What is a Slide Hammer Puller
What is a slide hammer puller, you ask?
During automobile repairs, internal parts may be difficult to extract. A slide hammer puller is a tool used to extract these internal car parts by using force, without having to strike or cause damage to any of the vehicle parts. It consists of a long rod known as a metal shaft with a sliding heavyweight, a stop weight on one end complete with a T-handle and an attachment point on the other end for a pulling adapter to be secured.
The pulling adapter is secured unto the car part and then the metal shaft is secured to the pulling adapter. The heavyweight is pushed gently toward the part but pulled forcefully away from the part, along the metal rod, hitting against the stop weight. The action continues until the part is completely extracted from the vehicle.
What is a Slide Hammer Puller and What are its Common Uses?
A slide hammer puller aids in removing automotive parts, such as when you are stripping down an old car, pulling dents on vehicles and accessing other inaccessible objects that need to be struck for removal. For instance, automotive parts are sometimes housed inside other parts, such as a bearing inside a wheel hub, making the bearing inaccessible. A slide hammer can be used to remove the hub so that the bearing can be replaced.
The following are some of the most common automotive parts that can be extracted by a slide hammer puller:
- Axles
- Bearing cups
- Bushings
- Crankshaft pilot bearings
- Gears
- Hubs
- Grease retainers
- Needle bearings
- Seals
How To Use Slide Hammer Puller
Most Japanese cars such as Subaru, Toyota and Honda carry press-in bearings on the wheel hubs. This means that the bearing is pressed inside of the hub and not secured by screws. Due to wear and tear, you may hear noises while driving and would need to replace a bearing. The internal part would be the bearing which is inaccessible as it is enclosed inside of the wheel hub. Since the hub is a press-in style and not bolt-in style, some force would need to be applied to pull the hub that houses the bearing, off the wheel knuckle, and for this, a slide hammer puller can be used.
The following is a step-by-step guide on how to pull a hub from a Subaru knuckle with a press-in bearing. For this, a 5lb slide hammer puller would be sufficient.
- Remove the tyre, axle and caliper from the car to expose the hub you wish to remove
- Secure the pull adapter unto the hub with lug nuts – 3 should suffice, 2 at the top and one to the bottom
- Thread in the slide hammer pole to the pull adapter using the T-handle for easier rotation
- Use a nut to secure the back of the pull adapter to the slide hammer pole
- Once the pole is secured, slide the hammer on the pole toward the car
- Place one hand on the T-handle, putting force away from the car
- With the second hand, slide the hammer on the pole toward the T-handle with a strong force
- Gently slide the hammer toward the car and forcefully away from the car
- Repeat this action until the hub is completely removed from the car
Now you know the answer of what is a slide hammer puller.