Knock-Off Wrench - The New and Improved Version

[petnatcar]

Hi Guys,
Who likes to "beat the livin' crap out of their Knock Off Hubs" ? Raise your hand.
Just the thought of removing a Knock Off was stressful enough for me, especially when they're new !

Obviously this "wrench" is only for the garage but it works flawlessly.
One quarter turn is all you need to tighten or remove the Knock Off.
The section of black carpet was added to protect the paint from scratches.

I still keep a 5# Sledge hammer and a piece of hardwood in the trunk but only for self defense.
Bouna fortuna,
Peter C.

 

[pan]

Hi Guys,
Who likes to "beat the livin' crap out of their Knock Off Hubs" ? Raise your hand.
Just the thought of removing a Knock Off was stressful enough for me, especially when they're new !

Obviously this "wrench" is only for the garage but it works flawlessly.
One quarter turn is all you need to tighten or remove the Knock Off.
The section of black carpet was added to protect the paint from scratches.

I still keep a 5# Sledge hammer and a piece of hardwood in the trunk but only for self defense.
Bouna fortuna,
Peter C.

G'day Peter,
I don't "beat the living crap" out of my knock-ons. I use a Thor copper/hide faced hammer. You should never use a steel hammer on a knock-on, and the hardwood will probably split when struck by the sledge hammer. I'm not a fan of these wooden devices, I wouldn't use a wooden mallet to tighten a knock-on so I would not have confidence in the effectiveness of any wooden tool.

 

[Bob_Spidell]

One time I couldn't find one of my 4lb lead sledges to tighten a K/O so I put a block of wood on the K/O ear and beat on it with an iron sledgehammer. It's the only time I dented or marred a K/O, and I've beat a-plenty with the lead hammer.

 

[PAUL161]

I use lead only! Almost 10 years and my knockoffs still look like new.

 

[Michael Oritt]

Keeping in mind that flats generally occur on the road versus in the shop, and given that the "wrench" Peter fashioned is almost five feet long (58") and is capable of generating a lot of tightening force, I'd be concerned that one would not be able to loosen a knockoff with a mere hammer without some serious whacking. Maybe I'm missing something but I just don't think that knock-off's require the kind of tightening such a tool might generate. I use a lead hammer in the shop which I periodically reform in a vice and carry a standard copper/hide hammer in the boot. I've never been passed by one of my wheels.

I'll ask a question: I know it is recommended to have the wheel off the ground before commencing banging away but it seems to me that having one's tire on the ground transmits less shock on the other steering/suspension components. Does anyone know definitively why having the wheel off the ground is the better choice?

 

[BobHaskell]

Keeping in mind that flats generally occur on the road versus in the shop, and given that the "wrench" Peter fashioned is almost five feet long (58") and is capable of generating a lot of tightening force, I'd be concerned that one would not be able to loosen a knockoff with a mere hammer without some serious whacking. Maybe I'm missing something but I just don't think that knock-off's require the kind of tightening such a tool might generate. I use a lead hammer in the shop which I periodically reform in a vice and carry a standard copper/hide hammer in the boot. I've never been passed by one of my wheels.

I'll ask a question: I know it is recommended to have the wheel off the ground before commencing banging away but it seems to me that having one's tire on the ground transmits less shock on the other steering/suspension components. Does anyone know definitively why having the wheel off the ground is the better choice?

Definitive? No. I think it's just easier for the wheel and the hub to mate properly when the wheel isn't constrained by the tire resting on the ground. A metal version of Peter's wrench, produced by Clark and Clark and sold by several companies works well and fits in the boot just fine.

 

[John Turney]

Definitive? No. I think it's just easier for the wheel and the hub to mate properly when the wheel isn't constrained by the tire resting on the ground. A metal version of Peter's wrench, produced by Clark and Clark and sold by several companies works well and fits in the boot just fine.

I use the metal wrench described. I start with the wheel off the ground and tighten the KO to hand tight to seat the cones. I then lower the wheel to the ground and tighten another half-turn ( I have the fine threads.)

 

[John Turney]

Keeping in mind that flats generally occur on the road versus in the shop, and given that the "wrench" Peter fashioned is almost five feet long (58") and is capable of generating a lot of tightening force, I'd be concerned that one would not be able to loosen a knockoff with a mere hammer without some serious whacking. Maybe I'm missing something but I just don't think that knock-off's require the kind of tightening such a tool might generate. I use a lead hammer in the shop which I periodically reform in a vice and carry a standard copper/hide hammer in the boot. I've never been passed by one of my wheels.

I'll ask a question: I know it is recommended to have the wheel off the ground before commencing banging away but it seems to me that having one's tire on the ground transmits less shock on the other steering/suspension components. Does anyone know definitively why having the wheel off the ground is the better choice?

Since Peter uses the wrench to to tighten the KO only a quarter turn, I doubt it's a problem.

 

[Healey Nut]

I have only ever used the wooden tool available from AH spares etc . Fits in the boot with the jack etc . I carry a copper faced hammer to hit it with . There’s really no need for beating the living daylights out of them . Everyone is forgetting that if you’re travelling forward the knocks offs are tightening themselves , hence the opposite threads from side to side .

 

[bdcvg]

I think "wheel off the ground" is wire wheels only.

 

[twas_brillig]

Have a look at 'Knock-Off Spinners" > Knock-Off Spinners < and The Tool That Jeff Built on page 2.
I like Peter C's weapon, and - as he advised - it's in the garage for getting the knock-ons off, not on. Trouble is: what about getting a flat out in the wilderness? I still haven't bought a piece of 4 ft (roughly) long pipe to act as a snipe on Jeff's Tool, but I'd sure be tempted to build two of Peter C's tools, and cutting one so it is in two pieces so you can bolt them together out there with the bears etc., and get enough torque that you can actually break that recalcitrant piece of malevolent equipment loose. Doug

 

[Michael Oritt]

"and get enough torque that you can actually break that recalcitrant piece of malevolent equipment loose. Doug"
-------------------------------------------------
Yes, that was the concern I expressed. I understand that Peter said he only uses "a 1/4 turn" but my question is a 1/4 turn from where?

I have a pretty good sense of what is "tight enough" based upon the amount of hammer force I use and the movement created by it, but I'd be concerned that because of the great amount of leverage created by a 5' long arm it would be difficult to find that rather subtle point--and easy to go too far past it that a hammer could handle.

Anyway, I'm done.

 

[PAUL161]

10 years of tapping on these

with one of these

and not a mark anywhere. Easy to tell just how snug they are when tapping them. I also do this with the wheels off the ground. Never had one loosen up yet and used the same procedure on the MGB.