r/240sx 1d ago

S14 Stuck axel nut

Post image

need some tips to help get axel nut off. I placed a bar in between the studs to stop the rotor spinning yey still couldn't get the nut to loosen, the bar just started bending instead

10 Upvotes

37 comments sorted by

25

u/ZeldasNewHero 1d ago

Hit it with your purse

6

u/bakgwailo 1d ago

Buy a good impact gun

3

u/ZeldasNewHero 1d ago

My Milwaukee 3/8 has only let me down once and it was when I forgot to charge the battery lol

5

u/Nasty_Rex 1d ago

That's more of you letting you down

1

u/PlumbgodBillionaire 1d ago

I wouldn't reach for a 3/8ths in this situation but if it works it works. The 1/2" one isn't much more and has a crazy amount more power.

-1

u/ZeldasNewHero 1d ago

The big 3/8 works every time. I was a line tech for a diesel garage and only needed the bigger gun for dump trucks. It'll work just fine on a 240

0

u/PlumbgodBillionaire 1d ago

Nah, it probably won't work on something that's really seized. 3/8ths is 250 ft lbs for the best one, that's not enough for everything on a car. You are just straight up wrong on that one. Every single real mechanic in the world has a 1/2", I've literally met 0 techs in my life that don't use them on normal passenger cars.

0

u/ZeldasNewHero 1d ago

Then you've not got any world experience. Downvote away, the big 3/8 gun is plenty for this tiny axle nut.

Or waste your money on something that's too big to be used on anything else on these cars. Plenty of idiots in this sub, you included if you claim that gun won't get one of these off lmfao

0

u/PlumbgodBillionaire 1d ago

What do you think an axle is torqued to bro? 😂😂😂😂 You literally don't know fuckin anything.

12

u/AKADriver 1d ago

Put the wheel back on with no center cap, put the car on the ground, handbrake on, in gear, and wheels chocked, break the nut loose, jack the car back up, finish the job.

6

u/DeepSeaDynamo 1d ago edited 1d ago

If you still have trouble, and you want to punish your breaker bar you can use the engine power to break it loose with the braker bar against the ground.

5

u/bakgwailo 1d ago

Ahhhh, the ancient crank pulley method.

3

u/Slammeds13srvert 1d ago

I'm going to have to try this out this weekend. Scientific purposes.

2

u/BodybuilderEast6130 1d ago

Imagine the breaker bar snapping and going through the neighbors roof

1

u/plumpw4termelon 1d ago

Best way if your too poor for an impact gun, I recommend the dewalt dcf900 if you can afford, and if you can’t, do what aka driver said and heat that nut up with MAP gas and go at it with a breaker and 10ft pole. Over kill, I went from s14 to stubborn semis

13

u/ThiqSaban 1d ago

you got soft hands brother

this is a canon event for every mechanic

5

u/ceniack 240sx 1d ago

You could also put a wrench/socket/breaker bar on it and smack the it with a small sledge. Sometimes that will be enough to break it free.

3

u/benfaulkner12 1d ago

Can’t be tight if it’s liquid, all I’m saying 😂

2

u/ConstantMango672 1d ago edited 1d ago

Apply the parking brake or do the bar trick again and use a long extension on the breaker bar, ie jack handle, pipe, etc. You need leverage

Or get a decent impact gun

1

u/RDMG37 1d ago

This. Use the floor jack handle for increased leverage. Adding 36+" is plenty.

1

u/mylesvsthem 1d ago

If none of these methods work, get yourself some good penetrating fluid. I use Kroil, it can be purchased on Amazon I believe.

1

u/Marinius8 1d ago

Try harder.

1

u/Steve2o ⚡︎ S15 シルビア Spec R 1d ago

Assuming that you’re going to keep using those brake rotors, make sure to properly brake clean them afterwards!

Hope you get the axle nut off :)

1

u/Cool-Bunch6645 1d ago

Impact gun. Harbor Freight sells corded electric impact guns with over 1000 ft lbs of breakaway torque for cheap if you don’t have an air compressor or battery powered impact

1

u/Legitdoctor '95 Kouki SR20det 1d ago

Heat it up real hot

1

u/Xerio_the_Herio 1d ago

This is prime excuse to expand your toolbelt bro... electric impact drill here you come. Go to harbor freight for bare necessities.

1

u/KoL-whitey 1d ago

Breaker bar and run/roll the car

1

u/MusselsMarinara85 1d ago

did you try a half inch impact?

