Here's my dilemma. After purchasing new axles from Napa, I went to pop off the axle nuts... Not happening. On both driver and passenger side, the nuts are NOT coming off. Snapped TWO, count them, TWO, MATCO breaker bars trying to pry them off.
I even used extra leverage by slipping the pole from my floor jack over the breaker bar the second time. No Luck. Tried the same thing with a Craftsman breaker bar, and with expected results, it snapped, too. Can anyone think of a fix for this? I've tried lubing them up, no luck. I've tried just about everything I can. My buddies air gun won't get them off either.

My question is, has anyone else had this problem? A Buddy who has the same car (EJ1) had no problem popping them off. I'm stuck, and I really want to avoid going to a shop and paying someone to install the axles when I can do it myself. Any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.

HELP!

 

lube them up and go back in a couple days.
use a torch.
dont give up.

 

Modified by CardDealer at 2:32 PM 11/16/2006

 

Yeah... The air gun didn't work either. I'll try torching them and see what happens. I haven't given that a shot yet.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by schlit &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">BTW. the NAPA CV's I've used in the past are crap. Expect the rubber on them to be cracked within a year.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm selling the car within the next couple months anyhow, so if they become a problem, at least they won't be my problem anymore. j/k

 

yeah try using a torch, but if that doesn't work call some local shops and see if they will just break the axle nuts loose for you then you can do the work yourself and keep the cost to a minimum.

 

yeah heat up your rotor and bearing to get the nut off. J/K dont use a torch. just drive up to a shop that does em and say hey you break these loose for me, i do it for people atleast 2 times a week, they usually tip, so you should too.

 

Well, I figured that most shop owners wouldn't be okay with that, and I understand that. It's a business, and It's all about the hours. I'll give going to a shop a try, I was hoping to maybe bargain and pay for a 1/2 hours worth of labor. I figure that is more than adequate for what I'm asking. Anywho....

Wish me luck... I know some shop owners can be serious dicks.

 

nah, i wouldnt expect someone to even pay that. hell pull right up to the bay door, and when someone says can i help you. say yes sir me and my dad are trying to change my cv axles but we cant get the nuts loose, is there any way i can pay you to bust em loose for me. 90% of the time they will say, oh no problem. when they are done say oh thank you, how much do i owe you, and pull out your wallet. even if they say dont worry about it, still give them something, it shows class, and they will remember you, and be willing to help later if you need it. trust me i work off commision, if i get a $20 tip i had a good day at work.

 

Thanks for the life lesson... Just giving you a hard time.

I'll give it a shot, and when I slide him/her some cash I'll be thinking of you schardbody.

Thanks.

 

i know most people wouldnt recommend this, but me and a friend cut the damn thing off after we broke a few tools trying to get the thing off. Just try not to mess the axle up if you want a core refund. We returned ours no problem when we were done. The shop idea is good too, but we had a dremel and we were pissed, so something had to break!! lol

Dremel

 

As I said in this thread: https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1598795
(5 days ago...SEARCH!), "
1) put Liquid Wrench or similar lubrication product on axle nut.
2) buy a 2 ft. CRAFTSMAN non-ratchet breaker bar
3)Go to home depot, buy a 5 ft. steel pipe (the one with the orange plastic covers on the ends that's about 11 bucks)
4) stand on the end of it and hop lightly
5) optional. break your breaker bar and go back to sears where they will replace it for free. I doubt this will happen because I put about 800lb/ft onto my breaker bar using that^ strategy and the thing didn't break.
6) Succeed"

 

Buy a Decent Breaker Bar...

 

Hey bro....i JUST did this today on my hatch. Hope I can help.

Took me a bit to get it but I got it. I have a 1/2" 32mm socket with a Craftsman breaker bar and a 3 to 4 foot metal pipe I bought from Lowes a long time ago.

After trying a bunch of different ways, this is what worked for me:

I took off the center cap from my rims, put the wheel back on and lowered the car back down on the ground. I then put some wheel chocks behind the back wheels so the car wouldnt roll. E-brake on and in first gear.

