Axle bolt

[Flw Sock]

I can't take off the axle bolt. I've been sitting here heating it with a torch and trying to take it off with an impact and it just won't come off.

I tried putting a socket on a ratchet and jumping on it, and it just turns the entire rotor.

Does anybody know what's going on and how I can get the axle bolt off? It's the front passenger side on a 1993 5spd if that makes a difference.

[Damkid]

Axle bolt

Put a tire on it, set the car back on the ground, the weight of the car should stop the tire from turning, put the ratchet on the axle nut and put a bar over the ratchet for added torque

[Studebaker]

have someone apply the brakes while removing the nut.

I use a socket with a five foot cheater bar.

Can use the lug nuts and bar or chain to lock up rotor.

[bravekozak]

Are you turning it in the proper direction?

[Chobobulous]

Are you turning it in the proper direction?

I loled

[Bert]

Are you turning it in the proper direction?

Not an entirely unsound piece of advice. How many of us have discovered the secret of the passenger side rear spindle nut the hard way?
By the way; having someone stand of the brake pedal, plus having the car wheels on the ground does help when you're really hauling on a long breaker bar or piece of pipe over a ratchet.

[frankm201]

its all true I've done all that my axle nut on the my festy was on there so good the I had to practically put all my wieght on the fender just so my wheel wouldn't turn ugh but a big breaker bar should always do the trick

[zoom zoom]

harbor freight 3/4" ratchet and a reducer. If you get an axel nut that likes to break 1/2" breaker bars.

[Flw Sock]

Not an entirely unsound piece of advice. How many of us have discovered the secret of the passenger side rear spindle nut the hard way?

It's not a reverse spin, is it? My driver's side axle was a reverse spin too if I remember correctly.

[fastivaca]

Re: Axle bolt

The only reverse thread that I know of on the Festiva is the right rear spindle nut. In my experience front axles have all been regular threads.

Sent from somewhere west of here!

[TheresGabe]

I ended up using my 1/2" 24" breaker bar and a 5' piece of steel tube, AFTER I had heated it with the torch. CRAZY how on there that stupid nut was!

[Damkid]

Axle bolt

The only reverse thread that I know of on the Festiva is the right rear spindle nut. In my experience front axles have all been regular threads.

Sent from somewhere west of here!

Same here

[rbrown]

I ended up using my 1/2" 24" breaker bar and a 5' piece of steel tube, AFTER I had heated it with the torch. CRAZY how on there that stupid nut was!

Same here. No heat. Wheel on ground. Rent the 24" breaker bar from AZ. They told me it was ok if I break it.

[WmWatt]

Haynes says to loosen axle nut beofre jacking up car. I stick one end of a pry bar between two of the wheel lugs and the other end on the garage floor to keep the wheel from turning. On one I had to take the fan off a floor stand and use that as an extension, leaving the floor weight on the end, and bouncing it up and down until the nut gave way. Those nuts are torques to 150-180 ft-lbs which is more than the strength in my arms so I have to use body weight or a hammer or something. If using body weight use a pumping motion to break the nut free. There are some photos here

http://www.photobucket.com/Festiva-frontwheel

When trying to break a nut free there eventually comes a loud "crack" sound and you wonder what broke or gave way and hope it was the nut.

[Flw Sock]

I ended up using my 1/2" 24" breaker bar and a 5' piece of steel tube, AFTER I had heated it with the torch. CRAZY how on there that stupid nut was!

How about 96 inches?



Torched that bit-- for 45minutes, had my dad hold the wrench on the tire, and my mom put the brakes on.