Stuck Axle Nut Help, Possible to Snap Stud off CV Axle??

[YoshiMoshi3]

2014 Acura TSX, Staked Axle Nut
I'm using an older Milwaukee High Torque impact wrench. I can't get the axle nut off. I tried for a few seconds, and couldn't see it budge, so I figured I would stop and concluded it was seized. The nut is supposed to be fastened or unfastened with a 36 mm socket. I'm using a performance brand from O Riley, impact socket, 36 mm, 6 point. The nut is a 6 point nut. It goes over the nut, and there's some slop, but I've used the same socket before to remove the axle nut on the other side without issue. Any tips on how I can get the nut off?

I have a few questions thinking about possible solutions:
1) Would using a higher nut busting impact wrench increase my chances of getting the nut off?
2) Would using a 36 mm socket that is more snug on the nut increaqse my chances of getting the nut off? If so, who makes the most "snuggest" sockets that has the least "slop"? Is this data specified? Can someone provide an example? I can't seem to find where this is specified, for example on Snap On https://shop.snapon.com/product/Deep,-mm-(1-2")/1-2"-Drive-6-Point-Metric-36-mm-Flank-Drive-Deep-Impact-Socket/SIMM360, part number SIMM360. I can't seem to find how "snug" the socket is specified in the specs.
3) Would a shallow, semi deep, or deep socket increase my chances of getting the nut off?
4) Would a weighted socket increase my chances of getting the nut off? I'm not able to find a 36 mm weighted socket.

I'm a little bit concerned about applying even more torque. The last time my impact couldn't remove a fastener, and I used a breaker bar with a long cheater pipe, I ended up snapping the fastener. Could I possibly snap the thruded stud off the the CV axle by applying to much torque? I think I'm less likely to snap a stud with an impact, over a breaker bar.

Right now I'm trying to soak it in penetrating oil. But I doubt that will help.

I tried a 35 mm socket, and it was to small. I wasn't able to find a 35.5 mm socket or a 1 13/32 " (35.7188 mm) socket. Those might be a bit snugger than a 36 mm.

Thanks for any help or tips!

 

[demarpaint]

Get a socket that fits properly, and a stronger impact gun. A little bit of heat wouldn't hurt either.

 

[YoshiMoshi3]

Get a socket that fits properly, and a stronger impact gun. A little bit of heat wouldn't hurt either.

Good idea. How do I find out which 36 mm socket would have the tightest fit and least amount of slop?

 

[PCustoms]

Are you re-using the nut?

Cut it

 

[demarpaint]

Good idea. How do I find out which 36 mm socket would have the tightest fit and least amount of slop?

See if you can borrow one, unfortunately some sockets fit better than others. Impact sockets do wear for lack of a better term if used a lot. You can try cutting the nut off too.

 

[YoshiMoshi3]

Are you re-using the nut?

Cut it

No I'm not. How do I cut the nut? I did try unbending the staked part of the nut back into place. I don't think it being bent at the staked area is the issue.

 

[zendriver]

Heat it.

 

[PCustoms]

No I'm not. How do I cut the nut? I did try unbending the staked part of the nut back into place. I don't think it being bent at the staked area is the issue.

Pic?

Not sure what the access is like. Hacksaw,grinder, carbide bur, chisel etc.

If you can weekend the nut it should snap off

 

[bigfunwmu]

You said you tried the impact for "a few seconds"

How long is that? I've had things rattle loose after just letting an impact hammer for 5 or 10 seconds. Sometimes it takes a bit more whacking to get it moving

 

[rooster59]

Put the wheel on with the center cap removed, four tires on the ground, parking brake on. Use a breaker bar, maybe you need a pipe extension.

 

[YoshiMoshi3]

Put the wheel on with the center cap removed, four tires on the ground, parking brake on. Use a breaker bar, maybe you need a pipe extension.

Thanks, how do I remove the center cap on Acura rims, that come with their cars?

 

[rooster59]

I’ve got Hondas, you push it out from the inside with something like a hammer handle

 

[john.k]

If the nut is loose in the socket ,hold the socket against the nut in the direction of rotation with (preferably) a gloved hand .......if the socket can bounce back and forth ,there is zero impact force.

 

[Rusted Nut]

Lots of good ideas from other to try. Heat and then try hitting the nut with a good hammer strike on a drift pin/punch; straight on face of nut, work around the nut.

 

[Chipm]

Checking basics, are you sure your battery is well-charged? I have not run across an axle nut the M18 hi-torque would not remove, but it fools me pretty often when the battery gets low and I think I've hit a super-tight lug nut when I really just need a fresh battery.

 

[djbmw]

1st... you hammered out the nuts "stake/indentation" so that it can actually be removed without damaging the threads, right?

