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simicrintz

Stripped front axle nut-help please

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Changed the front tire on the orange bike and stripped the shoulders on the nut with my torque wrench (it is new and I never heard it click, so naturally I kept tugging 😡).  Been trying to get the nut loose (new ones have been ordered-2 just in case...) and now have rounded the edges using a ViseGrip.  Being a stubborn German, I will continue to cuss and swear and pull and tug until I win the battle of the stuck nut, but thought I would ask if anyone has any tips that may be a bit more delicate.  I did not realize how soft that nut was until it was too late.  It is the left hand side on (sitting on the bike) in case that means anything to anyone.

Thank you for any suggestions.  It will be days before the replacement arrives so I am not in a hurry!

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Less delicate...small pipe wrench?

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Hmmmm; hadn't thought of that, Tom.  Just went down to Lowes and bought another ViceGrip and it ain't working either; dang that nut is soft!

Was gonna just sit here at the computer and feel sorry for myself;  back out to the garage to grab the pipe wrench I go!

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So the nut is not only stuck on the axle, but rounded off now, correct???

Since the nut is aluminum, welding another nut to the face of it becomes a little more difficult for us garage welders. I'm sure someone on her can weld aluminum though?

Personally, I'd start grinding a flat surface on each side of the nut, parallel to each other, so that I could then get a good size crescent wrench on it. Then heat up the nut with a propane torch. Then put some muscle on it.

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Yeah-rounded off good, LB!  I do like the idea of grinding some flat spots and trying to get some grip.  I have a medium sized pipe wrench that I tried to fit on like Tom suggested (well, he suggested a small one, which I don't have; will go get one tomorrow!) and that might work with the new flat surfaces.

I do have all of the 10 mm bolts loose, Beta (there are 2 on each side).  I actually grabbed my manual to check the proper way to do this (seems simple but I grabbed the manual anyway) so they are all loose.  Are you thinking they should not be?  I am open to all suggestions to get this %^$# thing off!

Thank you, Mark.  Mama says I need to go BBQ dinner now but I will be watching the viddy as soon as dinner is over.

Just so you guys know I am serious, there will be no ice cold Sam Adams for me until I have this resolved!

Thank you all for the help; never seen a nut this soft before and I buggered it up good!

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If the 4 10mm axle pinch bolts are loose, the axle will just spin when you turn the axle nut. Even if the axle nut is seized on the axle itself, you should be able to pretty easily spin the axle by turning the axle nut. But you are staying the axle nut won't budge at all, correct? 

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If the axle nut looks like the one in the video that is posted, you could drill a hole in the center of the nut, then tap in a short plug style easy out and back the nut off with that.  Just thinkin' out loud here.

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50 minutes ago, Oracle said:

If the 4 10mm axle pinch bolts are loose, the axle will just spin when you turn the axle nut. Even if the axle nut is seized on the axle itself, you should be able to pretty easily spin the axle by turning the axle nut. But you are staying the axle nut won't budge at all, correct? 

Nut is jammed up and nothing is turning; well-everything that I put on it turns and strips it more 😡  I'm not saying that I understand this , but the right side nut just spins (right side looking from the seat).  This seems so simple; am I just overthinking it?  Should I tighten all the 10 mm bolts up first?  Feeling pretty stupid about now.....

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50 minutes ago, Beta450 said:

Lefty loose righty tighty right?  Just saying.

Made me laugh; needed that!  And the sad thing is you have no idea how many times I have said that in the last day of messing with this.

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27 minutes ago, dirt dame said:

If the axle nut looks like the one in the video that is posted, you could drill a hole in the center of the nut, then tap in a short plug style easy out and back the nut off with that.  Just thinkin' out loud here.

Just got back in from BBQ'ing (with no icy cold Sam Adams!) and am going to watch the viddy next.  If the flat ends and wrench don't work I might have to go this route.  In the end, I don't care what gets it at this point!  Never seen such a soft nut before or a simple project create this much hassle.

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3 hours ago, simicrintz said:

my torque wrench (it is new and I never heard it click

So, a new torque wrench eh?  Inch pounds?  Foot pounds? Newton meters? I find myself checking what's what's.  I could see setting the right value to the wrong wrench.  Craftzman have both scales on one wrench. 

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That is a great viddy, Mark; thank you!  If I had not buggered up the bolt I probably would have messed up the fork alignment anyway!  The manual does not say anything about that but I can see where this could cause problems.  Maybe it is a blessing (what can I say-I'm an optimist!) that I did what I did.

