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We have a 3/8" breaker bar, Andrew. It's nice for tight spaces. The only time I use it is for the S/C tensioner, it fits in there perfectly with the torx socket.

2000Silverbullet wrote:I just checked the specs for the axle nut torque at 118 ft-lbs

A little more is better than not enough.

LOL. I should have remembered the 118 as I just did my front hubs.

I just crank them tight with the impact. The threads on my stock axles are so boogered up there is no way I'd be able to get an accurate torque. Like I've always said. There are some critical torque areas, but this isn't one of them.

mjtr21 wrote:I plan on getting a different breaker bar indeed. From the looks of the bearing it looks like the original and my car has almost 130,000 miles on it. No wonder its humming and throwing an ABS code.

Where are you located?

There are some critical torque areas, but this isn't one of them.

Huh!? The axle nut is not critical? Shame on you Ed.

If you over torque there is a risk of putting too much pressure on the bearing, then youll have premature wear.

01bonneSC wrote:I would take a wire brush and try to clean the threads so you can really see what they look like

This is what I would do, too. Trying to turn a nut off into a badly rusted thread area can make the problem worse. I have a really stiff, (heavy wires) small wire brush wheel with a 1/4" shank that is very aggressive. I use it on a die grinder or a drill for really rusty stuff like this. Get that rust off as close to the nut as you can, then soak both sides of the nut with PB. Tap all around the nut with a small hammer on the flats, and squirt it again. Give it at least a half hour to work. If that doesn't get it, try heat on the nut. When you get the nut good and hot, it will expand and be much more likely to break loose. For a cheater bar, I use a heavy-wall piece of rectangular steel stock. It is about 4 or 5 feet long and fits over my 1/2" flex handle or 3/4" breaker bar. When I jump up and down on the end of that bar, things break loose, or just plain break. Whatever few dollars I paid for that bar it at the local welding shop has repaid me many times.

Well I have up and brought it to my friends garage. They put heat to it and found out that there was nothing left for threads and that nut isnt coming off. He thinks that someone mustve screwed the nut on with an impact gun and stripped the threads by screwing it on crooked. So I went and bought a new axle yesterday and waiting for a used knuckle to come in. They're just going to unbolt and detach the knuckle and pull the whole thing out at once (axle, knuckle, bearing) and put the replacement parts in.

mjtr21 wrote:Well I have up and brought it to my friends garage. They put heat to it and found out that there was nothing left for threads and that nut isnt coming off. He thinks that someone mustve screwed the nut on with an impact gun and stripped the threads by screwing it on crooked. So I went and bought a new axle yesterday and waiting for a used knuckle to come in. They're just going to unbolt and detach the knuckle and pull the whole thing out at once (axle, knuckle, bearing) and put the replacement parts in.

Was there a way to split the nut to get it off? That would save replacing the knuckle.

The nut sits inside of the hub. You could probably torch the whole works off and salvage the knuckle.

definitely need to clean the threads first, then penetrating oil. I use my jack handle when I need extra torque. Also a propane torch will never heat a nut enough you need an oxy-acetylene torch and get it red but you risk damage to other parts if not careful.

I still havent had the chance to change it out due to being put on graveyard shift at work. But this week I will finally get the time to bring it to the shop and have them change it. The bearing is humming much louder now also so I need to get this changed soon. He said he will try to get the nut off with an impact but if that fails then its gonna need the new axle, knuckle combo.

If a serious Impact can't take it off, PB and the heat doesn't do it either than yeah you may need to replace it all..

I have yet to see that happen tho... Northern rust is a Biatch

That's the route we had to go. There was NOTHING left for threads on the axle and i mean NOTHING. He just disconnected the tie rod, ball joint and strut so the knuckle was free, then took the whole assembly out including the bearing, knuckle and axle. put the new parts in and it was done. took 2 hours cause the *dang* bolts for the struts were rusty too lol so he heated those up and they eventually came off. i drove off and noticed it fixed the roaring noise somewhat but i could still hear it. got home and checked for play in the other side which was only replaced about 3 months ago and what do you know its bad already. took it back to advanced auto and they gave me a replacement for free and now the car rides sooooooooo quiet. thanks for everyones suggestions!

Glad to hear you got it done