2nd.. on the 36mm BMW axle nuts I either have to use an 800 ft/lb impact, or a 1500 ft/lb impact... depending on the position of the moon.

3rd... NEVER use a breaker bar to apply copious amounts of torque as that WILL shear/break stuff. Impacts, on the other hand, dont apply the same "twisting" forces that breaker bars do.

4th... i would caution against heating and/or cutting the nut.. especially if you're reusing your axle.

 

[GRN96WS6]

In my past time....HA (I'm older) I've used a (before battery impacts) a 1/2" breaker bar with a 36" fence post on it for leverage and someone sitting inside standing with all they have on the brake pedal, to break a axle nut loose.

I'd try to get someone (or put a piece of metal/wood wedged onto the brake pedal) and see if you can get it to break free.

I've never not had a axle nut break loose though.

 

[ajchien]

Well, this thread makes me very happy because I’ve found somebody else having problems with an axle nut.

Shade tree gamer here. I had trouble with a Honda CRV axle nut a few months ago. More insulting is that the stake in the axle nut had my tell tale punch marks on it, so it was me who put it on last time.

Anyway, my old ryobi impact @ 200 ft lbs has taken off many axle nuts over the years, but wasn’t working on this one.

I resorted to this:


That thankfully did not end in disaster. It also did not get the axle nut loose. The breaker bar is now bent.

Anyway, I decided that I was beaten and then bought this:




Which is rated at 1100 something ft lbs. that new impact took off the nut without any problems.

Could I have cut off the nut or driven the car over to a buddy’s shop? Sure. But Im a member of the Garage Journal web-site! I must satisfy my tool purchasing quota.

 

[YoshiMoshi3]

I'm using Performance Tool Axle Nut W154 36 mm CR-MO.
Sadly it looks like the tolerance is 1 mm, I get about 37 mm in some spots from edge to edge.

I'm letting it soak, but this is what I'm dealing with at the moment. I bent the stake back out the best I could. The srewdriver I used actually snapped, and thankfully it flinged away somewhere, I checked that it wasn't stuck between the nut and stud. It seems to be bent out enough, to not interfere with unfastening the nut. I can't get it to budge a bit with my impact. I can see witness marks on the corner of the nuts from me trying to use the impact to take it off.

It sounds like a good idea to get a closer tolerance 36 mm axle nut. I don't know if 1 mm is acceptable? I just don't know which one would give me better tolerance, because it doesn't seem to be specified in the specs of sockets, even snap on doesn't seem to specify this.

Also interested in getting the center cap off the rim, but can't figure out how or if it is supposed to come out from the rim? But if I could I could soak it in penetrating oil without having to take off the tire, which would be great! Anyone know how to get the center cap off?

Also my impact battery was about half full on a battery. I will get the part number for my old milwaukee impact, and which battery I'm using. I'll give it a charge.

 

[YoshiMoshi3]

I'm using a Milwaukee M18 1/2" High Torque Impact Wrench with Friction Ring (2663-20) which has a nut busting torque of 640 ft lbs (according to Milwaukee, how accurate is that I don't know). https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/2663-20

I'm also using an XC 3.0 M18 battery.

 

[speed bump]

Probably need to open the stake a little more. A cape chisel that's close to the same width as the keyway works good if you can find one at the hardware store.

Otherwise turn the impact up to Max and hold it down until it comes off. If you are reusing the axle get a cheap 24mm fine thread die to clean up the threads and replace the nut.

 

[Rusted Nut]

I'm using a Milwaukee M18 1/2" High Torque Impact Wrench with Friction Ring (2663-20) which has a nut busting torque of 640 ft lbs (according to Milwaukee, how accurate is that I don't know). https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/2663-20

I'm also using an XC 3.0 M18 battery.

Do you have the tool on the correct setting? Mode 4?

 

[mreisner]

Your battery is part of the problem. Try at least a 5.0 and better yet an 8.0 . You're losing a fair amount of torque with that smaller battery. Also it sounds counterintuitive, but try doing it forward and backwards a few times as that might break it loose. Also, is it possible that it has left-handed threads?

 

[ajchien]

The center cap in the middle of the wheel is press fit in there. Push it out from the inside. It is not in there very tight. I usually do it with my hands or the blunt handle end of some tool.

My 36mm socket also has some slop in it. I’m not convinced that one with tighter tolerances would have helped me.

 

[vwpieces]

Thanks, how do I remove the center cap on Acura rims, that come with their cars?

Put the spare on? If it has one, LOL. May help on the nut access with car on the wheels.
Could also get someone else to push on the brake pedal.

