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BACKWOOD · 03-11-2010, 01:36 PM

Me and k-town crawler have been trying to get the 36mm axle nut off with little luck. We heated it up bigtime and ktown got it almost off when it stiffened up at a rough spot in the threads. The end of the stub shaft is flush with the bolt and its almost off. I heated it up for 5 min, and laid the Pabst on that sob and i blew up my 1/2" breaker bar (2ft). I have another axle but am having the same problem on the drivers side shaft. I cant get either of them off to use em.

This is the side that was blown up and previous owner put in an axle set up for a 260 sized joint. I am assuming they really messed up the threads...

I had no problem removing the passenger side, but there is allot of carnage going on trying to get the driver side off.

So i need another driverside shaft/stub shaft locally or a better way to help get it off.

I was thinking about tightening it back up and filing the bad threads at the end of the stubshaft so the bolt can cruise right over the spot where the bad threads were without touching it. It sucks cuz i have two D30's and i cant get either of the stub shaft nuts removed to replace the wheel bearing.

If i cant get them out, i guess i will have to feel like a dummy and try and pull one at the junkyard even though i have two D30's already.

BACKWOOD · 03-11-2010, 01:42 PM

were not having trouble securing the spare axle on the floor, and the one on my trail rig is held in place just fine. We are using a bunch of pb blaster and lots of heat/muscle.

BACKWOOD · 03-11-2010, 01:43 PM

and my shafts are locked from spinning in the tube- but i cant get em off lol

choo_31 · 03-11-2010, 03:43 PM

do you have a cutting torch? If so just cut the nut off and go buy a new nut. If you are careful you can cut the nut off without messing up the threads but it doesn't seem like you are too worried about the threads

Deepwater Jeepin · 03-11-2010, 03:57 PM

Damn... I thought i had a hard time with mine just because i always needed the slide hammer.

(slide hammer = favorite tool ever)

Sorry man, no idea.

**muddeprived** · 03-11-2010, 04:10 PM

Any pictures? If the end of the stub shaft threads are fubar then tighten the nut and cut off the part that's messed up with a grinder/cut off wheel. You might not be able to use it again since there's no hole for the cotter pin but at least u get it off.

BACKWOOD · 03-11-2010, 04:41 PM

I don't know visually how damaged they are, k town crawler was working on that when i was putting my t-case back in place. I busted my 1/2" ratchet a week before this and i have nothing to tighten it back up since i broke my breaker bar last night. I can grab a torch from my neighbor a couple houses down, didn't think about that one. If i tighten it back up i can cut the damaged area, bring it into work and cut a new hole for the cotter pin on our drill press.

I just thought of this, if i can get my passenger side off on the spare axle, i can separate the stub shaft from the long shaft, and use it for my driver side. So i would use two passenger side stub shafts. - and dump the driver side stub shaft that i am trying to work on...

4.3L XJ · 03-11-2010, 04:44 PM

If you have an acetylene torch, heat the nut to cherry red and then get after it before the color goes out of it. It will come off then

BACKWOOD · 03-11-2010, 04:52 PM

yea, i need another 1/2" breaker bar and ratchet. I heated it with a standard propane torch for 5 min, guess i need to step it up a bit.

BACKWOOD · 03-11-2010, 04:57 PM

i am surprised myself at the trouble it is, me and k town replaced his in a parking lot, after his broke and his wheel fell off. it took about ten min

**muddeprived** · 03-11-2010, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BACKWOOD

yea, i need another 1/2" breaker bar and ratchet. I heated it with a standard propane torch for 5 min, guess i need to step it up a bit.

Dude i broke the same 1/2" breaker bar twice and also snapped my 3/4"-1/2" adapter for my 3/4" HUGE socket wrench two times as well. Those hub nuts love snapping half-inchers.....

I get my tools at napa and they have a lifetime no questions asked warranty. They know me and my big problematic nuts very well....

PandorasBox · 03-11-2010, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4.3L XJ

If you have an acetylene torch, heat the nut to cherry red and then get after it before the color goes out of it. It will come off then

def the best way. propane will never get it hot enough. I removed one before with a impact gun too, it was a bad ass mac tools one w/ 1000 ft lbs reverse. before you do something drastic try one of those ideas....

88fadedglory · 03-11-2010, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BACKWOOD

Me and k-town crawler have been trying to get the 36mm axle nut off with little luck. We heated it up bigtime and ktown got it almost off when it stiffened up at a rough spot in the threads. The end of the stub shaft is flush with the bolt and its almost off. I heated it up for 5 min, and laid the Pabst on that sob and i blew up my 1/2" breaker bar (2ft). I have another axle but am having the same problem on the drivers side shaft. I cant get either of them off to use em.

This is the side that was blown up and previous owner put in an axle set up for a 260 sized joint. I am assuming they really messed up the threads...

I had no problem removing the passenger side, but there is allot of carnage going on trying to get the driver side off.

So i need another driverside shaft/stub shaft locally or a better way to help get it off.

I was thinking about tightening it back up and filing the bad threads at the end of the stubshaft so the bolt can cruise right over the spot where the bad threads were without touching it. It sucks cuz i have two D30's and i cant get either of the stub shaft nuts removed to replace the wheel bearing.

If i cant get them out, i guess i will have to feel like a dummy and try and pull one at the junkyard even though i have two D30's already.

Get new ratchet and breaker bars and if you didn't before, get a brand with lifetime free replacement. I replaced a socket from Craftsman that I split 40 years ago, no questions asked, another time, I got a new 1/4" flat bit screwdriver, 12" long, by taking in a 2" sub with handle. I found it on a press at work and I had no idea whewre the rest disappeared to. . . .

Run the nut back on and use a recip saw with a metal blade to trim off the last 1/4" or so of thread.

Or, Use a sharp cold chisel to split the nut by cutting lengthwise to the shaft on a flat on the nut ( sometimes you can loosen the nut a bit this way as the cutting spreads the flat).

4.3L XJ · 03-11-2010, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by muddeprived

Dude i broke the same 1/2" breaker bar twice and also snapped my 3/4"-1/2" adapter for my 3/4" HUGE socket wrench two times as well. Those hub nuts love snapping half-inchers.....

I get my tools at napa and they have a lifetime no questions asked warranty. They know me and my big problematic nuts very well....

I use Craftsman. I had a shop fire a number of years ago. Sears replaced every socket and wrench no questions asked.

lilredxj99 · 03-11-2010, 07:48 PM

You could also run the nut back in and buy a thread file and repair the thread on the shaft...

or take a grinder w/ a cut-off wheel and split the nut....

Also, go find some kind of industrial supply store and buy a good long handle ratchet.

Or go to Harbor Freight and buy 2 or 3 cheap ones so you can break one and keep on going.