I am replacing my front axles on my 2000 OBW. What is the torque setting for the axle nut?

2 feet of pipe on the end of your breaker bar.

2 feet of pipe on the end of your breaker bar.

 

So what you are saying is that it is not possible to make it too tight?

Yes. It is very possible to make it too tight. I don't know what it is on the newer cars, but it is 142 ft lbs on the 2nd gens. Sorry I couldn't be of more help. The info should be available in a good shop manual. I'd even call the local Subaru dealership and ask for the service department. They should be able to tell you what the torque spec is. But don't just tighten the bejeebus out of it and call it good.

2 feet of pipe on the end of your breaker bar.

GREAT morning laugh! that was awesome and is the same method that i use. it is possible to get it "too tight"...i mean theoretically any bolt can be torqued past spec. but i never use a torque wrench and have done dozens successfully.

 

if you don't have air tools, a 3/4" socket set is the proper tool for this job. i've seen three 1/2" socket wrenches and a breaker bar shatter on axle nuts. finally upgraded to 3/4", much nicer not breaking tools.

my Chilton book says 120 to 160 so I used 140 (with a torque wrench and a 32mm 6-point impact socket)

 

too much aircraft in me - I ALWAYS USE A TORQUE WRENCH now whether or not it's "accurate'...

As stated- yes you COULD over tighten,are you going to? doubt it.Give it a whirl- and see if you can strip the threads or crush the bearing!.Ive personally done Hmmmm... a hundred by tightening the bejeesus out of them,the only time ive seen a problem is when they dont get tight enough!

You'd have to be one bad dude to strip or crush that setup. Even with 2' of pipe!

well lets see... 2' breaker plus 2' extension = 4 ' of arm

 

put on 200 pounds of load and get 800 ft-lbs.

 

What was that - about a 20mm x .75 (guessing) bolt/nut combo?

 

800 should strip one of the 2 - either the nut or the axle.

well lets see... 2' breaker plus 2' extension = 4 ' of arm

 

put on 200 pounds of load and get 800 ft-lbs.

 

What was that - about a 20mm x .75 (guessing) bolt/nut combo?

 

800 should strip one of the 2 - either the nut or the axle.

Reply With Quote

 

Give that a good try and report back

 

Also - i dont think anyone said anything about standing on the breaker bar while weighing 200 pounds,the 2 feet of pipe is just to make getting it real tight - real easy.Even if you did do this....think about it - not all torque will ever make it to the nut,first the bar and or pipe will bend and soak some up,then the wheel will move slightly and the tire will start to compress.I dont doubt that an impact capable of 800# could do it but not your arm.Not to mention it was a rhetorical statement to start with.

Uh.. dude... I work with torque every day. I'm a FANATIC about torques (except that the place where I work certifies their wrenches and I can only "estimate" accuracy for my "home equipment")

 

The response was to the premise that "more is better" - which in the case of torque is "problematic".

 

In reality, IF you have no extensions or U-joints or offsets plus a lubed bolt/nut you will in all likelihood see close to the "applied torque" until something "gives". You DO understand that torques are derived from "applied pressure thru turn of the nut calculations establishing metal stretch (stress / strain) by measuring the 'ramp angle' ", right?

 

And that torques are actually a "secondary" measurement of that "preload" measurement (true, established by many years of on the job verification and testing, but still a secondary method since "turn of the bolt in a lubricated joint" is generally impractical)

 

The "engineer" in my handle is not a joke - it's reality, but I sometimes "play along" - as in this case of "more is better".

Yupper!!

 

And i still want video of someone striping an axle nut by hand

 

Hell - i'll give you 3 feet of pipe.

Yupper!!

 

And i still want video of someone striping an axle nut by hand

 

Hell - i'll give you 3 feet of pipe.

 

I don't think anyone is concerned about stripping the threads off the axle.

 

I think it is more of an issue of sideloading a freshly installed bearing, or even an old bearing. Sure, you aren't going to "crush" the bearing, but you are putting unnecessary wear on it. The torque specification is there for exactly that, to prevent too much load.

 

It obviously isn't as big of a deal as if they were a conical bearing design, but I bet you could still severly shorten the life of the bearings by over torqueing them.

Yupper!!

 

And i still want video of someone striping an axle nut by hand

 

Hell - i'll give you 3 feet of pipe.

 

And if I can borrow your car...... I'll give it a try. You can even run my video camera!

 

And if I can borrow your car...... I'll give it a try. You can even run my video camera!

 

 

Too late - its already been done by me and thats how i run it