Good Day! Last evening my retired CAT buddy and I removed the steering clutches and axle assembly from my D4. Is there a shade tree way to disassemble the assembly for cleaning and installing new clutches if needed without the hydraulic tool listed in the shop manual? I have usually managed to get my jobs done with homemade tools, but I can't figure this one out. I am afraid if I load the assembly and go to the CAT shop, I will shoot my budget for the next 6 months! Thanks to all for your help!
Elton

Is a hub puller like would be used on a Dana or Salisbury axle heavy enough to pull the steering clutch/drum off the axle?

I've pulled My D2, D4 and RD6 clutch packs without a hydraulic puller, just using a home made cross bar and all thread, but you will need, or at least, should use, a decent hydraulic pusher to get them back on the shaft, some folks drive them back on with a large hammer and drift, I did my first D2 like that, but it is smarter just to find a press that measures pressure in tons and press them on, from memory it is around 12 tons you are looking for, any press will work, you just need to be able to fit the whole cross shaft into it.

Be careful using heat to remove those clutch packs, you will wreck the clutch springs, ask me how I know.......
Mike

Thanks Mike. I will try my big old hub puller. It uses a cross bar that you bash with a hammer to turn the screw. I don't know how much it will pull, but it is a bunch!
Elton

Whatever you do, please exercise caution. The clutch packs are pressed on dry and require ample pulling force to get off the shaft. I’ve don’t a couple myself using only a ten ton homemade puller and lots of heat.
I had one go into launch mode 3’ into the air from my welding table.
If I ever need to do one again, I might just pay someone with the correct tools to do it for me.

Good advice JM, a experienced person with the right gear can pop those off in a few minutes once the cross shaft is out of the tractor, finding that person for a fair hourly price is the key, none of this $165 a hour rubbish.

When my 78 year old buddy Joe helped me push the clutch packs back onto the D4 7J we went to the local Engineering shop and used their 200 ton press, problem was the pressure gauge on the press had broken years earlier and hadn't been replaced, my heart sank when I saw that, thinking we were screwed, "no worries Mike" said my old buddy Joe, the best self taught Cat Mechanic in Australia, "I built myself a exact copy of this 200 ton press years ago and use it my shop all the time, I'll be able to feel the right pressure through the handle, trust me", and I did. Somehow old Joe just felt those hubs go on the shaft under that huge press just enough to bite at around 12-14 tons, I was impressed, because it's easy to crack those old hubs as you know.

I've found over the years there are 2 types of folks in this world, those who talk about doing the hard yards, and those who have actually done them, isn't that right JM
All the best
Mike

Hi Team,
always ensure that your puller bolts are fully engaged into the hub threads used for that purpose--have seen some that short bolts were used on that had broken the side out of the boss due to not engaging the lower down threads in the actual hub material.
Also make very sure that the tapered splines splines in/on both the hub and shaft are 100% dry of any sort of lube or the hubs will split before you get to 12 tons.
Cheers,
Eddie B.

Again, Thank you all for your help!
Elton