That Damn Nut

Any tricks to removing the big nut holding on a front wheel drive wheel?
This is a 99 Honda Civic. The nut is the type that has an edge peened
into a keyway-looking slot. Is there any way to ease that peened bit out
of the slot, or do you just need a great big breaker bar and lots and
lots of torque to get it all apart?

--
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Use a flat blade chisel (or a raggity old flat blade screwdriver.I like
old screwdrivers) and a hammer, see if you can move that peened part.
cuhulin

Tim Wescott wrote:
> Any tricks to removing the big nut holding on a front wheel drive wheel?
> This is a 99 Honda Civic. The nut is the type that has an edge peened
> into a keyway-looking slot. Is there any way to ease that peened bit out
> of the slot, or do you just need a great big breaker bar and lots and
> lots of torque to get it all apart?
>

Big bar or impact wrench. Either way you just apply torque to break the
tab off.

--
Steve W.

"Tim Wescott" > wrote in message
...
> Any tricks to removing the big nut holding on a front wheel drive wheel?
> This is a 99 Honda Civic. The nut is the type that has an edge peened
> into a keyway-looking slot. Is there any way to ease that peened bit out
> of the slot, or do you just need a great big breaker bar and lots and
> lots of torque to get it all apart?

Seems like some people say you should use a small punch to open out the
dimple - others just over power it with some big ass force. Persoanlly, I'd
use a small punch to open it up as much as possible, then you either use a
socket and a big impact gun or a socket, breaker bar and cheater pipe to
break it loose. Leaving the tire on the hub with the car on the ground and
someone pressing the brakes is a good idea if you don't have the big impact
gun.

Lot of internet chatter on what to do....see"

http://www.hondacivicforum.com/forum...acement-42185/
http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2228717
http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=1372396
http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=382416

Ed

On 06/07/2011 09:04 AM, Tim Wescott wrote:
> Any tricks to removing the big nut holding on a front wheel drive wheel?
> This is a 99 Honda Civic. The nut is the type that has an edge peened
> into a keyway-looking slot. Is there any way to ease that peened bit out
> of the slot, or do you just need a great big breaker bar and lots and
> lots of torque to get it all apart?
>

breaker bar works, but use 3/4", not 1/2". sometimes these things are
seized and take some serious leverage to remove. 1/2" tools can break
in this situation, and because of the torque wind-up, when they let go,
they can cause serious injury.

the other [and probably best] option is to use an impact driver. take
the hub cover off, then with the wheel on the hub and on the ground
[avoids loading the transmission or hammering the driveshaft joint]
impact away.

if you personally don't have impact tools, remove the hub cover as
above, then drive over to a shop that does who'll do it for you. then
torque it gently and drive home carefully to finish the job.

a junkyard trick where the wheels have already been removed is to jam a
big screwdriver into the gap in the caliper so it's stuck in the brake
disk vanes. then you can use one of the above tools to remove.


--
nomina rutrum rutrum

Tim Wescott > wrote in
:

> Any tricks to removing the big nut holding on a front wheel drive
> wheel? This is a 99 Honda Civic. The nut is the type that has an
> edge peened into a keyway-looking slot. Is there any way to ease that
> peened bit out of the slot, or do you just need a great big breaker
> bar and lots and lots of torque to get it all apart?
>



That peened bit is called a "stake". Just use a punch or screwdriver to
bend the metal out of the way so you can turn the nut. The metal is soft in
the region of the stake.

It's not a great idea to re-use the nut, so you should buy a new one before
you start: that nut has a single long thread running its length, so you
can't just turn it 180 degrees to get a new stake surface.

As for getting the nut off, you'll probably find yourself at wit's end with
frustration trying to grunt it off with a breaker bar, so go to an
industrial supply house and rent an electric impact wrench. The nut will be
off in seconds with an impact wrench.

