Rear axle shaft castellated nut torque? Is it really 289-40

[Guest Anonymous]

What do you need to do to secure the hub from rotating when torqueing? I'm guessing that you mount a wheel and tire, and then brace the tire....

Any ideas.

02MonsterMike

[Guest Anonymous]

(nt)

[Guest Anonymous]

but doesn't have all the weight on it yet, just enough to keep it from moving.

Now, since it sounds like you just replaced the hub, how the hell do you get that thing off. I have the nut removed, I have the puller on there, but the hub just isn't moving. Even using 80 psi on my air impact wrench. I have to get this thing off so that I can replace it since one of my studs is no good. I was hoping to be able to replace the stud but noticed the groves in the hole it goes in are also striped.

[Guest Anonymous]

It sounds like the only option you have left is to heat up the hub's connection to axle shaft. Use a propane or oxyactylene torch.

-philip h.

[Guest Anonymous]

His claim is that people tighten the crap out of them and that is why they break. His recommendation was to torque them to 217 lbs and then you have an aditional 54 lbs to torque to get a pin to drop in. I use 217 on the race car.

Bob

[Guest Anonymous]

If you look at the stub axle you will see that it has been center drilled on both ends so that it could be turned on a lathe. Use the center drilled hole on the outboard end to put a center punch in (once you have removed the outboard cv connection)and tap the center punch with a large hammer to drift the stub axle out of the output flange. This will also prevent ruining the threads as can sometimes happen when hitting the stub axle with the nut installed.

shermanmartinez@hotmail.com

[Guest Anonymous]

axle by hand? I'm thinking that it would bind like hell...

Right now, I can get the nut on, but I don't even see the hole to put the cotter pin in yet.....

I'm thinking that either the bearing are not seated correctly, or something is not installed correctly.

Does anybody have a drawing of how things are supposed to fit together....something like an engineering print? John from MI? do you have anything?

How far are the shaft seals supposed to fit inside the hub? or are they supposed to sit flush?

The optional spacers with varying thickness....I know that they vary by 0.1mm...but the original should fit right back in and work? right?

TIA

02MonsterMike

[Guest Anonymous]

The axle should turn freely by hand with NO binding. It is similar to torquing the input flange on a differential, despite the torque applied the input flange turns freely. The seals should be flush with the edges of the trailing arm. If you kept the original spacers and did not switch them side to side either they should fit fine. From the inboard side, the spacer is inserted and then the wheel bearing is drifted/tapped into place followed by the seal. You can now insert the spacer tube from the outboard side followed by the outboard wheel bearing then the seal then the output flange.

shermanmartinez@hotmail.com

[Guest Anonymous]

Interspersed comments:

"When finally assembled and torqued correctly...can you turn the axle by hand? I'm thinking that it would bind like hell..."

Should turn easily, if you look at how the spacer tube is posistioned, it bears on the inner race of the two bearings. The distance between the two bearings is adjusted by the shims set into the STA (semi-trailing arm) hub bore, that bear against the outer race. These distances need to be correct, or you are acting to pull the bearing apart.

Some time back, you posted about locating a replacement spacer tube. I replied that you should not assume the replacement tube will use the same shim size as the OE set. What did you come up with?

"Right now, I can get the nut on, but I don't even see the hole to put the cotter pin in yet.....

I'm thinking that either the bearing are not seated correctly, or something is not installed correctly."

Sure sounds like things are not seated, or somethings amiss.

Bearings correct & new?

Grease packed correctly?

Shims selected per shop manual (required if tube/STA/shims are not a "set" as removed.)

The shim fits in the STA hub.

One bearing can then be pressed into the STA hub, be certain it seats against the shim.

The spacer is fitted into the STA hub to rest between the bearings.

The second bearing can be seated into the STA hub.

The two grease seals are then seated - flush is fine, really depends on the exact width of the seal chosen. Just make sure it's square in the bore and not tilted.

Then the stub axle is inserted thru the bearing IDs (may take effort to persuade). Use a new dust protector shield on the stub axle, they are cheap.

With the correct parts installed, the drive flange hub & castle nut will go on with the cotter pin holes visible.

And the axle must turn without any binding or strong effort.

Take a look at the parts layout on the wheel bearing diagram in the rear axle section of the HTK, or go to the realoem website

Read the shop manual for the torques & type/amount of grease, and the procedure to ensure the shim is correct for the STA & spacer tube you have now.

Inspect your stub axles for corrosion stress cracks in the splines, and ensure the surface where the bearings set is not galled. Replace them if any doubt, losing a wheel is best avoided!

[Guest Anonymous]

(nt)

[Guest Anonymous]

This picture is how it looks now. (Except for the nut) Does anything else need to be removed before I pull the hub off, or should it just slide off?

And where can I get hubs and how much?

[Guest Anonymous]

I don't recommend the 'nut' trick where you stick it on the end and whack it with a hammer. The nut is soft enough that you can still deform the threads.

Heat the hub with a torch with a hub puller on it, that's the best way I can think of doing it. After 30 years, most are pretty reluctant to be separated.

[Guest Anonymous]

(nt)

[Guest Anonymous]

So...just to make sure....the inboard bearing is pressed in...flush with the STA..until its seated down on the outer race....seal goes in square until its flush with the edge....

Then on outboard side...the long spacer/collar is put inside...makes contact with the inner race of the inboard bearing....the shim is placed inside the STA, then the second bearing is inserted until it seats it's outer race onto the shim....simultaneously the inner race makes contact with the long spacer/collar.

The outboard seal is tapped in square and flush.

Stub axle tapped in (with new dust cover) until inner race of inboard bearing makes contact with shoulder on stub axle.....hub then inserted over splines and castle nut should spin on and cotter pin hole should be visible.

I'm going to have to pull this crap apart tonight and make sure that the bearing are seated correctly, and I'll measure the shims and everything to make sure that they are not "pulling the bearings" apart when torqued.

Thanks John...my fellow Michigander.

[Guest Anonymous]

The diagrams always show the shim behind the outer bearing, but this is just because it makes it easier to take the measurements from the outside (like if the STA is on the car.) I think it works the same if you'd install it on either side.

What the shims do is provide the correct space between the bearings, this is the axial "play" adjustment.

If the shims are too thin, the spacer tube could try to push out the inner race while you are seating the second bearing. The tube should not be "stuck" with both bearings fitted, that's a sign of no clearance.

If the shims are too thick, you can still seat the bearings, but the drive flange and stub axle will force the inner races inward as you tighten the axle nut.

The clearance (0.002" - 0.004") is designed to provide just the correct loading on the bearing inners when the axle nut is torqued to the correct spec.

As described above, you can see this is what's responsible for holding the bearing races themselves in good alignment.

The shims were available in increments of 0.05 mm, same parts also for E21.