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2 minutes ago, Van said:

So, a new torque wrench eh?  Inch pounds?  Foot pounds? Newton meters? I find myself checking what's what's.  I could see setting the right value to the wrong wrench.  Craftzman have both scales on one wrench. 

Went to Lowes and stood in the aisle reading reviews on what they had and walked out with the Kobalt one (never bought Kobalt before).  They had Craftsman but the reviews were not as good so I passed.  Truth is that I felt like I was over-tightening, but when it didn't click I just figured I wasn't there yet (I was looking for 25 fp).  I actually took the wrench and tightened a lug nut on my Jeep just to hear it click!   

I'm starting to think I got a lemon torque wrench (I have not used one in many years; always just went by feel.  For some reason thought I should do this right and went and bought one).  How the heck do you tell if these things are calibrated right?

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Take a dreemel grinder and cut the nut in halve, just short of touching the Axle. If the Nut tread is stripped, the nut will spin and not back out. I can come tomorrow morning and give you a hand if you need. let me know.

 

Get nicht , gibs nicht.

 

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It went in clean, Udo; I just snugged it up way too tight.  Even at that it amazes me how tight it is!  I've got to walk away from it tonight and come back with a less agitated mind and while I still have options!  Thank you very much for the offer but I've got to get this myself; stupid move on my part!

Geht nicht, gibt's nicht indeed!  And I will admit to having to look that up; I have not spoke German since I was a little kid with my grandparents and I am afraid I have lost what I had :(

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Keep thinking about this and why it can be so tight.  Bagster mentioned anti-sieze in another thread; maybe this is what happens without it?  Just can't believe this is stuck as hard as it is.

Will admit to a decent sized glass of Skrewball to try and help me think clearer.  Gotta go up to Mom's for a work party in the morning and then hope to attack this again tomorrow afternoon.  Thank you very much to all of you offering advice!

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OK I watched the video, its a bolt not a nut? So I would think the shoulder corroded a bit and bound up (dissimilar metals).  Cut a groove and use a shock screwdriver tool , the kind you hit with a hammer, maybe. Reverse drill bit down the center maybe. Cut off flush and take the axle out and take it to a machine shop?

 

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Looking at the video.

Drill the BOLT out till the Shoulder falls off and than pull the axle out. Now you can work very car full and get the rest tread out.

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It's a nut that threads in to the bottom of the fork and captures the axle.  Once you loosen the 10 mm bolts you unthread that nut and then the axle slides out.  All went well (and easy) until I went to put it back together and snugged the nut too hard and then slipped with the torque wrench.  While embarrassing, here's a few pics of the damage in the current state.  Heading up to Mom's for the work party soon and hoping to get back on this this afternoon.

Axle Bolt 1.jpeg

Axle Bolt 2.jpeg

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If I remember correctly, the nut threads into the axle (I did not look real close since I didn't expect to have problems!).  I have not found any good diagrams online yet to confirm this and am still looking.  My first blush at this point is to try and get a small pipe wrench on this while I still have some surface like Tom said.  Probably try and grind some flat spots to get a good platform like LB suggested first.  If that does not work I imagine that I will be looking more along the lines of drilling or a reversing drill bit.  The other side (right side looking down from the seat) also has a nut and it just spins.  The shoulder is much thinner so I am being very careful turning it, but that seems odd to me as it was all connected to the axle.  Maybe the axle is just captured by the nut on the other side and is floating inside of it.  Again, if I could find a good exploded diagram I wouldn't have to be guessing 😡

While I would like to blame the torque wrench (I still may take it back and get a better quality one), it was my fault.  When you guys field change a tube and have to do this, are you just using a wrench and tightening to feel?  I'll be honest and say that I never really paid much attention to torque specs and have always tightened by feel without any issues.  For some reason I felt the need to "do this right" this time. 

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I would spray WD40 or equivalent penetrating oil on the left side of the axel in the pinch bolt area and let it sit for about 15 minutes.  The right side pinch bolts should be tight so the axel can't spin.  From the pic the nut looks rounded so, try the vice grips fist and make sure you get a good bit on the nut and try to turn it.  I can't believe you are having such a hard time with the axel nut but, things happen.

Another method that I have used with great success is the use of a punch and hammer.  Be careful not to damage the axel threads.

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