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How would you go about getting this rusted axle nut off? (lemmy.ca)
submitted 2 weeks ago by to c/cars@lemmy.world
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The wheel hub on this corner hasn't be replaced in at least half a dozen years, so there's been no reason for the axle to come out. I've got a torn CV boot, and this car isn't really worth the $500 CAD for an axle replacement *at the shop

I've tried 1/2" drive tools, a shitty second hand mastercaft air gun, a 24" breaker bar, and a propane torch that seems to have fuel flow issues. and penetrant, of course. So far, hasn't budged.

update: thank you everyone for the advice, however I'm calling it. I got too many other unfinished tasks, I'll let this one go to the shop and do some OT this week in the time I'd have been fucking around with it.

I did drill into the rust around the threads and pry the washer collar off (there was no staked material left at all) to remove material and get penetrant in deeper, but this just isn't what I want to be working on right now.

edit: fuck it I did it

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[–] 12 points 2 weeks ago* (2 children)

OP listen to this guy about it being a stake nut. It is not gonna move unless you get that metal divot out of the notch.

Cleaner example

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  • [–] 4 points 2 weeks ago

    Staking is there to prevent the slow unscrewing of a nut during road vibration.

    My 5 year old Milwaukee impact gun will take that off without unstaking. That’s not what’s stopping the nut from moving.

    When you use a breaker bar it helps to unbend the staking, but since axle bolts are usually under 200ftlbs of torque, applying 200lbs of reverse torque will also unbend the stake.

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  • [–] [S] 1 point 2 weeks ago

    two points of note:

    1. I regularly see people on YouTube ignore the staked material and just twist it free

    2. there wasn't actually any staked material left lol, it was just rust. not rusty steel. rust.

    but yes, I think cleaning up the rust as best I could around those threads did help - I drilled it out and a dozen places and snapped two small drill bits doing so, but I think it helped some penetrant get in there as well as clear out some of the material preventing rotation

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