10 replies to this topic

[ghostleader101]

TRying to get this nut off as im restoring my mini and need to overhul the hubs and brakes.

The drivers side was fibe with no problems but this one is not budging.
i have been tought at college that wheel nuts, hub nuts will tighten more on that side compared to the drivers side because of the motion of the wheels. but this is silly how tight it is. if i try to undo it pulling the ratchet the wheel lifts up and it spins the engine ( which is in reverse but has no head on it). and if i push it it just spins the wheel.

im trying to do this on my own so cant have help pressing the brakes (which dont work anyway haha) so is there anything i can do? i have also sprayed wd40 on it but that had not helped

Cheers
Rob

[jaydee]

i have been tought at college that wheel nuts, hub nuts will tighten more on that side compared to the drivers side because of the motion of the wheels.

If that has happened, the nut would have ripped off the split pin................
I'not surprised, i' used to do this stuff alone and this may happen..Anyway, chock all the wheels, handbrake on, 1st gear on, 6ft breaker bar and it will come out. WD40 is no help with such stuff.

[ghostleader101]

Thanks :)
the engine doesnt have a head on so doent hold much resistance, and i have no brakes. il use my exhaust laying around as a lever bar as thats all i have haha. i think i need to be stronger ;) if i had a compresor and air gun that would work shouldnt it?

Thanks again :)

[SA MINI]

I there any way you could sit the car on its wheels. Put blocks behind the wheels. Use a long breaker bar to loosen it off.

[ghostleader101]

yeah its on all 4 wheels atm, put the blocks behind, i have one of those like bars with the socket atachment thing on it, i would say its about half an inch thick and i used the exhaust as a longer lever and it bent the bar :/
also can i say the pin that holds the nut was really hard to get off and was a bit bent so i had to fiddle around with it getting it off.

i dont think this nut has come off in a lng long time haha

[dow62]

Back left hand hub nut is L/h thread, can someone confirm this, or shoot me down in flames !

[danie garry]

take all the air out of the wheel and thenhave the car on the ground and use the socket through the center of the wheel

[cooperdan]

I used a chizel and a hammer and knocked each side of the nut once, worked, just be carful not to sheer sides off, little taps each side

[tiger99]

Back L/H is indeed left hand thread, but the problem here is supposed to be the front, which is definitely R/H thread.

I am going to suggest something which may seem daft, but has the laws of physics behind it. Wheel on ground, chocked. Now take a SHORT breaker bar (or a long one but apply the load close in, i.e. within the wheel diameter), and arrange it forwards from the hub, and as close to horizontal as possible. Now, get as much weight on it as possible (stand on it), and add some hard whacks with a hammer too. The hammer blows can be at a larger radius, to avoid hammering your foot, and you will need two people obviously.

Why might it work? Just suppose the torque needed to shift the nut was 300 ft lbs (ok, it will be way higher in this case!) With a 3 foot breaker bar, you would apply 100 lbs, which would generate 300 ft lbs of torque, but only add 100 lbs download to add to the friction between tyre and ground. With a 1 foot breaker bar, you need to apply 300 lbs, which puts 300 extra lbs on the tyre contact patch, giving lots of extra friction.

Last desperate measure, but I had to do this once. Jack the car up high on the left, so right hand wheel is carrying as much weight as possible, Left hand wheel may be off. Breaker vertically upwards, and pack between it and rear of inner wheel arch with a heavy block of wood. You will need to have steering slightly to left. (That way the reaction will not try to lift the car). Hold the wheel tightly. Reverse gear, and a few quick jabs of the starter.

If all else fails,use an angle grinder to cut away as much of the nut as possible without going right through to the thread. When only a thin section is left, it will be loose.

[ibrooks]

You planning to change the discs?

[waddle]

pluz gaz, or equivelent, leave it a while,then try tightening it , coa anymovement allows the lubricent in , if that fails warm it up witha blow torch , and tapp it with a hammer, then tru undoing it, or stun it out with the air gun :)