Based in the UK, I am about to buy two new rear hubs for my 1958 XK150 fitted with wire wheels.
MWS (Motor Wheel Service Int) sell two types:-
The black hubs are much cheaper and I would like to go for these but I can’t help wondering why the price difference.
Please can you advise if there is any disadvantage or reason against going for the black ones?
Hi Andy… £183 from SNGB…this is with a Jag club discount…they could be MWS units…check that they are coated and not just plain steel…give sng a call…Steve SNG Barratt UK | Keeping your Jaguar on the road …PS…quite a few i know and iv also used the black coated ones with no problems…have you already pulled your hubs off…they are typically very difficult to remove
plated silver is only zinc plating
Cathode electro coated (black) is perfectly fine as its still a anti rust coating and they were never zinc plated originally
so save the money
Andy…even cheaper at David Manners https://www.jagspares.co.uk/product/category/2124/left-hand-rear-hub-splined-xk150/c12934**1***
Obvious question is why do you think that you need new ones? I believe the only remanufactured items comes from orsen?
Hi Andy…just realised your post quotes price for a pair…so SNG and Manners are a lot more expensive…my mistake. …Steve
Hi Steve,
Thanks for doing some digging for me and helping. Yes I think I have just about found the lowest priced ones but sods law states that right after you press the buy button you can guarantee that someone will tell you its half the price a little further down the road ha ha
Thanks Terry for explaining about the coatings and yes I am going to save some money by going for the black ones.
Thanks Phil, for the tip about Orson. I’m just going to go all new for the hubs but useful to know that they do a refurb.
Just out of curiosity, is it possible to tell how much wear there is on a hub just by looking at it.
Are there any visual signs of wear that you can look for?
Hi Andy…there are two main wear points…the splines where the wheels fit on to…the splines if worn become very sharp and hook shaped…and the surface where they fit into the oil seal becom grooved…my splines were ok but the oil seal surface was grooved…so i used a speedi sleeve on it…are your hubs off the axel yet…you may need help if they arnt…Steve
Andy,
I have the strong impression that Orson is the sole supplier in the UK that still manufactures splined hubs. I’ve used several hubs from them for various British cars.
Bob K.
Hi Steve,
Thanks for explaining how the hubs wear.
One of the hubs is off and one is still on the car and won’t budge.
I have been using an SP Hydraulic hub puller as pictured. I managed to unbolt the disc so that I could fit the puller legs onto the hub.
The problem is that when you wind it up so much that you think something is going to break, the puller jaws suddenly slip off the hub. When the puller slips off there is such a loud bang that you think the hub has come free but that is just a cruel trick and you find that its still stuck as solid as ever.
Hi Andy…mine wera a nightmare and i had to remove the hub and halfshaft and put the whole thing in the press with lots of heat…can give more info if you need to go this route…as a minimum set up your puller as in photo above with some tension but befor it pings off…possibly put a G clamp across the jaws to hold them in place…then use a flame torch on the hub where the taper shaft fits…and hope is lets go…i had mine is a 20ton press and a map gas torch on it for about 20mins befor it let go…Steve
Tension the screw as much as you can and then hit the end of the screw with a sledge hammer.
Worked for me.
Hitting the hub puller with a hammer dosnt sound great to me…your hopeing the shock will releases the hub…but there is a good chance of damaging that puller or worse the inward force from the hammer blow is transfered down the half shaft could damage the parts inside the diff…personally i dont like the idea of useing heavy hammers anywhere near a Jag…there is always a better way…Steve
Actually, the two-legged puller is not the correct one, it requires the proper Churchill tool which screws onto the threads of the hub.
Andy
This is the correct puller for wire wheels, a lot more pressure can be applied,
Just remove the nut and washer from the halfshaft,
Reverse the nut and screw it back on until flush with threads, then crank up the center screw of the hub.
Once pressure is applied, shock the end of the screw with a heavy sledge.
Walk away for awhile and return in several hours or next day, apply more pressure and shock again.
This puller is made to use a hammer on the end with no damage.
Andy where about are you based? im in Surrey and have the correct puller if you want to borrow it
Hi Phil,
Can’t believe your kind generosity - thank you!
Unfortunately, I’m based in South Manchester otherwise I would come round and meet you and start taking photographs of various parts of your car ha ha
No worries.
With best regards
Philip Dobson
