MTFCA Forum

This is probably a trick that many of you know but I'm posting it because it was new to me and worked well. It may help someone else.

I acquired a replacement hub and couldn't get a hub cap to thread onto it.
The threads were a bit mangled.
One of the club members suggested I use a wheel puller, which I already had, as a thread chaser to clean up the threads. It took a little finagling and steady pressure to get the puller on the threads but once I got it started I was able to tighten it down.
Now hub caps thread on like normal...
It won't cut new threads but it cleaned these up with just a few minutes of effort.

One word of caution from another club member... If the hub thread chaser has any angle to it, it can damage the good threads. Another option would be to use a thread file. With one of those, you start from the back where the good threads are and they act as a guide to repair the bad threads on the outside end of the hub.

Stevens T-181

This tool works fantastic too!

I used a hub puller and it worked fairly well. I had a hub and looking at it closer I used a wire brush and cleaned it really well. Really cleaning the threads well can help if you don’t a Stevens which lots of us don’t have.

I cringe how overtime Stevens tools were overlooked in old dealerships junk boxes and pitched out and wound up at junkyards. Oh well!!

Few years ago, Jack made some reproduction T181. They work very good. Don’t think he made but one run due to cost.

I am fortunate to have found the Stevens tool for the job. Until then, it was a natter of cleaning up the damaged thread with a thread file, chasing from good thread outwards to the damaged area, as previously posted. I would not advise using your wheel puller, until the thread is cleaned up and you are ready to check your work.

Many wheel pullers already have a compromised thread. Using it as a thread chaser will only exacerbate that problem.

Allan from down under.

I like the one Joe pictured, does anyone know the die size needed for a hub? I bought one for the exhaust manifold and it worked well in that application. Best John

Just found it in my files

Courtesy of Peter Kable:
14-24 Bendix cap & mag brass screws
5/16-24 general bolts
3/8 24 Rod and wrist pins bolts.
3/8-16 Some engine block & wheel rim bolts
7/16-14 head stud
7/16-20 tie rod & spring shackles
1/2-20 king pin, main bearing bolts, head light.
9/16-18 steering arm, radius rod, rear spring bracket, camshaft
5/8-18 rear axle
11/16-16 rear spring perch
3/4-14 differential plug,late- square wrench hole
3/4-16 front axle -right and left hand thread.
3/4-24 diff plug early, hex head, pan drain plug
13/16-16 Camshaft -timing gear nut
1-7/8-16 exhaust manifold
1/8-27 pipe oil petcock
13/32-16 tail spoo; -tap
2-1/8-24 wheel hub and cap

Original Mag screws and Bendix cover screws are 14-24

I have one of these for that job. http://www.modeltford.com/item/2815T.aspx

John

I bought one of those things years ago and cannot get it to thread onto a good, bad, or indifferent hub. Not sure why, but mine was and still is: useless

perhaps I bought the one dud in the batch

JTT3 wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 30, 2023 9:56 pm

I like the one Joe pictured, does anyone know the die size needed for a hub? I bought one for the exhaust manifold and it worked well in that application. Best John

Just found it in my files

Courtesy of Peter Kable:
14-24 Bendix cap & mag brass screws
5/16-24 general bolts
3/8 24 Rod and wrist pins bolts.
3/8-16 Some engine block & wheel rim bolts
7/16-14 head stud
7/16-20 tie rod & spring shackles
1/2-20 king pin, main bearing bolts, head light.
9/16-18 steering arm, radius rod, rear spring bracket, camshaft
5/8-18 rear axle
11/16-16 rear spring perch
3/4-14 differential plug,late- square wrench hole
3/4-16 front axle -right and left hand thread.
3/4-24 diff plug early, hex head, pan drain plug
13/16-16 Camshaft -timing gear nut
1-7/8-16 exhaust manifold
1/8-27 pipe oil petcock
13/32-16 tail spoo; -tap
2-1/8-24 wheel hub and cap

Handy thread list.
There is an error regarding the late axle housing drain plug.
The thread is actually 1/2" npt (tapered pipe thread)

A 6mm x 1 screw is very close to the number 14 thread used with the starter bendic cover. They will work very well and they are available with a torx head. This makes it easier to install.

I haven't change to these yet.

Art Mirtes