--
Tegger

On Tue, 07 Jun 2011 16:18:00 -0400, C. E. White wrote:

>
> "Tim Wescott" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Any tricks to removing the big nut holding on a front wheel drive wheel?
>> This is a 99 Honda Civic. The nut is the type that has an edge peened
>> into a keyway-looking slot. Is there any way to ease that peened bit out
>> of the slot, or do you just need a great big breaker bar and lots and
>> lots of torque to get it all apart?
>
> Seems like some people say you should use a small punch to open out the
> dimple - others just over power it with some big ass force. Persoanlly, I'd
> use a small punch to open it up as much as possible, then you either use a
> socket and a big impact gun or a socket, breaker bar and cheater pipe to
> break it loose. Leaving the tire on the hub with the car on the ground and
> someone pressing the brakes is a good idea if you don't have the big impact
> gun.
>
> Lot of internet chatter on what to do....see"
>
> http://www.hondacivicforum.com/forum...acement-42185/
> http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2228717
> http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=1372396
> http://www.honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=382416
>
> Ed


That's what I do. The last one I had to use a Dremel cutting wheel to cut
the 'dimple' out (otherwise known as a "stake")

On 06/07/2011 07:18 PM, Tegger wrote:
> Tim > wrote in
> :
>
>> Any tricks to removing the big nut holding on a front wheel drive
>> wheel? This is a 99 Honda Civic. The nut is the type that has an
>> edge peened into a keyway-looking slot. Is there any way to ease that
>> peened bit out of the slot, or do you just need a great big breaker
>> bar and lots and lots of torque to get it all apart?
>>
>
>
>
> That peened bit is called a "stake". Just use a punch or screwdriver to
> bend the metal out of the way so you can turn the nut. The metal is soft in
> the region of the stake.

if it's been peened properly, it's hard to push back out and you risk
breaking a punch tip. you can also damage the driveshaft slot. better
to just turn the nut - the resistance caused by the peen is trivial in
comparison to the nut tension.


>
> It's not a great idea to re-use the nut, so you should buy a new one before
> you start: that nut has a single long thread running its length, so you
> can't just turn it 180 degrees to get a new stake surface.

to put this another way, it's a coarse thread, and it ends up in the
same position as before - re-peening the same spot is unlikely to work
securely. best to replace.

if you're stuck and /have/ to re-use, there is a kludge - place the nut
face down on a sharpening stone [or even flat concrete], and, rotating
every dozen or so strokes, "polish" the nut face. this removes a little
material and allows it to set in a different position. provided this
new position is a good distance from the previously peened skirt of the
nut, it can be safely re-peened. replacing the nut is much better
though - among other things, it guaranteed to be square.


>
> As for getting the nut off, you'll probably find yourself at wit's end with
> frustration trying to grunt it off with a breaker bar,

indeed - some of them are seized pretty bad. but a 3' 3/4" breaker will
do it. if you weigh enough!


> so go to an
> industrial supply house and rent an electric impact wrench. The nut will be
> off in seconds with an impact wrench.

1/2" electric impacts seldom go above 300/350 ft.lbs torque. these
things can be stuck real bad and don't shift until ~500 ft.lbs or so.
that's air tool territory, and even those can hammer away for quite a
while before the nut breaks loose. for the untooled, i think it's
quicker and easier to pop around to the local shop with some beers and
the hub cover already removed. they'll have a sufficiently powerful
impact and break it loose for less than the price of an electric rental.


--
nomina rutrum rutrum

On Wed, 08 Jun 2011 19:08:12 -0300, Victor R wrote:

> Hachiroku ???? wrote:
>
>>>> Any tricks to removing the big nut holding on a front wheel drive wheel?
>>
>>
>> That's what I do. The last one I had to use a Dremel cutting wheel to cut
>> the 'dimple' out (otherwise known as a "stake")
>
> Side question, is it worthwhile to replace the boots on axles once they
> start flinging grease? Or just wait for the inevitable then replace the
> unit(s) with aftermarket axles?


I certainly would, if you have the thing apart anyway. If it's slinging
grease it means there is a tear or other compromise, and that dirt is
getting *IN* as well, and if there's a joint there it's certainly going to
wear away the joint. Better an $8-12 boot than a $65-120 axle!

I tried one of those "split boots" you wrap around the old boot. I filled
the old boot with grease and clamped the new one in place. I think it made
the joint last about 3 weeks longer. I can still drive the car, but it
really needs to be replaced.

Victor R wrote:
> Hachiroku ???? wrote:
>
>>>> Any tricks to removing the big nut holding on a front wheel drive wheel?
>>
>> That's what I do. The last one I had to use a Dremel cutting wheel to cut
>> the 'dimple' out (otherwise known as a "stake")
>
> Side question, is it worthwhile to replace the boots on axles once they
> start flinging grease? Or just wait for the inevitable then replace the
> unit(s) with aftermarket axles?
>
>

If you have it apart just replace the axle with a reman/new. If a boot
is torn it is going to require a lot of cleaning and new grease along
with the new boot. time/price makes the assembly cheaper than the repair
parts.

--
Steve W.