20 replies to this topic

[Hugh Jass]

Hi,

 

1989, log book says 998 City E, but its not.

 

Bought in bits and my subframe/engine is out (no bakes connected).

 

The caliper is off and the piston is seized but I will try and free that later. 

 

The hub locking nut looks like a castle and I am about to get medieval on it. 

 

I read up on it and it is supposed to be tight but just wanted to check that it's not a left hand thread? The books don't mention that. 

 

I put the wheel back on for support and I am lifting the subframe/engine off the floor and it won't budge. Only tried lefty-loosy so far.

 

Worried that I spent my Sunday slightly tightening it?

 

Could I just leave it and do my ball joints with it on? 

 

Thanks in again in advance. 

 

 

 

 

Attached Files

•  20190114-Engine_Subframe.jpg   67.78K   2 downloads
•  20190114-Castle_Nut.jpg   44.75K   1 downloads

[nicklouse]

There is only one left hand thread on a Mini and it is not on the front.

 

pressing down is always easier.

[rich_959]

I remember having a real battle to get mine off, and that was while they were on the car with weight on the wheels (doing it with centre cap removed). Standing on the long arm extension.

[humph]

Had to get an impact gun on mine eventually.

[Hugh Jass]

Haven't got an impact gun, although Aldi/Lidl had some in. 

 

Looks like I might have to find a friend to stand on the wheel. 

 

The wife is quite heavy. 

[rich_959]

As Nick says - easier if you can push down. Move the bar 180 degrees! Get the subframe sat stable and wedged against something so that you can push (or stand) down heavily on a good quality long bar with the correct socket, so that there isn't any play. If it's as tight as mine was, you may even just spin the wheel if you don't have a full cars weight on it. 

[Hugh Jass]

Thanks, I'll get longer bar or extension and push down.

 

My socket is tight but not hexagonal more like a ring spanner on the inside. Think I'll get a hexagonal one.

[nicklouse]

Thanks, I'll get longer bar or extension and push down.

 

My socket is tight but not hexagonal more like a ring spanner on the inside. Think I'll get a hexagonal one.

if it is the right size it does not matter.

 

you can always het the angle grinder out and then the cold chisel and split the nut off as many people resort to when it is not on the car.

[andyapanel]

Yes, it sounds as though you need a long extension pipe to increase the torque you are applying. +1 for standing on it.

If it still won't move, try a bit of heat, but be careful of all the rubber components nearby.

Good luck

[dyshipfakta]

Impact gun worth the investment you will use it again. 2 seconds and off

[jime17]

They're so tight you might need an air driven impact gun rather than a battery job.

Last one I did one up I had the wheel on the ground, someone on the brakes a 3 ft breaker bar with a 3ft length of scaffold pole on the end to get it past the split pin hole.

I could see the knuckle on the breaker bar approaching the failure point!

Edited by jime17, 14 January 2019 - 01:08 PM.

[jime17]

Could you put a wheel on that side? Then maybe ratchet strap the subframe down to something to give the wheel traction?

Or a bar through one ofvthe holes in a steel wheel braced against the subframe?

[slidehammer]

You need the assembly well braced, so all the force you apply is transferred to the nut. The other thing you could try is getting the nut red hot with a blow lamp which might help break it's grip. Good luck. Not that it helps you, but it is far easier with it all assembled on the car and road wheel on the ground accessing the nut through the centre of the wheel.

[mini13]

with the subframe like that you might be onto a looser as you really need to keep the wheel from turning with the braks on, nut is done to 150ft Lb or more, if you need to get it off it might be easiest to slit the nut with a chisel and replace it, mind the cv threads though!

 

I would steer clear of heating it as the heat is going to tracel up the CV and maybe cook the bearing./ seals

[jime17]

I saw a guy on a website somewhere who had removed the caliper and Then found that he couldn't get the castleated nut undone.

He got a sheet of ply. Drilled 4 holes for wheel studs. One bigger hole in the centre and with the long straight end on the deck it allowed him enough leverage to undo the nut.

As I was reading it I thought it was bonkers but by all accounts it worked.