Rear Stub Axle Install

[Ozmello]

Well, once I got the brakes bled I dropped the car and torqued the rear axle nuts. Driver's side, no problem. Passenger's side, stripped the threads. I wasn't really horsing on it, it just stripped. I attempted to install a lock washer under the nut but then couldn't install the cotter key. Any solution short of installing a new stub axle? If not, where's the best place to source a stub axle? One step forward, two steps back.

[wbailey2112]

Are you sure that it is the axle and not the nut?

I went through this a few years ago and decided that a new nut was worth a try before I replaced the axle and in the end the nut was all I needed to replace.

As far as where to source a new axle, contact Mike Basso at www.ThingParts.com.
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'74 Thing
'83 Westfalia

[Ozmello]

There's a thought. The nut was an EMPI zinc nut that I sourced on Amazon. I tried a second EMPI nut with the same results.I went ahead and ordered new stub axles, axle nuts and cotter keys from the Thing Shop. I will definitely try the nut before tearing out the stub axle. I'm not optimistic, but it's certainly worth a try.

[Ozmello]

I have searched for info on replacing stub axles but have only found videos for replacing the rear bearings. Is it possible to replace the axle without replacing the seals and bearings? If I can leave the outer bearing cover in place I won't need to remove the brake shoes, which would be a real time saver.

[Ozmello]

Well, it wasn't the nut. Pulled the old stub axle this morning. Easy to do; cleaned everything with brake cleaner, used the 8mm 12 point tool and the bolts came out easily. When I removed the old stub axle the inner spacer came out, too, but I noted the direction of the chamfer and installed the spacer on the new stub axle chamfer towards the transaxle. Used a rubber mallet to get the stub axle seated, torqued the CV bolts to 25ftlb, put the drum back on, and torqued the axle nut to 253ftlb. All good until the next "car"tastrophe.