do the hub nuts need to be removed?

[1Gina2G]

I'm currently trying to pull out the engine block with the transmission at the same time, so I know I have to drop the transfer case and both shafts in the tramsmission.

I took both wheels off, but both hub nuts on each side are WAY to tight it seems unreal. The cotter pins were removed. I thought the hub nuts may have been reverse threaded but I saw someone else ask about it on here and they are not.

I ended up unbolting everything else needed to take out both shafts from the transmission, and with the hub nuts still on the shafts I can only budge the passenger shaft mostly out the transmission but not all the way. I can't tell but it looks like there's less than an inch still in the transmission. I know I have to atleast get the drivers side hub nut off, so I was wondering if I did, would it be possible to get clearance to pull the passenger shaft out when the engine is getting lifted out ? Or do I really need to get both of these hub nuts out?

What gets me is that this car just got back from the shop from replacing both my front axles and brakes/brake rotors, so these hub nuts are brand new, you can see the shiny brass compared to everything being rusted before. It just seems to be way to tight like they over-torqued it at the shop with a huge breaker bar. Me my dad and a friend couldn't break it loose with are breaker bars and the air impact gun. Going to just keep soaking it in PB and hope it breaks loose, but I'd say the only thing i havent tried is torching it and that nut breaking tool someone posted on here, but i'm not sure if it's a good idea to try to break a brand new nut, probably alot harder than a rusty nut.

 

[Calan]

Try to put some heat on them, and use a good electric impact wrench if you can find one. The axle nuts get torqued to something like 120 ft lbs if I remember correctly, so they can be tough to break lose.

They are also not re-usable, although many people do reuse them anyway.


EDIT:

Correction: According to the 2G FSM the nut is reusable, and torque is 145 - 188 ft lbs

 

[1Gina2G]

Try to put some heat on them, and use a good electric impact wrench if you can find one. The axle nuts get torqued to something like 120 ft lbs if I remember correctly, so they can be tough to break lose.

They are also not re-usable, although many people do reuse them anyway.

I appreciate the info. I will be buying some new hub nuts once I can manage to get these off if that's the case. EDIT: Nut is apparently reusable

Do you know if I have to take the passenger hub nut off to be able to pull that shaft out? Like was saying Id say its just about out but its hard to see

 

[TeamFury]

It will make it much easier to remove the tranny. Use a torch and heat it up, grab you 1/2" ratchet and a breaker bar. Had to weld my tranny last week same thing and those hub nut's are a pain to break loose. If you have access to a air tools that will come off no problem.

 

[luv2rallye]

You don't have to remove the axels from the hubs at all. See: http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/newbie-forum/316646-pulling-transmission-tomorrow.html#post151688536

 

[1Gina2G]

You don't have to remove the axels from the hubs at all. See: http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/newbie-forum/316646-pulling-transmission-tomorrow.html#post151688536

So does this work out for both side's? I can see how i could get more space for the passenger side since that's what the pic showed, I thought it was for sure that I had to atleast remove the driver's side hub nut

 

[turbo98eclipse]

So does this work out for both side's? I can see how i could get more space for the passenger side since that's what the pic showed, I thought it was for sure that I had to atleast remove the driver's side hub nut

Ive dropped my trans about 7x in the last year and its how I do it all the time... though you may want to resolve the problem you have with cross-threaded axle nuts now while you have them out of the trans. Get a socket and a (long) breaker bar and it should be done in no time

 

[99gst_racer]

So does this work out for both side's? I can see how i could get more space for the passenger side since that's what the pic showed, I thought it was for sure that I had to atleast remove the driver's side hub nut

That method will work on both sides.

And for future reference, a 3/4" breaker bar works wonders on axle nuts. If it's really on there tight and you aren't breaking 1/2" breaker bars yet, then you aren't prying hard enough.

 

[kennyg]

And for future reference, a 3/4" breaker bar works wonders on axle nuts. If it's really on there tight and you aren't breaking 1/2" breaker bars yet, then you aren't prying hard enough.

That made me laugh cause I broke one when we were doing it on my car, but yeah, they're torqued on pretty good, and get seized on pretty good over time.

And as turbo98eclipse said you actually don't even need to remove them

 

[gastroker]

anti-seize is a wonderful thing. try it when you reassemble.

 

[demonic racing]

If it is honestly so bad you can't get it off with a breaker bar then take it back to the shop that just did your work. they should take care of it or show you its not that tight and you just need to drop the purse and turn the nut....... Well that's what I would do at my work.

 

[Mjrsplat]

As its been stated, they are on extremely tight. Remember when torquing them down that they need to be put on just as tight, otherwise you'll eat through wheel bearings and wonder why.

 

[crash89]

I agree with Calan, put some heat on it then hit it with the impact.

