A mechanical jaw puller uses two or three hooked jaws that grip behind a gear, bearing, pulley, or wheel while a center forcing screw threads down against the shaft end, mechanically drawing the component off as the screw is turned. 'Reversible' jaws can be flipped and reconfigured to grip either from the outside (external pulling, jaws hooked around the component's back edge) or from the inside (internal pulling, jaws spread apart inside a bore), giving one tool set flexibility across pulling directions without needing a second puller.
Automotive technicians, industrial maintenance mechanics, and equipment repair shops rely on 5 ton reversible jaw pullers as a core bench and field tool for removing and installing gears, bearings, pulleys on belt-drive motors, and wheels during routine repair work. Their forged, heat-treated steel construction — tested well beyond rated capacity — combined with the flexibility to configure as either a 2-jaw or 3-jaw puller (when the design allows assembling an additional jaw for extra stability) makes this a versatile, durable tool that covers the majority of light-to-medium mechanical pulling jobs in a typical shop.
Common configuration: 5 ton rated capacity, 2-jaw or 2/3-jaw (convertible) configurations, maximum reach from roughly 3-1/4" to 5-1/2" depending on model, maximum spread from 4-3/4" to 7", forcing screw size of 9/16"-20 threading with a 6-15/16" screw length, upper jaw thickness of 5/16" and lower jaw thickness of 1/4", and jaw widths of 3/8" (upper) and 3/4" (lower). Some models include a locking feature and are compatible with slide hammer attachments for additional pulling force.
Quick-Reference Spec Glossary
- Rated capacity
- Maximum pulling force rating (tons), 5 ton for this class
- Number of jaws
- 2-jaw or convertible 2/3-jaw configuration
- Jaw style
- Reversible — configurable for external or internal pulling
- Maximum reach
- Distance jaws can extend to grip a component (in.)
- Maximum spread
- Maximum jaw opening width (in.)
- Screw size/length
- Forcing screw thread size and length (e.g. 9/16"-20 x 6-15/16")
- Jaw thickness/width
- Upper and lower jaw dimensions affecting grip strength and clearance
- Slide hammer compatibility
- Whether the puller can be used with a slide hammer for added force