axel removal w/o impact wrench

On 17 Feb 2005 19:05:15 GMT, Seth Graham scribbled this interesting note:

Read up on the subject. Here's a couple of articles regarding it. I'm sure there are many more, but these were easy to find.

-- John Willis (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

...and while I have been around this debate for years....and do concur with the principles involved. I must say I really cannot accept that the impact gun is putting any more strain on my bearings...than say...hitting a pothole at 30mph will do. Furthermore, the bearings in question are very robust. I just examined the original 30 year old bearings in my axel assemble a few weeks ago when rebuilding the rear suspension...examined...repacked with grease and continued using. Yes I have had to replace these bearings before....but, as yet, never twice on the same car regardless of abuse. Of course any good mud dipping should warrant a repack....and as always, your mileage may vary. So...not to be confrontational, but how many people have actually seen adverse results from using the wrong method. Yes I understand the micro-faceting in concept. But how many of you have had a documented early failure due in part or wholey to this abuse? Just wondering here really.

...Gareth

I agree. A pneumatic impact gun only produces torque. It does not place a radial load on the nut/bearings like one of those slug wrenches does. I'd bet that normal driving is much harder on the bearings than an impact gun.

Sweet. Does this mean it's ok that I used my impact wrench every time I was removing/replacing wheels/tires on my baja? ;-)

On Thu, 17 Feb 2005 21:03:16 GMT, Gary Tateosian scribbled this interesting note:

principles involved. I must say I really cannot accept that the impact gun is putting any more strain on my bearings...than say...hitting a pothole at 30mph will do. Furthermore, the bearings in question are very robust. I just examined

rebuilding the rear suspension...examined...repacked with grease and continued using. Yes I have had to replace these bearings before....but, as yet, never twice on the same car regardless of abuse. Of course any good mud dipping should

confrontational, but how many people have actually seen adverse results from using the wrong method. Yes I understand the micro-faceting in concept. But how many of you have had a documented early failure due in part or wholey to this abuse?

It is a good question, but with the appropriate methods so easy to use, why take the chance? Beefy angle iron for the anti-torque tool, a slug wrench welded to a long, beefy iron bar, and these nuts spin right off. If they don't, a die grinder makes short work of those nuts. And you don't run the risk of premature failure.

-- John Willis (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

I have had a set of rear bearings not last long at all by using the impact method.................Could have been the product, but they were german parts that I put in..................Could have been something else................But I am fairly sertain that these were done properly with the one exception..............IMPACT wrench.

they lasted less than two years, and probably less than 20k miles..

And.............They were way , way, way hammered when removed........

The "micro facetting" is called brinnelling in aviation instruction. I think the guy that discovered it was a guy named Brinnel..........LOL

It is also a method used to harden some items, as it does work harden the metal. I don't recall any particular item that is/was hardened that way, but it is a known process.

There is also a Brinnell Tester, for checking the hardness of a product. Some are used for metal hardness, some for other materials.

One , try not to hold me to this one too big, I believe was used on Fabric layups on old Cloth Covered Airplanes.............to make sure the covering would do the job.............( they did the testing on a piece built specifically for testing , made at the same time as the rest of the coverings and of the some process in time and materials to have a destructible testing method for comparison sake)

once again, I don't recommend the Air Impact. Seems like all of us have our experiences...............and for the record............and to not really quote Bob Hoover, but I guess pretty much the same idea.

You're the boss of your car. You do what you deem necessary. Even if you know better.

LOL

Remove "YOURPANTIES" to reply

MUADIB®

Yes, just so long as everything is done in a professional manner. ;-)

Seriously, removing = ok/replacing = use a torque wrench, IMHO.

-- Scott

~6' cheater, 250lbs of force at the end.

Animal

Too late. Its on the way. I've also managed to find a 1", 5 foot breaker plus a 36 mm 1" socket which isnt' a deep well. (Hard to apply the proper force with a deep-well impact socket when using a breaker bar.

Even through I'm getting these tools, I'll still chisel the @#$# thing off this weekend. If its so rusted and corroded that none of these tools works, screw it; I'll buy a $5.00 castle nut.

Animal

~$350.00 for an electric compressor that runs off of household current and has enough flow at 90psi for ~250ft/lbs. I can get an entire stock engine rebuild kit for that plus have enough left over for beer.

And I won't even entertain the notion of rewiring my garage for 220V. I could get a running Bug with the money that would cost.

Animal

Mine cost me about £135 uk pounds (about $200us ? )

And I use the compressor for loads of other uses too. -

cheap spray gun £20ukp is the main use and a gallon of high build primer- much saved on buying spray tins etc Makes a good job on a top color coat too. under seal ... ...

Take your flywheel off too ! and other subburn nuts and bolts

Put air in your tyres in seconds. How many times did you run with a bit less air in them just becuase it might take 5 minutes a wheel instead of

Plus its lets you work on your own without having to plan things around getting help .

Just my view.

Rich

Animal wrote:

I've used the maul method with no problem. It's like everything else, don't overdo it!

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you can't buy the parts for a stock rebuild for that...often times "kit" = junk

Nonsense! Engine rebuild kit, $250. Chrome dress-up kit, $50.

i think you should go for it...

..............He'd have to stay away from the mud with all that shiny but quick to rust chrome on his short-lived crappy engine with cheap JC Whitney parts in it.

timmy

Mud? Moi?!?!? I never!!!

Oh, I have to disagree.. J.C. Whitney uses that quality rustoleum chrome paint. Not the cheapy stuff normally found elsewhere.