Do the axles NEED to be out to remove the trans? No. Does it help? Yep! Ive pulled my trans numerous times without taking the axles all the way out, its just another thing to work around though..

 

[1Gina2G]

Since my last post, I've been spraying a cupple cans of PB and other penetrating oils on the lower control arms bolt on both sides, and the hub nuts. The LCA bolt with the damper fork is already out on both sides, a lot easier than the bolts closer to the engine and transmission.

The driver's side nut for the LCA is so worn out and rusted it just needs to get broken off so I've been trying to split it with a metal chizzle set + hammer. Going to buy an air chizzle tomorrow and it should finish where I left off. I bought a 'heavy duty nut splitter' from the car parts store and it wasn't helping at all.

The passenger side is actually a lot better with the oil, but I can't figure out what size the nut or the bolt is!! The closest thing that matches up is an 11/16 but it's smaller slightly. 16mm and 17mm to small 18 fits barely like the 11/16 but 18mms way to big. I don't understand.

 

[linen88]

They are usually just a 11/16 I would just get a sawzall in there nd cut it off as close to flush as you can and pound it out nd just get a new bolt seems to work for me when I cant get them off

 

[1Gina2G]

They are usually just a 11/16 I would just get a sawzall in there nd cut it off as close to flush as you can and pound it out nd just get a new bolt seems to work for me when I cant get them off

I have no idea what size they are, 11/16 is close but you can tell that it's smaller than 11/16, the 11/16 will strip the nut.

I really like the idea of cutting the bolt close and punching it out, sounds totally possible now. Im going to hold off on the air chizzle and just get a new metal blade for the saw. Ill update afterwards, really want to get these axles out of the way so I can pull the engine out.

 

[98mitsubishigst]

if your gonna reuse the axles, the way i do it is..

1. Take the center caps out of the wheels you have, have the wheels on the ground so they can't spin, heat the nut, and use a impact wrench, and it'll come right off..

2. If that doesn't work, you can't take the bolt from the upper control arm off, and the 2 trailer arm bolts connected to the body of the car, take the tie rod nut off, and take the brake line off. and you can literally pull the axle out of the transmission and your good to go.

I didn't read any other posts, so this could be repeats.

 

[nitroazz]

I use a dremel or rotary tool or anything else that cuts to get at rusty bolts. I'll let you know right now though, almost every bolt that doesn't come off nicely seems to be a special order mitsu bolt.

I would do what has been stated already to get the axle nut off. I would use the 3/4" drive bar if you have one. I know that it'll feel like a lot at 188# of torque but that is nothing. Try working on a semi truck or a tank. The torque there is ridiculous.

Good luck

 

[1Gina2G]

Okay so I just finished cutting out those 2 huge bolts on both sides of the lateral arms, the side without the balljoint that connects to the body. Before I already had the damper fork bolts out and replaced because of bad threads, they only needed to be punched out though, the other side was a nightmare, 4 strong metal sawzaw blades, the bolts are apparently hardend, but I already replaced them with some new brass bolts.

Once the lateral arm was fully unbolted, the shaft was so easy to pull out!!

I bagged up the ends of where everything connects and covered where the shafts enter the transmission. Now im just waiting on my friend with the engine lift to come over

So I guess now that I got the car back on wheels, with the center peice punched out, I should try to remove the hub nuts that way? Don't I still have to remove that piece to install the shaft back into the transmission?

 

[luv2rallye]

So I guess now that I got the car back on wheels, with the center peice punched out, I should try to remove the hub nuts that way? Don't I still have to remove that piece to install the shaft back into the transmission?

What center piece are you refering to (now I'm confused)?
Didn't you unbolt the damper fork and both control arms at the chassis so you could swing the axle out of the tranny (leaving it still in the hub)? Then you don't need to remove the hub (axle) nuts since you left it in the hub. When the tranny's back you swing the whole thing back in place (axle back in tranny).

 

[1Gina2G]

What center piece are you refering to (now I'm confused)?
Didn't you unbolt the damper fork and both control arms at the chassis so you could swing the axle out of the tranny (leaving it still in the hub)? Then you don't need to remove the hub (axle) nuts since you left it in the hub. When the tranny's back you swing the whole thing back in place (axle back in tranny).

I was talking about the 'center caps' on the rims 98mitsubishigst had mentioned. He was telling me how to remove them just a few posts up^^ but I was wondering if it needed to be removed prior to re-installation of shafts into the transmission but apparently not so that's nice.

 

[luv2rallye]

No you don't have to remove the axles from the hubs at all (nor any ball joints). If you do as I stated in my last post, you can pull them out of the tranny while still in the hubs and just swing them out of the way (down and rearward works good).