The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Help me loosen this Nut

Wow! I can't get the rear axle pinion nut loose. I need to replace the seal. I have the wheels chocked and a big breaker bar and it is causing the truck to climb up the wheel chocks. Whacked the jeez out of the nut but no luck. Any tricks from you guys? Appreciate the help Ralph

I saw someone on another thread mention this product.
http://www.kanolabs.com/

Not sure if its available local or online order only.

Otherwise, have you tried PB Blaster? Spray and let it set a bit, repeat then try to loosen again?

Rasman, it's not that it's rusted on but that the nut is torqued to such a high value. It's difficult to get enough leverage to break it loose especially if your working on jack stands.
The way I got mine off was to finally break down and spend the money on a really big air impact. I mean like a 3/4" drive.
Chicago Pneumatic was way to expensive so I opted for the lower priced HF Central Pneumatic EARTHQUAKE! It worked!
Just this weekend I ran into a problem trying to get the 9/16" nut off the front spring U-bolts. I wire brushed, then soaked them overnight with Kroil (Kano Labs) wire brushed and soaked again before trying to break them loose. All four were froze a 1/2" breaker bar with a pipe on it wouldn't budge them. So I got out the EARTHQUAKE and spun them right off.
In my case I plan on working a lot more of these old trucks so that justified the purchase. If it's a one shot deal for ya, you might be able to rent or borrow a large impact.
Good luck.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I remember pulling one or two off by hand long, long ago-used Ingersoll-Rand air impact ever since, an electric impact would prolly work also

rent a big impact

You pulled the cotter pin out right???

On my coe I ended up chaining the rims to the frame and torqued em down tight with chain binders. I also used a 6' rockbar with a piece of huge steel pipe connecting it to the socket wrench. I still ended up putting all the weight I could on the thing to break it loose...

Good luck! Jeff

I agree with Graham. A big air impact like he is talking about is under 100 bucks at Harbor Freight. If you are going to work on trucks and cars in the future, it's a wise investment. Many times the only easy way you can remove a crankshaft pully bolt or axle nut, or anything that is on a free turning mechanism is with a fast strong impact. I would shy away from the electric impacts becasue they are not fast or strong enough. My $.02

Buy, or borrow a BIG pipe wrench, like a 4-footer or so, and hold the pinion flange with it, with the handle braced against the floor. Then use a 3/4" drive socket, breaker bar, and cheater pipe to turn the nut. I've also slipped a cheater over the pipe wrench handle at times, when I was working on 18-wheeler pinion nuts in the 1200-Ft/lb torque range.
Jerry

Thanks guys. I am all over the air impact idea first, then I will go the large leverage route next. Re-torqueing this will be interesting on the other side of this repair. Ralph

I followed Denny's suggestion after all else failed. It worked like a charm, but you are right about re-torqueing being "interesting."

Dave

Yeah, how do you pull 325 ft.lb. on the sucker. Slide a three foot tube over the torque wrench I suppose.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

If three footer don't work get a five footer. My cheeter bars come in 20 foot lengths. I also have a special 1/2 in ratchet that has a welded head. Impact chezesmack, cheeter bars let you feel the torque. If that don't getit I got a torch. It'll get it.

Well....this ole nut is getting interesting now. I suspect it has never been off in nearly 50 years. No sign of rust but I tried the 1/2 drive Craftsman Air Impact that I had thinking perhaps...NOT. Then I figured I needed a work out so I did the BIG pipe wrench lever lock under the leaf spring (sorta like the manual shows) with a big breaker bar. NOT, I stood my 200 pounds on it and jumped( no bed on frame) NOT. Then I got missle lock on it with the BIG HAMMER on the breaker...NOT. I am going over to buy the BIG Air Impact now cause I love a challenge. Big Nut-2 Ralph-0

WELL, that's what I tried telling ya in the first place!!!

Really though, it’s always more fun to reinvent the wheel, right? What your finding out is the same thing I went through till I finally broke down and bought me a HF Earthquake. Great feeling when you hit the trigger and that old nut spins right off.
Denny G

I would like to comment on the electric impact suggestion. Forget that one because they don't have enough torque. I have been through this and I ended up having the garage replace the seal while doing the safety. Now it has to be redone because the shaft is worn. I am going to have a Speedi Sleeve installed.

