searched the forums and the classic threads and found Eric Shea's writeup on rear hub removal. any suggestions for a "suitable drift" substitution to remove the rear hub? i don't want to mar up the back of the shaft and i am afraid that i might damage the control arm if i take too hard a swat with the wrong kind of drift. suggestions?

I successfully used a large hardwood dowel for several years and removed a dozen or more hubs.

currently using a brass rod...before that, used everything from an old shock to large socket with extension...

Funny, I actually did that this last weekend. I had to remove the heat exchangers to get enough area to hit it with a 4lb sledge. I used a large socket that fit just right into the hub, but didn't overlap over the bearing itself.

Basically, the socket looked like this the one below but I using it in an inverted fashion with a extension going through it.

-Britain

Thanks guys!

I got out the hubs and bearings using the "reversed socket" technique. However I noticed some scoring on one of the hubs. It isn't too bad but I was wondering what kind of tolerances are allowed for the hub shafts that fit inside the bearings. The scoring is about 5mm long and .5mm deep. This is in several locations (i will post pics as soon as the camera is charged.

Basically do I need to get a new hub?

Generally, just polishing up the bearing surface on the hubs should be okay. That surface does not rotate with respect to the inner races of the bearing. As long as the hub is a press fit into the bearing it should be fine. Once the hub and stub axle are torqued up the assembly is strong and secure. Never roll the car without the hub and stub axle torqued up. Extra stub axles are great for that purpose.

just clean up that surface to make sure there's no burs. It mates to the stub axle and the stub axles is splined into the hub so, not a big issue other than the fact that you want them to mate up cleanly.

maybe a superfine steel wool or something along those lines for cleanup?

I'd go big. Steel wool isn't going to clean up the end of the hub. If you're talking about the hub surface where it goes into the bearing then I would use 600 grit WOD.

For the mating surface that might have gotten chewed by the removal, think small stone grinder on a Dremel or a hand drill (careful... you just want to smooth it out not grind it away)

Make sense?

Perfect! Thanks for all the help!

If you can't clean it up to your liking i think i got a hub laying around that you can have. Your profile says you live in Houston, so it will only cost you a drive to the west side of town ... Let me know.