 

[N_Jay]

Used to use something like this for VW Hub nuts.
It lets you apply a steady force with a breaker bar and then "Impact" with a good hammer hit.

 

[GX460DIYguy]

Are you sure an aftermarket axle wasn’t put in at some point? Some aftermarket cv axles will have different size nuts than oem.

 

[RTM]

You might also consider using a hand impact driver. I’ve had issues long ago, before decent battery tools, and the hand impact broke loose a few things that my corded impact tool would not budge.

Just the impact from the hammer may help.

 

[HomeTheaterMan]

Don't heat it, unless you're replacing the wheel bearings too. Because that's how you ruin the bearings and possibly the axle.

What exactly are you doing here? Are you replacing the axle? Or just trying to get the nut off so that you can get the knuckle apart? If you're replacing the axle, you can cut the nut off with a small cut off wheel on a Dremel or similar, then hit it with a chisel to break it the rest of the way. However, there is a high likelihood that you'll damage the threads on the axle doing this, so I wouldn't do it unless you're already planning on replacing the axle.

I'd honestly try to borrow a different impact. I've never run into a Honda axle nut that my Ingersol Rand 2135Ti air impact wouldn't zip right off. I'd at least let the one you have hammer on it for a bit and see if it'll break it free.

 

[PCustoms]

Charge your battery.

While it's charging find a bunch and push that staking out further.

I bet it comes right off tomorrow

 

[f121]

Penetrating fluid is pointless here.

Knock the stake out using a hammer and punch.

Make sure car is properly supported (on jack stands, lift or its wheels.

Get someone to sit in the car and stand on the brake

Put brakes bar on the axle nut and stand on the end of the bar. Hub nut will be undone.

Don’t worry about snapping the stud, you won’t. I’ve done this hundreds of times over the last 30 years. Did break a breaker bar knuckle once thou.

 

[908Jim]

I was expecting to see some rusted on axle nut but this looks fine. Your impact just doesn't have the beans. If you have compressed air, get a decent impact and work on it. Otherwise, get a breaker bar and go to town. You're not going to snap that axle.

 

[RoninB4]

Not wishing to ask a stupid question but are you sure this is a right hand thread? I vaguely recall a VW that had left hand axle nuts and I run into left hand threads occasionally on vehicles/machinery. Just asking.

 

[tamaraw]

2014 Acura TSX, Staked Axle Nut
I'm using an older Milwaukee High Torque impact wrench. I can't get the axle nut off. I tried for a few seconds, and couldn't see it budge, so I figured I would stop and concluded it was seized.

You probably need to run it longer than a few seconds. I wouldn't hold it down for minutes at a time, but you could start with 20-30s bursts easy.

1) Would using a higher nut busting impact wrench increase my chances of getting the nut off?

Probably but may not be necessary.

2) Would using a 36 mm socket that is more snug on the nut increase my chances of getting the nut off?

Unlikely.

I don't think the socket is the issue here, but obviously I can't see it in person. If you really want to try something else, Proto J7436m (standard) or J7336M (deep) are from a quality brand and affordable at about $20 USD each. If Proto is not available in your country, just substitute for another industrial mfg. I would not waste money on anything fancier.

3) Would a shallow, semi deep, or deep socket increase my chances of getting the nut off?

Technically a deep socket has more mass and will provide a slightly stronger impact, but it shouldn't make a huge difference here.

4) Would a weighted socket increase my chances of getting the nut off? I'm not able to find a 36 mm weighted socket.

It's possible, but other things would make a bigger difference. Torque Test Channel on youtube should have a video covering weighted sockets if you are curious.

I'm a little bit concerned about applying even more torque. The last time my impact couldn't remove a fastener, and I used a breaker bar with a long cheater pipe, I ended up snapping the fastener. Could I possibly snap the thruded stud off the the CV axle by applying to much torque? I think I'm less likely to snap a stud with an impact, over a breaker bar.

The threads for the CV axle nut are like M24 or something ridiculous. There is no way that you are going to shear that off before the nut comes loose. If you were purposely attempting to shear it, you would need a ridiculously long 1" drive tool or something like that. To put it this way, the threaded section of the CV axle is thicker and stronger than a 1/2" drive anvil, so any 1/2" breaker bar is going to break first.

Right now I'm trying to soak it in penetrating oil. But I doubt that will help.

Can't hurt! Not sure how much of a difference it will make, but I would recommend trying. Heat is good too but not everyone has a torch.

Looks like you need to un-stake it a bit more. KTC AS404 or an equivalent tool would be helpful.

Thanks, how do I remove the center cap on Acura rims, that come with their cars?

