The wheel hub on this corner hasn’t be replaced in at least half a dozen years, so there’s been no reason for the axle to come out. I’ve got a torn CV boot, and this car isn’t really worth the $500 CAD for an axle replacement *at the shop
I’ve tried 1/2" drive tools, a shitty second hand mastercaft air gun, a 24" breaker bar, and a propane torch that seems to have fuel flow issues. and penetrant, of course. So far, hasn’t budged.
update: thank you everyone for the advice, however I’m calling it. I got too many other unfinished tasks, I’ll let this one go to the shop and do some OT this week in the time I’d have been fucking around with it.
I did drill into the rust around the threads and pry the washer collar off (there was no staked material left at all) to remove material and get penetrant in deeper, but this just isn’t what I want to be working on right now.
edit: fuck it I did it
Heat again, and add an extension pipe to the 24" breaker bar for even more leverage.
And remember, you’re heating to make the part expand, so don’t heat the bolt, heat the nut/threaded socket
updating this thread as it is top comment:
I broke my 1/2" 24" breaker bar using body weight and bouncing on it
I said fuck it and decided to just pay the shop and work OT this week to cover it
I got annoyed with work and said fuck it and went and bought a 2/4" drive breaker bar, a TS8000 torch, and ordered a socket
I tried a couple heat cycles and while output is way higher but it’s not a pencil flame so I was just kind of heating everything up, including probably too much of the wheel bearing
I am still working the overtime anyways, but I went for extra bike rides on the local mtb trails to make up for it (found some fun stuff, too)
the socket arrived while I was biking this morning, so ten minutes ago I tossed the jack handle on the 3/4" breaker and it broke free on the second try
now on to the suspension bolts, and hopefully my air hammer can knock the axle free of the hub
gentlemen, we have achieved success. thank you everyone for the encouragement
shop quote was $360+tax ~=$405
I spent $25 on a 3/4" drive socket and $101 on a 3/4" breaker bar. plus $125 on the TS8000 that I’m not sure I needed for this. plus time/mileage driving around and fucking around with this. plus $165 on the axle itself from rockauto, which will arrive next week. total = $416
it’s been a pleasure saving money with you folks
And now you already have the tools if it happens again!
What I had to do once was put a 6 ft. Pipe over the breaker bar so that the end is on the ground, put the car in neutral, then push the car slowly until something breaks. In my case it was the nut that broke loose.
Alternatively, you could cut a slit through the bolt then hit it until it splits.
I did that once and broke the ratchet of course. Had to go get a real breaker bar.
I will be trying this once I clean some rust out. easy to try to get it to roll down my driveway
mostly trying to do this without pissing my neighbours off lol
I’d do that, then blast the inside of the bolt with compressed air just before trying to take it off. Since the bolt has a convenient recess to blast air into without it deflecting and cooling the nut.
Canned air duster works, too. Invert it and it comes out supercooled liquid. Hit the stub with that while the nut is hot. Might be enough diffrential to break it free.
I got stuck like that once and then ended up with too much “springiness” to make any progress, even by standing on the extension. I instead opted for a shorter extension and used a floor jack to lift the end. I stayed away from the stuck nut in case the breaker bar suddenly flew off and released its potential energy into my face, but I still have no clue if this was a genius idea or I got very lucky.
I’d do like a can of WD-40 soaked for an hour before heating and trying again.
If you’re legitimately struggling I’d find something more purpose made for the task than WD40. Sure if it’s all you got it’s better than nothing, but an actual penetrating fluid works so much better on really stuck nuts.
WD40 is primarily a water displacer and light lubricant. I would recommend Kroil instead.