Help, can't remove rear axle nut!

[Superman]

The trip-to-the-local-service-station solution sounds good. Harbor Freight tools is another good option. Poor options would include using a half-inch tool, or a Dremel. Trust me, you put enough force on that nut, and she'll come off. I promise.

[no substitute]

You could buy a length of 3/4" steel, heat it and bend a right angle on the end. HF currently has a sale on their Earthquake impact wrench.

[Oldporsche]

Stop messing around.

Get to a truck stop where they change tires on an 18 wheeler. They will have a good time spinning off your nut. They'll have a story to take home to the kids too.

The next best thing is a trip to Harbor Freight or the pawn shop. Get the 3/4" breaker bar and a socket. Lean on it with the proper pipe extension.

Good luck,
David Duffield

[Randy Webb]

If you really want impact, try some C-4.

[Crash94536]

I am not sure where you live, but I have a 3/4 inch bar, sockets, cheater pipe for the bar and a 3/4 inch drive inspection grade torque wrench.

I live in Fremont CA, let me know if you would like help.

Darryl

[KFC911]

That's the only nut on my car that I use an impact wrench on (both removing and installing), but as others have stated, it WILL come off with a long enough breaker bar...leverage is your friend!

[Tspringer]

Good luck.

On one of mine, I had to cut it off. It wrecked the threads and I had to replace the shaft. BIG hassle. But no choice.

I have a great compressor and a big impact wrench. This nut laughed at that. I heated it cherry red.... and it still laughed at the impact wrench. I tried a 3/4 socket and breaker bar and a 5 foot cheater bar, supported by the floor jack and with my full 240lbs bouncing on it....nada. At that point it freightened me. The dremel and angle grinder had it off in less than 10 minutes.



Terry

[yeuporsch]

I got them off finally. Craftsman 1/2 in breaker bar with a 1 in 5 foot cheater bar after heating up the nut. Used a 3/4 in steel pipe as a counter lever. It's now bent into a S-shaped bar. On one side, the hub with the studs seem to be stuck. How do I get this off without damaging the bearings. There seems to be some play with the bearings, does this mean they are bad and need replacing?

John

[LWWJRMD]

I disconnected the axle at the transmission, removed the spring plate, brake line, etc. and removed the banana with the axle in situ at the hub. Put in Elephant bushings and put all back together. Worked for me.

LWWJRMD

[James Brown]

You must replace the bearings if your pulling the hub out. do you have the proper bearing puller? the old bearing gets destroyed during the removal process. That will be the next challenge.

[Gunter]

Eh??

Look at the date of the original post 2004 which is about the main bearings, not the bushings.

Enjoy.

[James Brown]

oooooohhhhhhhuuuuu, now I get it nevermind, never even looked at the date.....

[jlex]

For the VW bug rear axle nut, there's a tool called a Torque Meister (sometime called torque dude depending on the maker)
This gizmo bolts onto the lug nuts, then multiplies the strength of an ordinary wrench X 9 to power the nut right off... doesn't anyone make one for Porsche?
The VW rear axle nut is 36mm... It's nice because the nut can be reapplied with accuracy if you use a normal torque wrench with it to tighten the nut.
Someone on the forum should make these for Porsche use...

[Rob Channell]

I used a 18" long 3/4" breaker bar and a 5 foot extension pipe. Lifting up from the right side only made the tire slip on the concrete. I supported the socket close to the wheel and then bounced all my body weight down at the end of the extension . I broke the first Craftsmen 30mm socket and had to return it for my free replacement. The store guy was looking at me like he was thinging "How in the world can you break one of those?" I didn't use heat but did use a lot of penetrant. With my body weight and extension length I figured it may have held over 750 foot pounds before it finally gave way.

[James Brown]

Guys, this post is over 5 years old, I think he got it fixed. Stop.

[geoff_k]

Thankyou for this. I spent ages heating the nut and then trying a rattle gun and then trying to undo the nut. I was unsure of how much force I could use.
I gave up and came and searched and found this.

back down I went and got it off - another 10 mins.

[geoff_k]

one last pic