Out West Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Hello, I am having trouble removing the left front 32mm axle nut on my 1997 Subaru Outback. I have try'ed a impact gun with 250ft.lbs. torq, a breaker bar, soaked in break free.I waked it a few times with a cold chisel and stop'ed before i deformed the nut. None of this has worked, would it ruin the wheel bearing if i use heat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Get a 3/4" sliding t-handle breaker bar and a 3/4" to 1/2" impact grade adapter. Put that on your socket through the middle of the wheel with it sitting on the ground with the brakes on or wheel chocked, then jump on the breaker bar. Or, slip a pipe over it and lean on it with lots of leverage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebugs Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 I'd really try and avoid heat. How about a LONG cheater bar? I have a 6" hunk of steel pipe I put in my long snapon 1/2 breaker bar. And I also have a snapon 3/4 I guess breaker bar - one bent piece of steel I have for my air cooled VW rear axle nuts. I know you're stuck. But I'm really thinking heat is a bad idea. Question - why you removing it - as in what's already gonna need replacing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 (edited) drive it off? like, breaker bar/cheater pipe on the ground and gun it in reverse. Edited July 10, 2012 by 1 Lucky Texan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turboguzzi Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 make two 3mm-4mm holes on the flat areas of the nut, it will weaken it considerably and make it split when you put torque on it i have often the same problem on the big clutch hub retaining nuts in motorcycle engines and its a relatively clean way to solve this the CV kits come with a new nut anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmdew Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 I have a 3' snapon 3/4 breaker bar with a 6 point socket. If the car is off the ground slide a large screw driver into the brake rotor cooling fins between the brake caliper. That locks the axle from turning. I get funny looks walking into the junk yard with it, but I always get them off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebugs Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 I have a 3' snapon 3/4 breaker bar. We broke the pin on one of those trying to get the rear axle nut off an old bug that had been in storage for 20 years - it was a mess. Snap-on guy couldn't believe we broke it. Luckily I had another one that is just a bent hunk of metal almost like a lug wrench in your trunk that's Snap-on 3/4 drive. Don't know how much we may have bent it but it still works! Funny as it sounds until I spent big bucks for an impact I bought an electric impact (AC Delco) that would often actually break things loose and air powered one wouldn't. IIR one of the things in this category was sometimes the crank bolt without anything holding the crank, and some lug nuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unibrook Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 (edited) I use a .5" breaker bar and slip a 5' extender pipe over that. With my 200 lbs leaning on it, that is about 1200 ft-lbs of torque. I have come across no nut yet that has been able to resist that kinda leverage. Edited July 10, 2012 by unibrook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 I know this may come off as an insult, but, hopefully, no one told you it's a left-hand thread. it's lefty-loosey like the other side. I once owned a '48 Willys Fleetvan that had left-hand thread lugnuts on one side of the vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivans imports Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 put a big bar on it jam it to ground and back up the car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 My 650 Ft/lb gun never fails to remove staked axle nuts. Takes them off like they weren't even torqued. Chicago Pnuematic FTW. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out West Posted July 14, 2012 Author Share Posted July 14, 2012 I got the CV axle out and found the issue to be the transmission. Its popping and locking up. I assume its the dif. or hypoid gear/drive pinion ? So i'm prepping the trans for removal, are there any tips/advice you folks have? I do have a copy of the factory manual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 (edited) if it's torque bind don't remove the transmission, it's easier than that. if it's the front diff then junk the trans and get a used one...did you check the trans/diff fluids? save the rear extension housing for the center diff (manual trans) or rear clutch packs/Duty solenoid (auto trans). nice to have on hand if yours goes out later or they're usually needed by someone and easy to sell. as to axle nut removal - a 5 foot pipe will never cease to work. i have a 950 ft-lb 3/4" impact and I've had one or two that it couldn't get off. my 3 foot pipe over the handle wouldn't work on those either, took a longer pipe - like 5 or 6 footer so i'm figuring it was over 1,000 pounds to get off...probably rust around this forsaken area Edited July 15, 2012 by grossgary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Lucky Texan Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 probably rust around this forsaken area I had to read this twice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out West Posted July 15, 2012 Author Share Posted July 15, 2012 grossgary, i'm not sure what "torque bind" means? I bought the car assuming i needed to replace the transmission, the front left axle was locking the popping, rolling the doing the same. I thought it was the CV axle,removed it and found the same locking and popping at the drive shaft. Oh yeah, the trans oil looks red'ish as it should. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out West Posted July 15, 2012 Author Share Posted July 15, 2012 Found the link on Torque Bind, safe to say its damaged. Thanks for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Drain the front diff gear oil and check for metal and broken gear teeth. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out West Posted July 16, 2012 Author Share Posted July 16, 2012 Drained the dif. and found metal shavings,i'm going to remove the trans today.The TC to flex plate bolts were tight, i need to do the bell housing and cross-member now. What do you folks think of fab'ing a strut tower cross-bar to support the weight of the motor before i separate the two? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebugs Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 I yank the engine. But HF has actually a rather nice support bar often onsale for 50 bucks. You can't take the time and materials to make one for that IMO. It gets used here all teh time for VW timing belt jobs and transmission swaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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