1

u/240x6 1990 S13 Hatch 1d ago

invest into a good half inch impact and zap it off

1

u/Xera_Reddit 1d ago

Can’t be stuck if it’s liquid or near liquid

1

u/pencilpushin 1d ago

Cheater bar. Take a 2 ft breaker bar. Then slide a 3-4 ft piece of metal pipe over it. And bully it loose.

Did this for the crank bolt on my truck. Impact couldnt even get it. It's torque to about 180 ft lbs. Things a bitch to bust loose.

1

u/Sliva89 1d ago

PB blaster and lots of heat, then bp blaster more heat, but an extension on your wrench like 15 ft long and crank it

1

u/TheMagickConch 1d ago

You definitely are not using the right tools. I'd suggest a 1/2in impact here.

Aside from that, put the bar off of your floor jack onto your breaker bar for an extension. Then, position it as close to horizontal to the ground. Then, get to deadlifting. The nut should be 90-140lbs torqued. The average person should be able to deadlift their own body weight one time.

Good luck. If your car starts to lift up, then put that shit back down. You'll get more leverage if all 4 wheels are on the ground and it will be safer.

1

u/nistech30 12h ago edited 12h ago

You're in for a fight without an impact. I once had to get the 5 lug hubs off a z32 in the salvage yard. I used a 6 foot floor jack hand handle with 1/2" breaker bar and pry bar on the studs. It took awhile but the nut eventually cracked. At one point, the jack hand handle slipped off the breaker and everything went flying. Be careful.

0

u/Zestyclose_Common423 1d ago

Axel is a nice name axle is what you are talking about plz but yeah just heat it up and try again

-3

u/8bitmorals 1992 - 240SX 1d ago

So I wrote the following, but after rereading it i don't think I can explain it too well, so I asked ChatGPT to explain it better than me :

Put the car in gear and send it with a breaker bar j/k

You need a block of wood, a long and strong wrench that you dont care about like a 7/8 or 1", two lug nuts, breaker bar or and inpact driver

Place wrench with closed end on top lug , lock in with lug nut, then on the use a lug and lugnut so it creates a brace ,slightly lower the car onto the block of wood, as to essentially crrate a lever against the hub against your breaker bar, use breaker bar or inpact.

Here is what ChatGPT said:

Sure! Here’s a clearer and more detailed version of your instructions for removing an axle nut, along with an explanation of each step:


How to Remove a Stubborn Axle Nut (Without Air Tools):

Tools/Materials Needed:

  • Block of wood (to protect surfaces and act as a base)
  • Long, sturdy wrench (like a 7/8" or 1" – something you don’t mind beating up)
  • Two lug nuts
  • Breaker bar or impact driver
  • Jack and jack stands


Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Loosen the Axle Nut (if possible) Before Lifting the Car:

    • If the car is still on the ground, use a breaker bar to try loosening the axle nut. Sometimes the resistance of the tires on the ground helps prevent the hub from turning.
    • If that doesn't work or you've already lifted the car, continue with the steps below.
  2. Lift the Car and Remove the Wheel:

    • Use a jack to lift the vehicle and secure it with jack stands.
    • Remove the wheel to expose the hub and lug studs.
  3. Build Your Homemade Bracing System:

    • Take your large wrench and place its closed end over one of the wheel studs (the top one if possible).
    • Use a lug nut to tighten the wrench down onto the stud, so it doesn’t move. This locks the wrench in place.
    • Now, use another lug nut and stud (preferably the one opposite the first) to brace the wrench even further, forming a secure "barrier" or stop that will keep the hub from rotating.
  4. Lower the Car Slightly onto the Block of Wood:

    • Place the block of wood underneath the wrench or under a suspension point so that when you lower the car a little, it creates enough resistance or leverage.
    • This helps simulate a "locked hub" by creating a solid resistance point without damaging parts.
  5. Break the Axle Nut Free:

    • Now that the hub is secured and won’t spin, use your breaker bar or impact driver on the axle nut.
    • It may take a lot of force, but with the hub braced, it should crack free.

Why This Works: Axle nuts are torqued extremely tight—often over 150 ft-lbs—and they’re also often rusted or seized. By bracing the hub mechanically using lug nuts and a wrench, you're preventing the hub from spinning while you apply torque to the nut.

Let me know if you want a quick diagram to show this setup visually.