Viewing 23 posts - 1 through 23 (of 23 total)
  • Tips on how to undo a really stubborn big nut please…
  • swisstony
    Free Member

    Trying to replace a rear hub on my car but i can't get the nut on the end of the stub axle off.

    It's not corroded or anything, i've sprayed it with WD40, i'm using a very long bar on the wrench and a lot of brute force but it just won't budge,

    any tips?

    ta

    Hairychested
    Free Member

    Tap it with a hammer so micro-cracks begin to appear? Works more often than it should.

    Elmo
    Free Member

    Which side? What car?

    Check the haynes site for a manual.

    They are done up FT. But it may be that depending on the side it may not be anti-clockwise to undo.
    Bit like the pedals on your bike.

    geoffj
    Full Member

    Heat

    swisstony
    Free Member

    will try the tap,

    NSR Alfa GTV no manual

    checked the thread and it's a 'normal' one

    gusamc
    Free Member

    could try soaking in plus gas or another releasing oil

    make a reservoir of plasticine/plastic bag/zipppy clips etc etc and soak overnight.

    I was told (rightly or wrongly) that when soaking you should tap with a hammer every so often to encourage penetration …..

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    put the nut in a vice and turn the car 😉

    boobs
    Full Member

    Longer levers usually work well. As long as it hasn't got a split pin hidden away and you are sure it is a right hand thread.

    RaveyDavey
    Free Member

    You need a decent breaker bar to get some leverage on it, a normal socket wrench isn't long enough and just putting a tube over it isn't stiff enough. Buy or lend a 24" breaker bar but as Elmo says check you are undoing it the right way.

    mcmoonter
    Free Member

    Make sure it doesnt have a locking tab thats been chiseled to stop it undoing.

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    As above, check for locking mechanisms, if it still doesnt work I've had to swing more than my 100kg bodyweight on a 1.5m scaff pole before to get one off. It shouldnt be that hard, but it is at times.

    RaveyDavey
    Free Member

    If you haven't taken some kind of locking mechanism off then stop what you are doing because there will defo be one there, tab-lock, split pin or something similar. Even the Italians aren't that reckless 😆

    wwaswas
    Full Member

    Make sure you have a replacement nut available – you probably won't be abel to re-use it.

    coffeeking
    Free Member

    Even the Italians aren't that reckless

    😆

    PePPeR
    Full Member

    For these big hub nuts, we use a snap-on lever bar with a 6' scaffold tube on the end of it.

    tyger
    Free Member

    You've got to treat it like a woman – swisstony 🙂

    boobs
    Full Member
    swisstony
    Free Member

    thanks all

    there's no locking mechanism and it is a normal thread, the problem seems to be that it needs to be tightened to 250 ft lbs so i think i just need more brute force

    I haven't got an new nut though!

    swisstony
    Free Member

    borrowed a mates big torque wrench and that made short work of it, job done!

    skidartist
    Free Member

    put the nut in a vice and turn the car

    don't forget to put the handbrake on though, or its a waste of time

    GaVgAs
    Free Member

    "You need a decent breaker bar to get some leverage on it, a normal socket wrench isn't long enough and just putting a tube over it isn't stiff enough. Buy or lend a 24" breaker bar but as Elmo says check you are undoing it the right way."

    As Ravey Davey says,I would get the car jacked up as high as possible to aid leverage,Heat gun.and a 1/2 ins Breaker bar usually works,dont use a tourque wrench,you Will **** it!

    CaptainFlashheart
    Free Member

    Nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure

    bigyinn
    Free Member

    Had exactly the sae problem trying to undo the stub axle nut on my mitsu. 2' bar and LOTS of pulling on it does the trick. Failing that a scaffold pole works well for extra leverage.
    But they are f'ing tight for a reason!

Viewing 23 posts - 1 through 23 (of 23 total)

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