It is a wheel, not a rim. If you want to call one piece wheels rims, you must spell it with a Z, preferably several like so: rimzzz

But anyway, lol, the center cap is just plastic and snaps into the center bore of the wheel with integrated clips. You can see them in the photo you posted:



You can pry one or two of them back with a small flathead while simultaneously pushing on the back and it should pop out. Or put something on the center cap (chunk of wood, flat punch, socket with some wood on top, etc.) and tap it with a hammer. Just put a towel down or something so the cap doesn't go flying off and get scratched up on the ground.

 

[dnschmidt]

I'm using a Milwaukee M18 1/2" High Torque Impact Wrench with Friction Ring (2663-20) which has a nut busting torque of 640 ft lbs (according to Milwaukee, how accurate is that I don't know). https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/2663-20

I'm also using an XC 3.0 M18 battery.

WEAK SAUCE. This was Gen 1 from at least 12 years ago and uses a BRUSHED MOTOR. I gave mine away. The new FUEL stuff is miles better. BUT I'd cut he nut first with a Dremel, or at least deeply score it. Then try again. That doesn't cut it either a newer more powerful cordless or an air impact like the Thor. If you have air and have used the Dremel to score the nut an air hammer and the scored area can be used to back the nut off.

 

[bcradio]

I was expecting to see some rusted on axle nut but this looks fine. Your impact just doesn't have the beans. If you have compressed air, get a decent impact and work on it. Otherwise, get a breaker bar and go to town. You're not going to snap that axle.

This right here. 640 is not enough, you need more beans!!!

 

[PCustoms]

BUT I'd cut he nut first with a Dremel, or at least deeply score it. Then try again. That doesn't cut it either a newer more powerful cordless or an air impact like the Thor. If you have air and have used the Dremel to score the nut an air hammer and the scored area can be used to back the nut off.

Yep, score/cut the nut most of the way through. You can get a cold chisel in the score and start hitting it in the direction to unthread. This should either loosen it up of if really stuck wail on it and the nut will break off.

I hinted at this earlier and someone poo pooed on the idea. The key is don't get anywhere close to the axle threads, just carefully cut the nut 3/4 or so through.

 

[RTM]

The threads for the CV axle nut are like M24 or something ridiculous. There is no way that you are going to shear that off before the nut comes loose. If you were purposely attempting to shear it, you would need a ridiculously long 1" drive tool or something like that. To put it this way, the threaded section of the CV axle is thicker and stronger than a 1/2" drive anvil, so any 1/2" breaker bar is going to break first

Decades ago, in my teens, we had to replace a wheel bearing on a 1974 Fiat 128SL. After installing the nut, we had to buy a socket to fit, Sears Craftsman to the rescue. Put a long breaker bar, and cheater pipe on it, cracked the socket. Back to Sears, they replaced with an impact, still would not move it.

Dad sold forklifts back in the day, and had an onboard maintenance kit for one, with a giant socket and ~24” Tommy bar included that happened to fit. Still nothing. We put a jackstand down, put the rotational center point on the stand, put the Tommy bar in place, got a 6’ plus piece of pipe from the neighbors, and I hung all 170# of ny scrawny self on the pipe. Still nothing. Neighbor kept his foot on the pivot, dad leaned into the cheater pipe with me hanging on it, and it finally let go. Still took the cheater to get it the first revolution off.

So I’m hoping modern Honda steel is of better quality than Fiat used. I drive a 2012 TSX.

We did not know of penetrating oil back then, and dad didn’t want to use heat. The next three wheel bearings we had to do yielded much easier (Yes, we owned three similar Fiats, and my brother totaled one with help from an idiot, so we put the engine and trans in an older body, so four passed thru our hands.)

 

[rust in the eye]

Didn't read all but saw a few suggestions I'd NOT do, heat for example. Enough heat to be effective will also fry the grease and seals out of the wheel bearing, not to mention the temper of the steel.
Brute force is your friend here. A crude but effective method would be to attach a strong enough breaker bar and use the driving force of the car to loosen the nut, bar against the ground and move(drive) the car to loosen. Anytime I really put the beans to a setup like this I will throw a blanket over the whole business for some containment should things go south. At your own peril, of course.
You did unstake it, right?

 

[Jagmandave]

1/2" breaker bar may not be strong enough, I had a nut on my ZTR that held the blade on, broke a 1/2" bar trying to break it loose so I went to Sears and bought a 3/4" drive bar and socket, with a long enough pipe it came off. I also lubed the threads with gear oil before I put it back on so now I don't have to worry about corrosion. I just use my air powered impact wrench on it now, no issues.....
I agree with the others, you don't have enough of an impact wrench - see if you can borrow a bigger more powerful one or drive down to the closest shop and have them bust it loose for you.