Man this has been interesting......Bought a nice 3/4 inch drive air impact from HF and fired up the baby with 90 pounds as instructed and let her rip! NOTHING......then I cranked it up to 110 and spun the corners right off the nut....never budged... Good Air impact tool I am thinking at this point as I put it in visible spot on my workbench cause now I gotta cut the nut off. Drilled a small pilot hole on one of the flats and worked my way through 6 bits carving a bit at a time until I had it right down to the threads and finished it off with a chisel. When I whacked it open one side fell off and the other had to be knocked HARD with the chisel to free that half. Small cement like sand in the threads... truck was a Durango Colorado Farm truck until I dragged it home. WOW! The up side is I got a new AIR IMPACT for the future! Now get to wait for the new nut and figure out what 325 pounds feels like retightening... Ralph

Told ya, get a big cheater pipe. Big air impact bounce on the edges of the nut and shere the edges.

extension - old HotRod magazine

I made one from a 30" piece of 2" Channel. Bolted a breaker bar in the channel with it hanging just off the end. Handle already had a hole for a bolt and used a "U" bolt at the socket end. Made a 1/2" square hole at the other end of the channel for the torque wrench and did the math.
I recommend not using a Chinese HF bar. You'll rip the swivel pin out of it.
I use the IR to take off and tighten. Then check with the torque wrench and extension.
Also usefull for old VW rear axle nuts and front wheel drive axle nuts.

Well Ralph I feel responsible in a way, for your buying the big impact. If that dint do the job then you’re the one in a hundred. Although it will come in handy if your gonna keep working on old trucks, just wait till ya work on the springs. Anyway, it was a good excuse to add a new tool to your box of tricks, right?
If you rounded off the nut using the proper sizes 6-point socket, then it doesn't matter whether you used the Earthquake, a breaker bar with pipe or whatever, it still would have rounded that nut off. The only thing that might have helped, (If you ever run into it again) would have been to heat the nut up and soak it before you tried to remove it. All that said there are some fasteners that are so badly rusted that nothing is going to help and the only way to get them off is by doing what you did in the end, cutting it off.
If your working on the ground up on jack stands then it’s darn near impossible to break one of these loose with a long bar, there just isn’t enough room to swing it with a 6-point socket unless you using a real beefy ratchet and even then you only have a few degrees of swing. If you’re up on a lift, well then you have a chance with a breaker, but in the end, the majority of those pinion nut will spin right off using a 3/4” impact without even blocking the wheels.
Don’t even bother replacing the seal unless you put a Handy Sleeve in. their cheap and if the nut was rusted on as bad as you say then you can bet the yoke is scored.

Handy tip Richard, that would be nice to hide somewhere in our Tech Tips, the math couldn’t be copywrited. Still gonna have problems with the limited movement when working on your back off jack stands.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny, I got a new tool out of this adventure that will eventually save me aggravation in the future! I am convinced that the dried Colorado sand/mud combo in the pinion threads was acting not only as cement but also as a sealer....this was as bad as I have ever seen. I have it on places where i had to chisel it off. No rust but concrete like paste in spots! I was lucky to be able to do drill bit surgery and salvage the day. Thanks guys

So my question is where do you go to buy a new nut?

5.595 - 3650632, 1 1/8"-18 fits 1939-59 and my books don't go any newer than that so they may even fit the newer ones. I would think a Chevy dealer would have them or be able to get them but maybe that's why your asking Fred???
I checked McMaster Carr and they don't carry anythng that fine, but maybe that's why your asking Fred???
Short of that I'd have to spin on up in the lathe. Might not hurt to order a couple of feet of 1 1/8" bar stock and make some up. Looks like there's a market for them. I'm supprised none of the vendors carry them. I don't have time to check Restoration Suppy in PA, right now but they might carry them.
Where'd ya find your new one Ralph??
Denny G

Ordered it from Classic Parts for 6.95...so they say. When it gets here I will be sure. I was not cuttin that one off until I saw I could order one. Ralph