made. I have a large lathe, I just lack the knowledge and skills. Edited August 3 by Jason1928 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted August 3 Share Posted August 3 (edited) I just made one for a members pierce arrow. 3 inch 16 threads but i can likely make it for what ever size your hub uses. Pm me if you are interested......bob Edited September 19 by Bhigdog (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldjeff Posted September 19 Share Posted September 19 On 6/19/2020 at 5:09 PM, ArticiferTom said: I believe www.Customhubpullers.com . should get you him . I tried this address.. did not work.. please advise fr8train217@ail.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArticiferTom Posted September 19 Share Posted September 19 George pasted away . Read above others have taken over doing . One in Canada and one in Pa at least . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted Friday at 05:34 PM Share Posted Friday at 05:34 PM Look up Dandy Dave on this forum. He will make a hub puller for you. https://forums.aaca.org/profile/87870-dandy-dave/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Packard enthus. Posted Friday at 05:45 PM Share Posted Friday at 05:45 PM On 6/26/2020 at 7:43 PM, Guest said: Remember to put the hubs back on DRY. Absolutely nothing on the taper. VERY bad idea. Virtually guarantees some oxidation/corrosion will set in. I like gun oil. Tighten to mfg's specs. Over the life of my owning my collector car (a '38 Packard V-12) I've had occasion to "pull" the rear drums several times. First time (in 1956) was pretty rough...from that point after, up to a month ago....no problem using a standard "puller". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted Friday at 08:17 PM Share Posted Friday at 08:17 PM 2 hours ago, Packard enthus. said: VERY bad idea. Virtually guarantees some oxidation/corrosion will set in. I like gun oil. Tighten to mfg's specs. Over the life of my owning my collector car (a '38 Packard V-12) I've had occasion to "pull" the rear drums several times. First time (in 1956) was pretty rough...from that point after, up to a month ago....no problem using a standard "puller". I tend to agree. Over greasing would be a bad idea leading to looseness and slippage. IMO the makers avoided that problem by decreeing dry assembly. It would not be their problem years later when trying to remove hubs all but frozen to axles.....Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Packard enthus. Posted Saturday at 04:40 PM Share Posted Saturday at 04:40 PM 20 hours ago, Bhigdog said: I tend to agree. Over greasing would be a bad idea leading to looseness and slippage. IMO the makers avoided that problem by decreeing dry assembly. It would not be their problem years later when trying to remove hubs all but frozen to axles.....Bob You lost me. How would it be possible to "over-grease leading to looseness and slippage". Perhaps you didnt know. Design engineers establish torque figures - typically set on the basis of the size, thread type, and metal composition. A properly designed tapered shaft has a machined key-way. Using a torque wrench in the correct way, at the correct settings...well....let's see....in the 60+ years I have owned, driven on a more or less regular basis, and serviced my '38 Packard Twelve's rear axle/brakes, I have yet to have any "slippage". Oh well..the day is young.... ? ? ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted Saturday at 07:20 PM Share Posted Saturday at 07:20 PM (edited) My thoughts were that wiping a film of grease( over greasing ) on the taper before assembly would prevent the tapers from actually seating and lead to slippage, something the designers obviously would like to avoid so they advise a dry fit. The problem is a dry fit invites, over time, the tapers "freezing". The previous poster is of the opinion that a very thin wiping of a light oil would still allow a tight fit and ease the future removal of the hub. I agree...........Bob Edited Sunday at 02:16 AM by Bhigdog (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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