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Robw_z
Samba Member
Joined: April 28, 2007
Posts: 983
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 Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 9:23 am Post subject: Torquing rear axle nut |
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The rear axle nut on Vanagons is not very home mechanic friendly. I got a large impact and socket to get the thing off, but don't have the torque wrench to put it back on.
I tightened it with the impact before going to a tire shop to have them torque it properly. They looked at me like they'd never heard of 360 ft lbs and recommended I try a semi-truck shop, they looked at me the same way.
The second shop ended up torquing it to 250 ft lbs, their max torque spec, and then a bit more to the next cotter pin setting.
Is this good enough or should I resume my search?
-Rob |
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Tom Powell
Samba Member
Joined: December 01, 2005
Posts: 4855
Location: Kaneohe
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 9:43 am Post subject: Re: Torquing rear axle nut |
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For my '69 camper I stand with one foot on the end of a two foot breaker bar and bounce a bit.
Aloha
tp |
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Jeffrey Lee
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Joined: February 04, 2014
Posts: 1488
Location: Wisconsin
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 9:45 am Post subject: Re: Torquing rear axle nut |
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If you have the proper socket and a 3/4" breaker bar, simply slip a long pipe over the handle.
To be precise, divide your body weight in pounds by 360 to determine X, then make a mark on the pipe X feet from the exact center of the socket. With the breaker bar and pipe nearly horizontal at the 3 o'clock position, carefully stand on the pipe with your full body weight until it will no longer tighten. That should be sufficiently close to 360 ft/lbs.
Example:
I weigh nearly exactly 180 lbs.
360 divided by 180 equals 2
Stand on the pipe 2 feet out from the center of the socket
Say you weigh 150 lbs.
360 divided by 150 equals 2.4
Stand on the pipe 2.4 feet out from the center of the socket
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ZsZ
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Joined: December 11, 2010
Posts: 1645
Location: Budapest Hungary, Europe
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 9:48 am Post subject: Re: Torquing rear axle nut |
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I am using a 3/4 socket and a 6-7 ft long cheater bar to tigthen that nut without a torque wrench.
The revised factory spec is 500 Nm (~360 ft lbs) and a bit more to next cotter pin with 10 slot crown nut. If not tightened enough it can got loosen while driving.
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1.9 MTdi 2wd Multivan (ex Caravelle)
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Sodo
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Joined: July 06, 2007
Posts: 9605
Location: Western WA
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 10:01 am Post subject: Re: Torquing rear axle nut |
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| ZsZ wrote: |
| I am using a 3/4 socket and a 6-7 ft long cheater bar to tigthen that nut without a torque wrench. |
that's perfect. You know your weight, make a mark on your long cheater bar, and stand on that mark.
For example the 150lb guy has to stand on the cheater bar at 2.4 feet from the nut.
150 lb x 2.4 ft = 360 ft-lbs. Exactly.
NOTE1: This method is more accurate than a torque wrench. In fact you might consider verifying your torque wrench's accuracy using this method.
NOTE2: It doesn't make that much danged difference. Make it about "this tight" then go to the next available castellation and put the pin in.
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?Waldo?
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Joined: February 22, 2006
Posts: 9752
Location: Where?
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 12:04 pm Post subject: Re: Torquing rear axle nut |
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| I can appreciate the usefulness of the large torque wrench, but the calculation method is more accurate than the torque wrench and there is no guesswork to the calculation which is extremely easy elementary school single-operation math. |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50338
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 1:04 pm Post subject: Re: Torquing rear axle nut |
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You don't need a torque wrench to do this job, it would actually be almost useless. Tighten the nut down figuring out how far out to stand on the bar for you body weight and then continue to tighten the nut further until the slots in the nut align with the hole in the shaft so you can get the cotter pin in. By now you will most likely have greatly exceeded 360 ft*lbs.
I do have a torque wrench that will easily handle 360 ft*lbs, but would never consider getting it out of its case for this job. |
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alijonny
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Joined: November 01, 2007
Posts: 328
Location: Des Plaines, IL
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 2:54 pm Post subject: Re: Torquing rear axle nut |
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this method sounds great, but what about bigger guys such as myself, who already weigh 320lbs? Should I subtract length from my breaker bar?  
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32598
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 2:59 pm Post subject: Re: Torquing rear axle nut |
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Back in Nov of 2008 Everett wrote this......
