axle replacement..axle nut wont budge need help

[thatsitbelowradarSTL]

went to the junkyard and found a good driver side axle with good cv boots but i cant get the nut off...i had my gigantic 36mm socket and the 1/2" ratchet that i just bought but i ended up braking the wrench with a 3ft breaker bar i found

is there something im doing wrong? the locking tab was already kinda pryed out and i just made sure it was raised up


i don't really want to know of a short cut because I'll have to do the same thing over on my car....so i need a good way without breaking my car

also i dont want to have to go to a shop because i have already bought the 20 dollar socket and 10 dollar ratchet

and would wd40 even help on an axle nut?

[BustedLX]

getting it off with hand tools will be pretty damn hard. You could try to use some PB Blaster on the nut to soften it up. Use a breaker bar, the rachet could break.

[aero]

I havent used power tools on any that i have taken off... I use the socket, then an 18" breaker bar. Then a 3-4 foot bar on the end of that.. and stand on it. That usually gets it to break. But yeah, they are quite annoying to get off. If its at the junkyard on dirt, you may not be able to get it off cuz the tire will spin.

[thatsitbelowradarSTL]

i was able to stick a screw in one of the rotor slots to prevent it from spinning and i was able to press the brake down...but i dunno if that helps

i used a giant pipe that was laying around and slid it on the ratchet so i guess it could handle the pressure


should i just buy a 1/2" size with the breaker bar? i saw one at the hardware store that has an 18" handle

[ChIoVnIdCa]

umm put it in gear if its slidding on you

[GrayCar]

I'm with SteveB on that one.

I ended up putting my floor jack under the end of the breaker bar. Jacked it up until it moved.

I weigh over 200 pounds and couldn't get the f-er to budge with a breaker bar.

[MRX]

I've been changing my axles also and have been using an electric impact wrench. Makes it very easy but if i was to try to get an axle out of a junk yard and there weren't any electrical sockets around i'd be stuck just like you.

[aero]

Yeah, do get a breaker bar though... any ratchet you will use will most likely break. and if you can put on the brakes that does help.

[ChIoVnIdCa]

Originally posted by SteveB
That doesn't help.
It takes a lot more torque to loosen the nut than the engine would EVER put out.

The Canadian solution: Snow brush holding the brake pedal tight between the seat, engine running, breaker bar on nut parallel to the ground facing front.

Trolley jack under end of breaker bar....TA-DA!

Not while running. Mine moved when I did mine but I put it in gear and it stoped (5 speed)

[thatsitbelowradarSTL]

update: bought a 25" breaker bar....broke that too. I think I should go with a crafstman I heard they don't break to often. A guy at the junkyard will help me if I pay him and he said banging it with a hammer....and tighten then loosening will help

but either way it definetely wont budge

Also the breaker bar I bought was able to pivot the handle...are the ones you guys bought the same?...because it seems to lose some torque power at the pivot joint.

i wanted to get this done before i went on a 7hr drive to college along with an alignment and wheel balance because I really didn't want the alignment and balance done with a torn cv joint but I guess I'll just get the alignment anyway and still have the cv torn. i just hope my steering wheel will stop shaking w/ the alignment and I can handle the cv boot problem at a later time.

[cb7-R]

Im not sure if you got that nut off or not but heres a little follow up for you when you do get it off. Buy a bottle of anti-seize and put some on the axel threads before you put the nut on and you will NEVER have a problem with a frozen nut again.(Also good for lug nuts ,exhaust mani nuts etc...)