Stub Axle Nut Stuck

[TheMoney]

Hi, I am having a go at changing a front wheel bearing (facelift 320i.)

I am having trouble undoing the 36mm nut. I have tried twice, once with just my torque wrench then a second time with a pipe on the handle for leverage (about 1 metre.)

I have chewed the nut a bit with my efforts:



I can make my handle 2m long, but I am worried it will just pop off again and be left with the nut properly ruined.

Should I try again or admit defeat and take it to my mechanic?

Do I need another person to keep the socket pushed tight against the nut while I wrench?

Thanks
Tony

[daimlerman]

Bolt the wheel back on and lower the car to the ground.

Place the socket on the nut and slacken off.

Honest injun,it worked for me,twice!

[Brianmoooore]

First of all, your torque wrench is probably now scrap, if you continued to pull on it after it clicked!
Now that you've chewed the corners on the nut, you probably will need to find some way of keeping the socket on. Park it close to a rigid post of some kind, put the socket and bar on, then wedge timber into the gap between post and bar so that it can't come off.
A two metre bar should give you plenty of torque to loosen the nut, but whether your socket and drive is of a good enough quality to stand this is anyone's guess.
Alternatively, find someone with a good rattle gun.

[Brianmoooore]

Bolt the wheel back on and lower the car to the ground.

Place the socket on the nut and slacken off.

Honest injun,it worked for me,twice!

I assumed the wheel was back on. Wheel bolts are in the pic., holding what looks like a steel rim.

[daimlerman]

Bolt the wheel back on and lower the car to the ground.

Place the socket on the nut and slacken off.

Honest injun,it worked for me,twice!

I assumed the wheel was back on. Wheel bolts are in the pic., holding what looks like a steel rim.

This is the method advised in Bentley,worked for me....

[Motorhole]

Indeed, without the wheel on and the car on the ground, you don't have a hope! Might need to turn the wheel slightly to get clearance from the arch for your breaker bar.



Nothing resists this beast

[TheMoney]

The wheel is on. It is a TD alloy. My torque wrench is a 120nm cheapo crap jobby. I did not hear it click I think the socket just lost its grip both times. Do I need something stronger?

Thinking of trying again with the 2m pipe. I have got a forklift truck handy so I think I will press a fork against the wrench to hold it.

Do I need to worry so much about ruining the nut or can it be cut out worst case?

[Barx325i]

so I think I will press a fork against the wrench to hold it.

that will do the trick... careful though

[Jos]

2 people, 1 to lever, the other lies on the ground and puts his boot on the socket.

edit: Or a forktruck if you don't have any mates

[TheMoney]

Managed it this time thanks guys:





The inner race stayed behind after pulling the bearing. I suppose I grind this off?

[Billwill]

You can try heat it gently with a heat gun and pry it off.

[Motorhole]

Can't remember how I did it, I think my 3-leg puller got a good enough grip on the race to pull it off iirc.

[Brianmoooore]

Traditional way is to smack it hard on both sides at the same time with two large hammers. The race should crack.

[harry_p]

looks the same as the e36 setup, i used a hooked end attached to a slide hammer to get mine off. the replacement bearing came with a new rear dust cover so i could bend the one on the car to get a better grip around the back of the bearing race.

if you attack it with a grinder just be very carefull. best off grinding it thin, but not all the way through, then give it a decent smack with a hammer and chisel

the problem with undoing the nut is you often have to space the bar out to clear the wheel / wing, which makes it far more likely to slip off the nut.

i usually wedge a spare extension bar or screwdriver handle under the extension with a bit of rag to protect the wheel centre which stops the socket twisting downwards and slipping off the nut.

[Barx325i]

the tolerance is so fine I've had some which flatly refuse to come off with wedging & allsorts, if all else fails try a mole grip with some subtle wigglement & twisting, try some heat on the race and it may expand just enough

[daimlerman]

I only had one inner race that was playfull,a three legged puller with a spanner over the end of the stub axle sorted it out!

The 'other' one fell off complete.

[TheMoney]

I heated it with a blowtorch and it just fell off

New bearing on and everything put back on! Have not tested it out yet but seems okay.

Thanks to everyone for their advice.