Precise1 Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Ok, anyone have any suggestions I haven't tried ? We are talking about a VW (Bug) 36 mm rear axle nut. It is torqued to 250 ft/lbs, then baked, chilled, neglected and rusted for years until it fuses in place, world renowned for being every bit of a nightmare to attempt to remove... Yes, I own one. I have soaked it for days with PB Blaster (repeated applications), hand sledged the nut and axle end several times, used a socket and 18" breaker bar, stood and bounced on it (185 lbs), used an extension tool that acts like a socket (adds 4" to the breaker bar throw and allows for hammering upon), hammered the crap out of it, bounced again even harder, heated it to water sizzling temperature, wedged the breaker bar handle onto a floor jack, jacked up until the wheel was 1/2 way off the ground and the breaker bar was 15 degrees more indexed than I could manage by hand (read bending), hammered on the socket and bar end... Then, called it a day before I hurt myself. This puppy is fused !! Tomorrow I'll try applying Kroil (something the mold maker at work swears by) and a lot of cursing !! Any ideas/tricks I should try ? B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filthy Luker Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 a really good impact gun will take it off in 10 seconds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unccpathfinder Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 slide a 4-5 ft pipe over the breaker bar...either the bar will bend/break or the axle nut will... if u can put 185 lbs at 3 ft from the axle nut that'll give u about 555 ft-lbs...and if that doesnt break it then...at 5 ft it'll be about 925 ft-lbs and something has to break at this point good luck i'll ask a guy at work if i think about it he has a vw bus and my neighbor has an old school bug so maybe they might know something if i think to ask them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 1, 2006 Author Share Posted August 1, 2006 a really good impact gun will take it off in 10 seconds. Ok, can you lend me one, with a compressor and 36mm impact socket ?? I've seen several standard sockets split without the axle nut budging before... if u can put 185 lbs at 3 ft from the axle nut that'll give u about 555 ft-lbs...and if that doesnt break it then...at 5 ft it'll be about 925 ft-lbs and something has to break at this point Cool, thanks for the numbers. I've put 250-300 lbs at 16" so far and a heck of a lot more than that with the jack !!! I would prefer not to break this bar, but rather buy the right tool and have both. Yes, anything your friends can recomend, I want to hear !! I've owned VW's before and have removed these nuts 6-8 times, just not on this car. This is the tightest I've dealt with so far... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filthy Luker Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Ok, can you lend me one, with a compressor and 36mm impact socket ?? I've seen several standard sockets split without the axle nut budging before... You buy one... use it and return it... WRONG SIZE You gotta know someone with a compressor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zonianbrat Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Maybe try a combination of what you have been doing? Try heating it up while spraying penetrating fluid let it sit and cool down a bit, then take a hammer and give it good taps while spraying more penetrating fluid in it then hit it with a impact. (harbor freight electric cheapo). Even though the electrick impact only goes up to like 240lbs or so (I think) the mere fact that you are "Impacting" it or hammering it whatever you wanna call it should break it loose. That is all I know to do besides the super long breaker bar. Or... If you need more a more powerful impact call up some tire repair shops sometimes they have trucks that do on-sight tire repairs. It might be a small fee but somebody could possibly stop by and use their heavy-duty impact. The last job I worked at every winter we would change out our fork-lift tires during the winter to hardrubber with chains. We did this ourselve but sometimes the lugs on the forklifts would be way to hard to get even with the big breaker bar so we would call our tire company(I say our tire co. since they provided all the tires for our fleet of trucks) somebody would stop by and help us out with his in-bed compressor and big-a$$ impact gun. I am sure they would charge you but I am just trying to give you some last ditch options. good luck precise!!! let us know what you do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 In my highschool auto shop we removed one once, took 2 guys (about 180 each)on an 8' pole attached to the breaker bar to bust it loose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mws Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 B - I think I have a 36 mm impact socket - I think that is the size required for newer BMW oil filter housings. I'll check tonight. I also have a 450 lb ft rattle wrench. I snapped off a seized nut u-bolt on a one ton truck axle with it - like 1/2" diameter with minimal corrosion. Can you line up a compressor that puts out at least 120 psi? Shipping mine would be a tad expensive.... PM me your new address and I can loan you the wrench and socket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 I was gonna say, if it runs and drives, put it back together and roll on over to Les Schwab's or a tire place and have them hit it with the big gun. If not, then yeah...take Martin up on the loan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mws Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 That's a great idea... There are MUCH bigger guns than what I have. Have you seen some of the monsters diesel and railroad mechanics use? But I will still loan you the socket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 1, 2006 Author Share Posted August 1, 2006 PM sent Martin, and yes, just the socket will do fine. I'll borrow the air gun from work and a compressor from somewhere. I'd drive it to work and deal with