HELP rt front axle nut removal tips?

[ratdog33!]

Well I am all set to tackle my torn CV boot on my 03 C4. And guess what, I can't get passed the removal of the axle nut!

I used a 3/4 breaker car with a jack handle cheater and managed to twist the end off the extension!!! Friend used his impact on it and we stopped for fear we were going to round off the nut.

I left it soaking with some liquidwrench. I'll go get a new extension tomorrow. Thinking I might have to try heating it up with a torch.

Any tips out there??

[rb101]

You need to get a bigger cheater, like a 6ft piece of pipe. If you have to use an extension, try to support it so it will pivot and not want to push down. And finally good tools will pay for them self over the years.

[ericinboca]

I have broken off a 3/8 socket before on the axle nut. If you need the extension, use 1/2 socket. It is 32mm. I've used a six foot length of black pipe over a 1/2" breaker bar. Even with an impact wrench, these things are tough. They are tightened to something like 350 ft/lbs.

[Loren]

I have broken off a 3/8 socket before on the axle nut. If you need the extension, use 1/2 socket. It is 32mm. I've used a six foot length of black pipe over a 1/2" breaker bar. Even with an impact wrench, these things are tough. They are tightened to something like 350 ft/lbs.

:lol:

I've broken a 1/2 inch breaker bar doing just that. So don't use something you don't want to break.

Oh... and Craftsman did replace it under their lifetime warranty.

[Dharn55]

I got mine off with an impact air wrench. They work much better than just a breaker bar. Of course you need compressed air to use one.

[Ahsai]

I have this, rated at 1,000 ftlb. http://www.tooltopia.com/titan-12048.aspx?utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=cse&utm_term=TIT12048&utm_campaign=googlebase_18u

I used it without any cheater bar to remove an axle nut on an '03 A4 AWD with ease. I pre-soaked the nut with PBblaster overnight plus I used an impact socket (3/4" drive) and a 4" impact extension (3/4" drive) with a jack stand to support the extension. BTW, people also rave about CRC freeze off. Good luck.

[mrepor]

If they are on at 300+ ft/lb, they come off at twice or more. I used to take the flywheel off of 356 and 912, which have a single flywheel bolt with a 3/4 drive " sliding t-bar" and a 6 ft pip.

They are available at Sears at a very reasonable price. They are virtually indestructible.

[ratdog33!]

liquid wrench must have helped, plus I used a jack stand to support the extension and used a lonnnnng cheater--thanks Archimedes!!!

I leaned on it with all my might and it moved! Then I had a start, that maybe I just "buttered" the nut!! Well it was loose, yay!

Talk about a right of passage before you can take off the axle. Any way.... I have the axle rebuilt now new boots etc. now I just have to clean all the grease off that had been flying all over. What a mess! I did notice that both the tierod and control arm boots have small tears. They look like old wounds, as I used the right tool to pop the joints; none the less, I need to figure out what to do about the boots before I reassemble

The best news is that I have been taking pictures and I hope to share the procedure with anyone with a C4 in the future. The Pedro and Pelican parts DIY are helpful, but are not specific to the front drive.

Cheers

Greg

[Dharn55]

Greg -

I am curious how you got the splined shaft out of the wheel carrier. That was the show stopper for me.

[ratdog33!]

I used a 2x4 to leverage the control arm down a few inches and then pulled the carrier towards me.