I'm doing a D16z6 Swap on my 89 Hatch, but I can't get the friggin' axles off. The axle nut absolutely refuses to come off. I've broken 1 ratchet and bent a pry bar. Even with the electric impact wrench it doesn't budge. And yes I undid the lock on the axle nut. Does anyone have the same problem or know how to get the damn thing loose!?

 

These babies really need a hi powered air impact wrench. They come off easy with one of those. Is there a local shop near you that you could drive the car to? Have them loosen them then tighten them by hand with a wrench and drive it back home.

 

do like me, drive up to gas station tell em to take off axle nuts and then hand tighten them works like a champ and saves a **** ton of time

 

If you're too lazy to take it to a shop (I know I am ) then use liquid wrench on the nuts. Spray it on there, and tap it a few times with a hammer to let it soak in. Before I did this, I busted a BREAKER bar trying to take them off. We had over three feet of pipe and the fawker still wouldn't come off! Liquid wrench worked like a chram, but so will any GOOD penetrating fluid. Best of luck to you, man. I know how much taking out the axles friggin sucks.

 

i can remember this problem last summer when i was parting out a 90 teg. the driver's side axle nut was very happy right where it was. wouldn't budge. of course, i was out in the garage trying to get the motor out at like three in the morning and i didn't want to wake anyone up so i had a breaker bar and a 32 mil socket on the nut, and a ten foot pole for an extension! i still can't believe it broke loose. save yourself the hassle of manual tools. use impact. i would have, but i was working at three in the morning.

 

try heating it up w/ a torch...always works!

 

I had that exact same problem saturday one of mine wouldn't come off. Broke 3 craftsman 1/2 inch drive breaker bars, snapped them in half, air impact nothing 24 hours with PB Blast nothing, heated it up the nut quick with a acetylene torch and quenched it with pb Blast to cool it off, then I finally got it off.


[Modified by virginia_dude, 7:54 PM 6/11/2002]

 

or goto ace hardware and get them to cut you some thick gauge steel pipe and slip that over a breaker bar and stand on it. a torch works well but ya gotta be quick about it.

 

Its the 4' steel pipe that broke my three craftsman breaker bars but still did't get the nut loose, you do have to be carefull with the heat, too hot, too long and you fry the seals on your hub, not a good thing.

 

i've never broken a craftsman breaker bar getting an axle nut off...

i spray the nut with wd40 let it soak for a minute then and use a 2' long 1" thick 1/2" drive breaker bar and another 2 foot steel hollow pole to slip over it...then i literally jump up and down on it (car is of course sitting on the ground)...my 275 lb ft tq wrench wouldn't budge it...to get the axle out of the tranny use a screwdriver or pry bar to pop it out (drain the tranny first or lots of oil will spill out)

 

Well I was junping up and down on the pipe on the breaker bar literally, I'm not really surprised it broke, just surprised it broke before the nut came off. Penetrating oil alone didn't do it, the heat along with the Pentertating oil is what it took in my case.


[Modified by virginia_dude, 7:37 AM 6/12/2002]