it there, but the reg is expired (needs smog) and with my luck I'll get pulled over. Thanks for the suggestions though !! B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unccpathfinder Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 my buddy is going to call me back when he gets off of work...he seems to think his had a carter pin in it? i'd assume u had that out already but if u didnt see 1 maybe its broken off inside of the bolt/spindle (or whatever it bolts too) but he's gonna pull out his FSM and see if it has any tips or pointers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 2, 2006 Author Share Posted August 2, 2006 Thanks, but no, this isn't my first time. The pins came out whole and intact; all old VW's have them. I'm still open for tips, but I think the impact gun with mws's loaned socket should do the trick... Damn, I hope !! B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unccpathfinder Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 (edited) guy at work said he took his to his old work place and put a 3/4" impact on it for 1 of his bugs... the other he said he had a 3ft breaker bar and a 300 lb guy jumping on it... go to pepboys buy a cheap 1/2" rachet put a 4' bar on it stand on it and if it breaks take the rachet back (or if u have a craftsman that hasnt been beat on with a hammer make use out of that lifetime warranty) the guy at work also said he recalls that it goes on at like 525 ft-lbs or something crazy like that Edited August 2, 2006 by unccpathfinder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinBen Posted August 4, 2006 Share Posted August 4, 2006 Had this problem about 30 years ago, got one of those fancy torsion wrenches that you use a block and tackle on. It could torque up to 1000 ft Lbs. The dial reading when it came undone was 735Ft/Lb. I think what VW do is torque the nut then drill the hole for the split pin so you are left with "Burrs" on the thread. Try cleaning up the pin hole. Cheers, and lots of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
govols74n Posted August 8, 2006 Share Posted August 8, 2006 Heat it up with a blow-torch....then it will usually break loose....thats what we did with our raggedy trucks in Iraq....worked every time.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 9, 2006 Author Share Posted August 9, 2006 It's been soaked with penetrant, hammered, heated, etc and no dice. No, there are no burrs holding the nut from turning, I checked that. mws was good enough to send me an impact socket, I'm borrowing an impact air gun from work and a compressor from a guy at work. I should get it off in the next few days... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey.T Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 I should get it off in the next few days... I find it hard to believe that those Pink Bunny Ears work????? oops wrong thread..... I have had luck trying to tighten stubborn bolts then loosening them.... Pipe wrenches also come in handy for applying torque on those stubborn bolts (EGR Tube) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPath88 Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 @ Casey's dig on B Martin As I was reading this I found that my thinking was in line with Aarons.. However I would probably try another shop before Les Schwab.. but that just based on my recent experience with thm, thats all Let us know what you come up with B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 9, 2006 Author Share Posted August 9, 2006 Glad you enjoyed the dig you fomented Red, but if you weren't so busy being pleased, perhaps you would have read... but the reg is expired (needs smog) and with my luck I'll get pulled over. I'm sure the air gun will do the trick. Oddly enough. I have never heard of anyone stripping the threads on the axles or breaking the castle nuts before... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPath88 Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Glad you enjoyed the dig you fomented Red, but if you weren't so busy being pleased, perhaps you would have read... B Actually I did see that just kinda figured the idea of a trip permit (you have them in cali, right?) would have come to mind guess not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaritimeMan Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 You still haven't gotten that thing off? Sheesh, and you give me crap about not gettin stuff done...... Pot meet kettle, kettle, meet pot.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 10, 2006 Author Share Posted August 10, 2006 Damn Fish Boy, I just started trying over a week ago and wasn't in town last weekend... It'll get done by this weekend unless I keep working overtime and saturday. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unccpathfinder Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 I'm sure the air gun will do the trick. Oddly enough. I have never heard of anyone stripping the threads on the axles or breaking the castle nuts before... shrug.gif i was sorta thinking...if u can get a new nut and think u r precise (no pun intended) enough to take a dremil with a cut off wheel and cut it down 1 side and if it doesnt come off get the other side and then it'll fall off... just a thought if u do end up stripping stuff...or just cant break it loose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maz Posted August 10, 2006 Share Posted August 10, 2006 At work a heavyduty shop (finning) we use the oxy acetylene and heat it up till the nut is cherry red. THen hit it withe the 3/4 inch impact gun. Or cause you don't have one heat it up hit it a few times with the hammer and then use the breaker bar. I have yet to cut a nut off.......hmm that didn't sound good . IF the 3/4 gun doesn't work we use the 1 inch and if that doesn't work we use the 1 inch with the large volume hose and if that doens't work we get out the 4:1 ratchet and if that doesn't work we get out the hydraulic ratchets and they can get big and of those done't work then we cut lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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