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What a WHORE!!!! Any tips for removing front axle nuts? I have the tab clear from the axle. With the car on the ground and wife standing on the brake. I was using a 1/2 breaker bar + 4' of pipe for leverage. It didn't budge an millimeter!! I ended up breaking my impact socket in two!! Only think I can think of is heat, but my dad has the torch. Any other tips? It's not corroded.

If it's reverse thread I'm going to scream!!

It's not reverse thread. It's just really really really stuck on there.

I'm afraid I can't give you much help (assuming you've already soaked it in PB Blaster -- if not, do that)... just be careful about both heat and impact, since wheel bearings dislike both.

Oh wait -- what about taking an angle grinder to it, and just cutting the nut off? You're replacing the nut anyway, right?

vrg3 wrote:It's not reverse thread. It's just really really really stuck on there.

I'm afraid I can't give you much help (assuming you've already soaked it in PB Blaster -- if not, do that)... just be careful about both heat and impact, since wheel bearings dislike both.

Oh wait -- what about taking an angle grinder to it, and just cutting the nut off? You're replacing the nut anyway, right?

Hmmm....I don't think I car get a grinder on it. It's kinda sunk in there.

Use an old driveshaft for leverage

Get the car up on jackstands, with the wheels off. You might be able to get a small grinder, or even a Dremel with a fiberglass-reinforced cutoff wheel, in there.

leave it on the ground......spray some pb blaster in and around it......let it sit overnight and then try again.......with a big cheater bar if need be.

I thought you weren't supposed to loosen the axle nut with the car on the ground. Isn't that bad for the wheel bearings? I think it could be why my bearings are already making noise after less than 30,000 miles on them.

If you have someone inside standing on the brakes, just keep jumping on the bar until it comes loose. You could get some craftsman tools so if you break them, you can get new ones.

It should come off sooner or later!

Andrew

petridish38 wrote:I thought you weren't supposed to loosen the axle nut with the car on the ground. Isn't that bad for the wheel bearings? I think it could be why my bearings are already making noise after less than 30,000 miles on them.

If you have someone inside standing on the brakes, just keep jumping on the bar until it comes loose. You could get some craftsman tools so if you break them, you can get new ones.

It should come off sooner or later!

Andrew

The FSM I have says to keep the car on the ground to break the nut loose. Then take the nut off all the way when the car is up in the air. It's soaking with PB as we speak. The socket that broke was a craftsman...time to go shopping. Will sears replace the knee cap that I bashed on the ground after their socket split? What about the nut they almost rounded off? Hmmmmmm...Maybe I should pop the ball joint and take the whole assembly to sears(auto) and rant about their "cheap" tools and get some free work done for me:)

I soaked it in rust buster, had my buddy sit on the brake (with car on ground) and used an 8 foot breaker bar. The 1/2 stock 30" breaker bar was bent about 30% when the damn thing finally "popped".

I think they only suggest leaving hte car on the ground because it's easier to do with one person without possibly damaging something. Also you should NEVER remove the nut completely with the weight of the car still on that corner. It will cause an imbalance and like andrew said make your wheel bearings not like you.

I had to use my Dewalt impact wrench and a couple days soaking of PB Blaster to get mine.

Steve

Elec. impact gun > axle nut

The one I used was only like $40 bucks
(one of the most useful tools ever)

Mine was on so tight I couldn't get it off with the air impact gun that I had. I had to take it to a shop and have them use the industrial impact gun to take it off. Then they just torqued it back to specs so I could get it off when I got home.

-Brian

I had to have mine loosened with an airgun, even though that could be a problem for the wheelbearings it wasn't coming off any other way.

What about setting a breaker bar against the ground and nudging the car forward slightly with the engine in 1st gear? Total shade tree idea, but I wonder if anyone has tried it?

94L_wagon wrote:I had to have mine loosened with an airgun, even though that could be a problem for the wheelbearings it wasn't coming off any other way.

What about setting a breaker bar against the ground and nudging the car forward slightly with the engine in 1st gear? Total shade tree idea, but I wonder if anyone has tried it?

Good idea...but the engine is out of the car. I am going to try 3/4 socket.....LONG piece of pipe and my bro standing in the engine compartment for weight.

That nut just laughed at me 1/2 impact gun.

if you get really stuck, remove your driveshaft (make sure you either drain the oil or seal up the rear of the tranny) and stick that on the end of your breaker bar and the give it a go. It works exceptionally well, and if anything it going to break it's not going to be the driveshaft so you can push, pull, whatever with all your might.

AHHH...HAAAAA I did it. Got my freinds mondo impact gun...pumped up the compressor to 140 PSI. BUZZZZZZ spun those bad boys right off!

(Hate to revive threads) but Just out of curiosity - was this both nuts or one in particular?

My troublesome nut was the drivers side IIRC.

-Brian

I want to pipeup and add to this thread.

I'm trying to swap my front CV Axels and I'm having the same problem with ultra tough Axel nuts. I'm 100% sure the safety lock is out of the way. I thought I could bust them loose with my 1/2 inch drive ratchet and a small cheater. NOTHING. So I grabbed my shops electric impact driver. I thought that would do it as well. NOTHING. These Axel Nuts are friggin' tight...

So after all the BS, I'm gonna lube em up good, let them sit for the day and attack them tomorrow with a huge 4'-5' breakerbar.

I checked the forum threads to see if the Axel Nuts were reverse thread. But they arnt, there just really really tight.

Anyway, thats it for now. I'll get these little bastards off.

I just had a round with one of mine recently. I went to Sears and bought a 6pt. socket for my breaker bar to fit that nut then waited for one of the colder nights we'd been having. With the car on the ground, I used a MAP gas torch to heat up the brass nut, trying not to let the driveshaft in it get much of the heat (I know, it still gets some, but the temp difference is still adequate). A three-foot long pipe on the breaker bar (put it on the breaker bar all the way to the socket to avoid having the flex of the bar absorb some of your efforts) took it right off.
I also found that my brother had the tools I needed to finish changing the driveshaft according to the manual's instructions, but by turning the wheel to the right (for the passenger's side), the driveshaft would slip in without even removing the stabilizer arm.
Good luck.