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I have an 02 SSEi and I am trying to replace the passenger side wheel bearing as I had it scanned and it shows that it is throwing codes for the ABS and TRAC OFF lights. I removed the wheel and got my axle socket on there and the thing will NOT budge. I looked closer and noticed that the part where you screw the nut onto the CV shaft it really rusty. Any ideas as to how I can get this axle nut off with a really rusty CV spindle?

PB Blaster, heat, more ft lbs.

Do you have access to an Impact Wrench? Electric, Cordless or Air? That's the best way to get them off. Our Milwaukee 1/2" Cordless knocks them off no problem. Either an impact or a long breaker bar and some penetrating lube. They're a bear to get off. Also, make sure you're using a 34 MM axle nut socket, not a chrome socket.

Yeah I have the 34 MM axle nut. I had a big breaker bar that I was using and the friggin nut was so tight that it was bending the breaker bar. I actually never even thought of using an impact gun. Silly me. I will try that tomorrow along with some PB Blaster I found in the garage.

well i tried using the impact gun and PB blaster and it still will not come loose. I really dont think I will be able to change this wheel bearing without putting in a new CV axle. There are no visible threads left to the end of the cv axle because the rust ruined it, therefore that is why i cant get my nut to budge/turn at all. So, if I were to do this I would need a replacement CV axle along with a new steering knuckle right? Since the cv axle is bolted to the wheel bearing which goes through the steering knuckle I believe.

We have a metal fence post for this reason and is exactly how I had to break that nut lose on both sides of both Bonnies. If you can find something really long that you can slide onto your breaker bar and use for extra leverage. Like this.

I consider myself pretty competent on mechanical repairs but I had a bearing that i absolutely could not get off. I tried heat, PB Blaster and combinations of the two and as much force as I thought I could put on it without breaking something.
I actually thought I was going to have to replace the entire knuckle but I decided to break down and take into a mechanic that I trust. Even he said that he had a really, really tough time getting it out of there.
About all I can offer is that a propane torch like I used may not generate enough heat to expand it enough to get it out of there.

WhiteArrow3800 wrote:We have a metal fence post for this reason and is exactly how I had to break that nut lose on both sides of both Bonnies. If you can find something really long that you can slide onto your breaker bar and use for extra leverage. Like this.

If you have something like that, this is a good way to go. I've had to use a long pipe like that for some, also.

I've removed dozens of axle nuts, and never had any problems. Just a 34mm socket and my 24" breaker bar, with a screwdriver stuck in the rotor to keep it from rotating.

WhiteArrow3800 wrote:We have a metal fence post for this reason and is exactly how I had to break that nut lose on both sides of both Bonnies. If you can find something really long that you can slide onto your breaker bar and use for extra leverage. Like this.

u needed that to torque a head bolt?

My breaker bar was a decent size and thickness and when I put a lot of force on it it was bending. With mine, the area where the threads are is rusted so bad that there doesnt appear to even be any more threads. If that makes sense. Any idea where I can get a bigger and stronger tube/bar like the one pictured?

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

I think you need to buy a bigger/better bar. Our 1/2" craftsman bar has had my 350lb self jumping on it and not bent. I can't wait to see what our 3/4" Breaker bar will do. That thing is huge.

I agree with Ed. What brand is your breaker bar? If it was truly bending, let it bend, and then bring it for a replacement. No breaker bar should bend with only human force.

I've snapped a 3/8" Harbor Freight breaker bar before. And I'm a lightweight.

What the heck is the point of a 3/8" breaker bar? I'm assuming it broke at the head?

1/2" breaker bar with a 36" long pipe did it for me. I had a hard time using it to remove the head bolts on the engine I last worked on. Much more force required to remove that to torque up.
Axle nut torque is about 140 ft-lbs to install IIRC but I don't have my book here now to check.

110 ft-lbs I believe.

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.

I just checked the specs for the axle nut torque at 118 ft-lbs