Can't remove axel nut

[plug&play]

Hello I'm trying to remove the left rear axle nut so I can repace a torn CV boot. I am using a 1/2 inch drive 18"breaker bar with a 4 foot pipe. So far I have broken two breaker bars. The first was a Northern tool. It broke the 1/2 drive and also bent the forks that hold the drive. Next I bought a craftsman it just broke the drive so it can be fixed. (Both were replaced by the retailers.)
My next step is to go to a 3/4 drive socket and breaker bar. Does anyone have any other suggestions before I spend any more money?

[hcoles]

there are some threads on this... for sure you will need 3/4" drive tools..
I used an air impact wrench with 1/2" drive and impact level adapter.
Initially that did not work and borrowed a newer impact wrench and after a number of minutes finally got it off. I bought a 3/4" socket online of the proper size and then borrow the 600 ft-lbs torque wrench from work to reinstall.

[Rot 911]

As you have discovered you will either need a good impact wrench or a 3/4" breaker bar with 4 foot pipe.

[KFC911]

My Ingersol-Rand 1/2" impact wrench (w/ over 600 ft/lbs of torque) works fine on those.

[hcoles]

p&p,
are you going to replace rear wheel bearing or regrease or replace cv joints? If yes, there are some good threads with info. on ways to do this. There are a thing or two not to forget or it costs you a bearing. There there is the type of bearing issue... moving seal or not moving seal. If you want to replace the bearing, you will need to get or make a puller.

[ChemMan]

Another vote for an impact wrench. I assume that yours, like mine, requires a torque of 330 ft lbs or so. If you cannot get a torque wrench that goes that high, try a truck repair shop.

[hcoles]

good thinking - torque as best you can with whatever you have and slowly drive over to a truck repair place and retorque to spec.
along the same lines... if you have the 3/4" correct impact socket go to the truck stop and use their 3/4" impact gun and get it off in 1 second

[plug&play]

Thanks for the responses. I wanted reassurance that others had to go to 3/4 drive to get it done. I have an impact wrench and will try that. Not sure if its good enough to do the job. If it doesn't work, I'll get the 3/4 inch breaker bar and socket. I have a torque wrench that goes to 250lb. I had planned to torque to that and then take it by the porsche shop or truck stop to get it re-torqued to 339lb.
I plan on replacing both boots and regeaseing CVs as needed. I had not looked into what to do about the wheel bearings. I will look at the threads and grease these as needed. Car has 89k on it.

[yelcab1]

Get a cheater bar, 3 ft long, on the 1/2 or 3/4 inch ratchet.
Stand on a bathroom scale,
Lean on the handle of the cheater bar 3 ft from the pivot, approximately horizontal to the ground.
When the bathroom scale read 110lbs less than your weight, you have put 330 lbft of torque on that sucker.

No need to borrow anything.

[hcoles]

what you might do.. disconnect the trans side... and with all the brake parts not touching try rotating the axle to see if you can feel if bearings are ok... if you loosen the axle nut the bearings will get loose and feel like they need replacement - there are pictures I made showing why.. in general you can't regrease the rear bearings.. they are meant to be perm. greased... you can't get them out of the car without ruining them.

[hcoles]

Originally Posted by yelcab1

Get a cheater bar, 3 ft long, on the 1/2 or 3/4 inch ratchet.
Stand on a bathroom scale,
Lean on the handle of the cheater bar 3 ft from the pivot, approximately horizontal to the ground.
When the bathroom scale read 110lbs less than your weight, you have put 330 lbft of torque on that sucker.

No need to borrow anything.

I don't really know how accurate this torque needs to be.. in general torque values are dynamic...they assume the nut is always moving until the torque value is reached.... e.g. if you stop at 250 ft-lbs and try to apply torque again to get to 330, the torque wrench may read up to 330 before you break it free again to get it moving.. you think you have the correct torque of 330 but you really have only 250. If you understand all this you can probably do some sort of bathroom scale with bar jungle dance that will work good enough. For all we know for everyday use the design is 5x what is needed.

[Porsche_monkey]

A very smart person on this board (not me) suggested a trip to any diesel mechanic nearby. Torques in that range are commonplace for them. They can loosen you 1/4 turn to get home and re-torque to 300 ft-lb's when you are done.

I think the main issue here is pre-loading the bearing, 250 or 330 isn't going to make a big difference.

[plug&play]

Thanks for the discussion on the bearings and on torque. I'll probably have more questions when I get the axle out.

[GH85Carrera]

I have a one year old impact wrench that is supposed to produce 600 lb/ft in reverse. It just made noise when I tried to remove my axel nut. That was not going to work. I ended up at a local tool shop that is much like Harbor Freight. I bought a Chinese made 3 foot long wrench & socket that is 1 inch drive. Just under 50 bucks and it was mine. It was easy to remove the nut.




To torque the nut back down I stood on a analogue bathroom scale. I pushed down on the end of the wrench until I weighed 113 lbs less. 3 feet x 113 = 339 lb/ft or somewhere real close. I ended up going to a friend that works at a trailer manufacturer. He has a torque wrench that allowed me to set it to 340 lb/ft with real science. I bought my friend lunch and we were even. From the "feel" of it I was real close with my bathroom scale and 3 foot wrench.

[RussR]

to loosen them we just have a long steel tube that slots over the end of the breaker bar. works everytime.

[yelcab1]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

To torque the nut back down I stood on a analogue bathroom scale. I pushed down on the end of the wrench until I weighed 113 lbs less. 3 feet x 113 = 339 lb/ft or somewhere real close. I ended up going to a friend that works at a trailer manufacturer. He has a torque wrench that allowed me to set it to 340 lb/ft with real science. I bought my friend lunch and we were even. From the "feel" of it I was real close with my bathroom scale and 3 foot wrench.

The bathroom scale method is probably more accurate than your friend's 350lbs-ft torque wrench. Your bathroom scale is likely accurate to within 5 lbs. Your friend's torque wrench is likely calibrated to 5% of the range, or 15lbs.

[ruf-porsche]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

I have a one year old impact wrench that is supposed to produce 600 lb/ft in reverse. It just made noise when I tried to remove my axel nut. That was not going to work. I ended up at a local tool shop that is much like Harbor Freight. I bought a Chinese made 3 foot long wrench & socket that is 1 inch drive. Just under 50 bucks and it was mine. It was easy to remove the nut.

Wow a made in China POS tool that didn't break.

I just borrow my brother torque multiplier whenever I need to remove a nut that is really torqued on.

[hcoles]

ruf, I like the torque multiplier tool... is there a brand name on it? I like better the long breaker bar with 1 inch drive.. I'll have to keep my eye out for one.

[TechnoViking]

Depends on your budget.

Harbor Freight 3/4 socket set - $60
Big azz pipe from my scrap pile - $0

I recommend the socket set as it is a matter of time before you need another biggie. I think my set goes to 48mm or something like that. Say what you will about the HF stuff, but for the amateur mechanic it works fine.

[hcoles]

MS.. makes sense... I don't have a problem with the big sizes and HF either..
I looked on ebay.. there are all sorts of torque multipliers...

the one above is
Torque Multiplier - NEW
$249.99

Northern Tool Item #: 152579

Item Weight: 20