Removing the axle nut

[hunds02]

I too am a firm believer in being properly prepared for a job. I may end up getting an air compressor and impact wrench. Up until now I never really needed it for anything...

I did use a series of punches and chisels but no luck so far. They're crimped on very tight with practically no room to wedge a punch or chisel.





Do you think a decent impact wrench and air compressor will get these off the way they are crimped now?

[ylwjacket]

When I was doing this, I followed what someone else advised.

put the tire back on, and lower the car. alternatively, have someone hold the brake pedal down, but it might still slip. I got a 6' metal pipe from home depot, and slipped it over the end of the breaker bar, attached to the 36mm nut. I had to lean on the pipe pretty hard, but the nut came right off.

Mine looked about like yours when I took it off. Also, get some PB Blaster, spray, and let it sit, overnight if possible. That stuff is magic to help loosen these.

[upallnight]

Originally Posted by oldskewel

Nice description here. Many subtle tips here, that I'm sure will help for the extra-difficult removals. I'll make a note of this.

Regarding other comments, yes, just a screwdriver + light hammer will bend out the crimp thing. And it's not really to prevent it from being removed, it's to prevent it from removing itself.

Regarding torque, I have a torque multiplier which will scale things up by a factor of 3.3x (as I recall), which is a nice solution for high torque settings. But also ... I have not undone the axle nuts on my x5 yet, but on other cars, when I remove, reinstall, and torque, I (always, I think) find that the crimp ends up at the same spot, regardless of how difficult it was to remove the nut vs. to re-torque it.

So for those without a 310 ft-lb torque wrench, torque multiplier, or extension bar, if your estimate of the right torque causes the nut to line up with the crimp in the original position, that should be taken as a confirmation that things are right. And if not ...

Also, for high torque items like this, the manual will often be specific about surface preparation, for example, surfaces clean and with a light covering of engine oil. Since friction is a major component of the applied torque, things like these instructions that affect applied torque should be followed.

My brother has a torque multiplier which he used to remove the axle nut on his Sienna. The shop owner where he rented the lift never saw a torque multiplier before and was amazed at how easily the nut came off with just a normal length ratchet.

As for the comment of lining up the old nut indent with the axle indent, that only works if you use the old nut which I don't advise reusing the old nut.

[TiAgX5]

Originally Posted by hunds02

I too am a firm believer in being properly prepared for a job. I may end up getting an air compressor and impact wrench. Up until now I never really needed it for anything...

I did use a series of punches and chisels but no luck so far. They're crimped on very tight with practically no room to wedge a punch or chisel.





Do you think a decent impact wrench and air compressor will get these off the way they are crimped now?

The 800 ft/lb double hammer gun will remove that without breaking a sweat.

[hunds02]

Awesome, I will let you all know tomorrow how it turns out. Plan is to remove the nut so I can replace the CV joint with the Febesto Kit. I'm also going to be replacing the thrust arms and thrust arm ball joint, and I figured it would be easier to punch the ball joint downwards with the CV axle out of the way.

[oldskewel]

For safety reasons, you should not use a non-impact socket with an impact wrench. So if you go the air route, you'll need to get a 36mm 12-pt impact socket. Do those exist (for impact, a 6-pt would be much more common)?

My understanding on the difference between impact and non-impact sockets is that the non-impact ones are actually stronger. Impact sockets are designed to fail nicely (meaning they probably won't kill anybody) when over-stressed, as may happen with a mega impact wrench. Non-impact sockets are not designed to be used with an impact wrench, and if they are overstressed, they are likely to explode with hand-grenade-like shrapnel. Just what I've read ... never done it myself.

There's no way I would apply an 800-ft-lb impact wrench to a non-impact socket.

[Scott ZHP]

If you have a Dremel, a thin cutting wheel is another option. Just cut a slit at the shoulder of the indent and use a chisel to pry it up. When installing, theres no need to go full on Rambo and crush the nut into the recess.

[TiAgX5]

"So if you go the air route, you'll need to get a 36mm 12-pt impact socket. Do those exist (for impact, a 6-pt would be much more common)?"


OEMTOOLS® 27329 12 Pt. Axle Nut Socket 36 mm | Mobile Distributor Supply#

You can also pick up these OEM brand impact sockets at most auto part chain stores.

[hunds02]

Thanks for the advice on the impact sockets - I ordered one off of amazon with 1 day prime shipping! Should be here tomorrow. I do have a dremel and I'll probably try to hack some of the material off until the socket gets here. Even if I can get it with the breaker bar, I'm pretty excited to get an air compressor. It will make a nice addition to a house that I'm in the process of buying. In case anyone is wondering what I went with:

Husky 30 Gal. 175 psi High Performance Quiet Portable Electric Air Compressor-C303H - The Home Depot

Husky 1/2 in. 800 ft. lbs. Impact Wrench-H4480 - The Home Depot

[ylwjacket]

not sure if breaker bar by itself will do it. I'm assuming you sprayed it with something like PB Blaster before hand.

A pipe worked fine with the car on the ground - just need a longer arm to apply more moment to it.

I used a screwdriver, but it drove the screwdriver part up into the handle. I went the hardware store and got a 6" chisel that worked great for opening up the existing one, and closing the new one.