13 replies to this topic

[CMcB]

heya, ive been stupid enough to take off the front calliper without undoing the hub nut.

any quick tips for getting this off without reattaching calliper?

sorry and thanks

[WiredbyWilson]

put wheel back on, lowere to ground - access hub nut through hole in wheel oh and make sure the handbrake is on

[CMcB]

its on axle stands atm... is it still easier to take it off them than anything else - or am i just being lazy trying to do it on stands?

[Jammy]

Find a long metal pole (20mm square tube is ideal), put between the wheel studs. The end of the pole will hit the floor and stop the flange turning.

[WiredbyWilson]

no stands is the best way.

maybe drop it off stands to get the nut undone of put caliper back on.

[ian]

I always do it the way JB said, just use a crow bar between two of the wheel studs, be careful you dont pull it off the axle stand though.

[WiredbyWilson]

or scratch your paint work

[Ethel]

Stick the wheel nuts back on to protect the threads.

[mini13]

I'd put a wheel on and lower it.

In the past I have used a bar between the wheel studs but have found that this can caus the studs to break when they are retightened.

[minorconfusion]

seems a bit of a tough thing to do to the studs tho.. id be afraid of them snapping, can get a silly cheap impact wrench that plugs in a ciggy lighter or onto the batt from argos for 20 quid.

[steveobennet]

a silly cheap impact wrench won't even remove wheel nuts, especially electric ones! i had to cut mine off in the end.

[Kerrin]

I second this, I had a stud bend and had to replace it. you would have had to take the wheels off to remove the split pin anyway, save yourself any more damage to anything else and put the caliper and wheel back on. It may be quicker in the long run.

I'd put a wheel on and lower it.

In the past I have used a bar between the wheel studs but have found that this can caus the studs to break when they are retightened.

[benno]

I second this, I had a stud bend and had to replace it. you would have had to take the wheels off to remove the split pin anyway, save yourself any more damage to anything else and put the caliper and wheel back on. It may be quicker in the long run.

I'd put a wheel on and lower it.

In the past I have used a bar between the wheel studs but have found that this can caus the studs to break when they are retightened.

Had a major problem with mine as I had the hub off the car. As far as I'm aware, the hub nuts are notoriously hard to get off anyway.
The Haynes manual shows a useful tool you can make easily, two flat peices of steel bar (B&Q do it) one short one long, drilled at one end to match studs and short piece bolted to long on to make a Y shape (or more acuratly a K with the bottom leg removed!). You then put that on the studs and put the nuts back on. Then its much the same as what everyone else says about it bearing out against the floor as you try to undo the nut. Less chance of damaging the threads like this.

I still couldn't free mine, so I drilled down through the thick section of the castle nut and twonked it with a chisel down through the outer most edge of the drilled hole to make a groove and then with the chisel in the groove in the direction it should come off to break/rotate it - with a bit of practice (ie one side) it was a five minute job. Down side is you need new nuts - mine were £12 a set which included the pin and the thrust washer thing for both sides - from mini speed.
Good luck!

[CMcB]

have tried with wheel on ground and with jack bar between studs, but because i dont have a long bar am just using spanner/ratchet length.

I was able to stand on the spanner with both feet and jiggle up and down with no luck.

will have to source a breaker bar.

thanks