<VV> Re: axel yoke

[Larry Forman]

I made my own mondo axle puller that has never failed to work and remove any axle yoke without the need for heat.  I got a scrap piece of about 1/2 inch plate steel, but 3/8 inch would have worked too, and welded on a very short (about 3/8 inch) piece of iron pipe about an inch or more in diameter and to that welded a grade 8 nut about an inch ID.  With four holes around the perimeter to make with the four U-joint bolt holes and a large bolt mating with the welded nut, it works very well.  The pipe stub and nut nestle inside the axle yoke to be pulled off and the large bolt is just long enough to pull the yoke off with a lot of force.  I have mistakenly used a large puller in the past and made a corkscrew out of the main thread.  I just kept trying to force it off without taking my time and applying force then using PB Blaster and lots of banging until it backed off just a little bit.  Then repeat.  Since it is just held on with rust, it will slide off with enough removal force.  Make DARN sure you have removed the retaining bolt and washer before applying the force of the puller.  I used a grade 5 large bolt, but it is slowly getting banged and the end threads distorted.  It would need to be ground off if ever replaced.  A better approach would be to use a grade 8 large bolt to mate with the grade 8 welded nut. 

You can make something similar using just a heavy washer, long bolt and nut and another axle yoke bolted to the one coming off.  I believe that Lew Young wrote up the instructions for this and they are in the CORSA Tech Guide.  I would weld a large handle on the side of the nut to help hold it or lock it into the A-arm to stop it from turning.

Larry