I then sprayed some PB blaster on the axle nut....took a lighter then and heated it up for a bit. With the socket and breaker bar, I positioned it to where I was lifting up on the leverage pipe instead of pushing on it or standing on it. Those didnt work for me.

I lifted a few times and no luck. So I started back with the PB blaster, heated it up and tried to budge it again.

After a few cycles of this, it finally broke loose.

Give it a whirl and good luck!!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jefe &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hey bro....i JUST did this today on my hatch. Hope I can help.

Took me a bit to get it but I got it. I have a 1/2" 32mm socket with a Craftsman breaker bar and a 3 to 4 foot metal pipe I bought from Lowes a long time ago.

After trying a bunch of different ways, this is what worked for me:

I took off the center cap from my rims, put the wheel back on and lowered the car back down on the ground. I then put some wheel chocks behind the back wheels so the car wouldnt roll. E-brake on and in first gear.

I then sprayed some PB blaster on the axle nut....took a lighter then and heated it up for a bit. With the socket and breaker bar, I positioned it to where I was lifting up on the leverage pipe instead of pushing on it or standing on it. Those didnt work for me.

I lifted a few times and no luck. So I started back with the PB blaster, heated it up and tried to budge it again.

After a few cycles of this, it finally broke loose.

Give it a whirl and good luck!!! </TD></TR></TABLE>

That's actually a very good idea, especially if you dont have someone to step on the brake. Even though I had someone on the brakes, they slipped slightly above 600lb/ft. for creativity

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by professor poon &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">That's actually a very good idea, especially if you dont have someone to step on the brake. Even though I had someone on the brakes, they slipped slightly above 600lb/ft. for creativity</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yea, I had someone stepping on the brakes and it wasnt working for me when I had the car in the air still. Then I lowered it and I was still moving the car backwards with the e-brake on and in first gear.

The wheel chocks were the key for me to stop the car from moving at all.

 

I know this sounds dangerous but when i did mine on my old crx, I had the car on the ground.
I put the breaker bar on the axle nut and then used my jack to tension it to the ground.
I then got in the car and put it in reverse (for the driver side) and started backing up
Nuts came off that way

 

After breaking 2 snap on bars ......
This is what i used....kinda a bad pic...the (no name) heavy duty breaker bar is long its tucked under my arm.....
well worth 40$

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SohcPower &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">After breaking 2 snap on bars ......
This is what i used....kinda a bad pic...the (no name) heavy duty breaker bar is long its tucked under my arm.....
well worth 40$
</TD></TR></TABLE>


DAMN!! That thing looks dangerous. Where did you get it?

 

Yeah, the breaker bar with a BFP (Big ******* pole) worked great for me.

Just lift, you hear a little 'pop' and then it's loose.

If you're having this much trouble with just the nut I'd hate to see how hard it's going to be to get the spindle out of the hub.

 

I am sure you know this, but the axle nut is staked....

Take a reg screwdriver bend the stake out and it comes off easily...

 

first any breaker bar will do if you do this correctly first you have to destake the axle nut take a screw driver flat head and remove the indendation in the axle nut use a little pb blaster to lube things up .....and remove axle nut

 

ive had trouble with them before.

PB blast is your friend

best bet is a shop or someone who has a high pressured air comp and good gun, mine has around 1000ftlbs and blast the sucker off

if worst comes to it since your replacing the axle anywho get a airchizel and knock it off **** we have to do this on lug locks sometimes and works like a champ!

 

I usually either break it loose with the wheel still on the ground, or I stick a good screw driver in the slots of the break rotor, then turn it till it hits the caliper, so its locked in place.

Then I use my trusty napa breaker bar(which for some reason, refuses to break) and a cheater bar for leverage and then stand on the end of it and jump up and down.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by J98CX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">


DAMN!! That thing looks dangerous. Where did you get it?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Princess Auto...I dont know if u guys have that down there???

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ExVtec &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I am sure you know this, but the axle nut is staked....

Take a reg screwdriver bend the stake out and it comes off easily...

</TD></TR></TABLE>

That's true, something you have to do, but it doesnt make the process of taking off the nut any easier in my experience.