Found rear hub nut could be moved by hand, lucky for the split pin. This is on a Type 3 1971 so what size socket do I need to buy to fit, I have been told 36mm but want to check and confirm.

Thanks, Andrew

[ Edited on 20-12-2006 by GTMac ]

Sorry, Andrew,
can't remember, but i think it is 36mm Socket...

You are lucky the splines on the axle or the brake drum haven't worn badly....
or the split pin didn't shear off...

Its very important to have them done up to 253 ft lbs...
for IRS axles which is very tight...
a 6ft piece of pipe on the end of a socket bar will do....
and put all Your weight on it....
Non IRS axles are around 217 ft lbs..
[these figures vary from manual to manual....]
couldn't find the size of the nut??

cheers

Lee

http://community.webshots.com/user/vw68autobug 

yep 36mm 3/4 inch drive, dont bother with
super cheap they only go up to 32mm !

yep they are 36mm nuts. Big arse ones.

Lee, to get them tight enough with out a huge torque wrench work on the following.

They need to be tightened up to 253ft pounds. Thats a wieght of 253 pounds placed on one end of a bar 1 foot long. The other end has the socket.

If the bar is 2 foot long then the weight requirement placed on the bar gets less.

If you weigh 100kgs thats 220ft pounds pressure if you are standing on the end of that 1ft long bar??

If the bar is 6ftlong then you need a lot less weight applied at the end to get your 253ft pounds. Certainly not you entire wieght unless you wieght f/all.

Some maths involved in there somewhere. I do know that they tighten up a lot easier they loosen off after 50 years of tightness

Yep 36mm 3/4drive, last time I looked I think the socket was about $25 for a ok brand from a tool shop not BigW!

It is worth spending some good money on one as the flywheel nut is the same size.

Empi makes a spanner that is used with a very big hammer. It's about 8 inches long and 1/2 an inch thich and shaped sort of like a figure of 8. It has a 36 mm ring spanner in one end and a 1/2 inch drive hole in the other end. To use it you put the gear box out of gear to not have shock loads in the differentioal, put the hand brake on, sit on the ground, put one boot on the spanner to stop it from flying off and belt it with the hammer. I've had one for years. I've never had any problems with its use.

To get the nut tight enough, you need to go to the next split pin hole after a sort of tight fit. Drive for a few kilometres and check the tempertature of the wheel bearing, If it's hot/warm the nut is too tight, so loosen it off a pin hole. otherwise its good to go.

The first time I crossed the Nullarbor in my buggy, I needed some stores in Ceduna and when I was in the service station someone told me that the left wheel nut was loose. I had had a feeling that something in the rear of the car was a bit wobbly, but I hadn't thought to check the rear wheel nuts. I pulled out the Empi spanner and hammer and fixed the problem. The man who told me about the loose nut said that every time he goes near a Beetle he checks that nut, as it is often loose. If I had gone out into the desert with that loose nut I could have had a real problem. As a result I check my rear wheel nuts as often as I check the oil. So far OK.

>Its very important to have them done up to 253 ft lbs...
for IRS axles which is very tight...
a 6ft piece of pipe on the end of a socket bar will do....
and put all Your weight on it....
Non IRS axles are around 217 ft lbs..
[these figures vary from manual to manual....]
couldn't find the size of the nut??<

Read Grey 57 on this one............ Top of the class mate! Don't forget to lubricate both the thread as well as the face of the nut which is in contact with the hub otherwise much of the force is lost. Too many people OVERtighten many components on their machinery which also causes failure. Using a bar 6ft long and puting a force of 100 kg will do just that.

DH



DH

[ Edited on 18/12/2006 by 1500S ]

Hi

I have a 3/4 tension wrench, you would be surprised how little effort is needed on the tension wrench to get the correct torque on the axle nuts or flywheel gland nuts, I must have been over tightening for years.

Steve

So Steve you reckon a 75kg bloke standing on a usual-length (2ft) breaker bar is too much? That's how I usually do it

Hi Glen

A 75kg weight on a 2ft bar would equal 150kg or 330.693 lbs of pressure. Have you ever broken any gland nuts?

Steve

Thanks guys, found it at Repco for $18, seems like good quality and has there life time warranty on it. Also Total Tools had the sliding T bar for $50. Im sure neither are going to get over used, well I hope not.

If Im reading correctly Glenn, 150kg not 150lbs. 75kg on 2ft bar is 330lbs