i started the job of replacing my driveshafts by unstaking the axle nuts and removing them. the passengers side was not staked properly, it went into the threads. oh that's just great, i was referring to whoever did the job before me with some choice words (bleep bleep bleep). my problem was that any tool small enough to get between the threads and the staked nut edge would break off or not be strong enough to unstake it, and any tool that was strong enough to unstake it wouldn't fit. so, i had to use a chisel and cut the thin edge of the spindle nut off, it came off like a ribbon curling up. but it didn't make any difference, the spindle nut wouldn't not budge. i have a darn big breaker bar that i used on suspension nuts when my impact failed. i was able to put plenty of torque on the nut, and a friend helped to pull on the bar, and between us we must have put several hundred foot pounds of torque on that spindle nt. i mean the entire car was rocking back and forth as we pulled on the bar with all our might so, maybe i made the staking worse? i had a hard time seeing what was going on up close on those threads.

so then i tried the drivers side. i had it lubed up, and off in under a minute. (i noticed the drivers axle is black steel with a number on the end and the passenger side is chromed looking with no number).

i went back to the passengers side and heated the nut with propane, nope, still no budging. i had an impact gun but no 36 mm impact socket. I was going to cut the nut off but i went to a store over the weekend and got an impact socket and i was planning on using my high torque impact gun [700 ft lbs]. but just out of curiosity i tried my medium duty gun first [300 ft lbs] and I was dumbfounded when the nut spun off under 10 seconds. i'm wondering why that was? my fried said he didnt think it would work because we put far more torque on the nut with the bar than the gun was able to. when i got the nut off the ends of the axle looked all cross threaded. so, now it is on to the rest of the job.

i told my friend that if one more thing goes wrong im calling it quits and taking it as a bad omen.

im already worried that the propane i used might have harmed any seal in the hub. is there a seal in the hub? also, i was told to be very careful to pull the axle straight out and out it back straight in, he emphasized the word straight, saying that they can get seized up in the bore.. no even warned me about that before, and im wondering now if the transmission seals should be replaced as a matter of course when doing this job? if yes, then i might as wel give up now, because honda told me they get pressed in, well thasts just great cause i dont have a special press tools. and then i was told to make sure that you check to see if the circlip is still on the end of the shaft when you pull it out, cause if not, then it means it fell off into the transmission. we'll that's just great, im wondering how many other things i dont know about tthis job? as a matter of fact i thought up one problem on my own - isnt it better to to use two screwdrivers or a special puller on each side of the trans housing when prying the shafts out, because couldn't prying on one side **** the shaft to one side and damage the seal?

 

The nut finally came off from the heating you did.
There are seals in the assembly (The Hub Bearing is a sealed Dual Roller Bearing assembly); but I seriously doubt that you damaged anything from heating. A propane torch doesn't get all that hot. Now, if it had been MAP Gas, that would be a different story. The axle hub, the inner bearing and the axle stub all act as a heat sink.
Normally, I'd suggest replacing the Transmission Output seals as a matter of course (they being readily accessable and such), but it your case I'll just leave it as
"if they ain't leak'in don't fim 'em"
You've been thru enough

P

 

As P Adams stated, we do not always change the output seals but if you really want to you will use a socket as your press to put the seal back in so you may need to but a socket that is just a hair smaller that the outside diameter (OD) of the seal.

I use a pry bar, or crow bar to pop the axle out of the transmission so yes, it will be cocked to one side and I can say that it has never damaged the output seal, knock on my head. I have had to use a heavy chisel and hammer at times too as a wedge and no damage there either.

I have never had the outer joint get jammed in the spindle and I have had to use two guys to force the axle back into the hole at a bad angle to get it past the brake caliper, you should have no jamming either.