"Thu Nov 08, 2012 12:03 am
Here's a post I made a while back in another thread about the gland nut
EverettB wrote: Here's what I do:
Get my breaker bar and big socket.
You need 250 ft. lbs. of force so that is 250 lbs. at 1 foot out from the socket.
1 foot = 12 inches.
Say you weigh 175.
So take 250/175 = 1.43
12 inches x 1.43 = 17.1 inches.
Mark a line on the bar at 17.1 inches.
Get someone to hold the engine, I usually have my wife put her foot on the opposite cylinder head with the engine on the ground.
Stand on the bar with all your body weight at the line you just made. I usually have to brace myself on my car or put a hand on a nearby tool chest.
When the bar stops moving downward from your weight, you just applied 250 lbs.
Don't jump on the bar or you will over tighten it.
It takes less force than you think.
I use this method to do the rear axle nuts too."
Dave
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Jeffrey Lee
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Joined: February 04, 2014
Posts: 1488
Location: Wisconsin
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 4:30 pm Post subject: Re: Torquing rear axle nut |
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| alijonny wrote: |
| this method sounds great, but what about bigger guys such as myself, who already weigh 320lbs? Should I subtract length from my breaker bar? |
360 divided by 320 equals 1.125
Stand on the pipe 1.125 feet out from the center of the socket.
Now, if you're a really big fella, say, 400 lbs.:
360 divided by 400 equals .9
Stand on the pipe .9 feet out from the center of the socket.
Though I would guess that the shorter your lever, the less accurate the application of torque ...
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Howesight
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Joined: July 02, 2008
Posts: 3274
Location: Vancouver, B.C.
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 4:53 pm Post subject: Re: Torquing rear axle nut |
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| alijonny wrote: |
| this method sounds great, but what about bigger guys such as myself, who already weigh 320lbs? Should I subtract length from my breaker bar? |
That's what children are for. Make a mark at 3 feet from centre on your breaker bar and add children until the total child-based weight is 120 pounds. If slightly more is needed, add pizza pops to get exactly 120 pounds. Alternatively, large dogs can also be used, but they need to be of the non-squirmy and patient variety.
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Wildthings
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Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50338
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 5:33 pm Post subject: Re: Torquing rear axle nut |
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| alijonny wrote: |
| this method sounds great, but what about bigger guys such as myself, who already weigh 320lbs? Should I subtract length from my breaker bar? |
Find a lighter weight friend.
A friend who weights right at 200# will work just right with an 18" breaker bar. |
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Tom Powell
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Joined: December 01, 2005
Posts: 4855
Location: Kaneohe
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 6:25 pm Post subject: Re: Torquing rear axle nut |
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| Wildthings wrote: |
| alijonny wrote: |
| this method sounds great, but what about bigger guys such as myself, who already weigh 320lbs? Should I subtract length from my breaker bar? |
Find a lighter weight friend.
A friend who weights right at 200# will work just right with an 18" breaker bar. |
That would give 300 ft-lbs. You need a breaker bar that is 21.6 inches
Or you can put an 18 pound cat on a 20 foot bar.
catorquenick technique
Aloha
tp
Last edited by Tom Powell on Wed Mar 23, 2016 8:18 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50338
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 8:01 pm Post subject: Re: Torquing rear axle nut |
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| Tom Powell wrote: |
| Wildthings wrote: |
| alijonny wrote: |
| this method sounds great, but what about bigger guys such as myself, who already weigh 320lbs? Should I subtract length from my breaker bar? |
Find a lighter weight friend.
A friend who weights right at 200# will work just right with an 18" breaker bar. |
Or you can put an 18 pound cat on a 200 inch bar.
catorquenick technique
Aloha
tp |
But then you have have to take the weight of the bar into account, yikes.  |
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Tom Powell
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Joined: December 01, 2005
Posts: 4855
Location: Kaneohe
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 8:09 pm Post subject: Re: Torquing rear axle nut |
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| Wildthings wrote: |
| Tom Powell wrote: |
| Wildthings wrote: |
| alijonny wrote: |
| this method sounds great, but what about bigger guys such as myself, who already weigh 320lbs? Should I subtract length from my breaker bar? |
Find a lighter weight friend.
A friend who weights right at 200# will work just right with an 18" breaker bar. |
Or you can put an 18 pound cat on a 200 inch bar.
catorquenick technique
Aloha
tp |
But then you have have to take the weight of the bar into account, yikes. |
Some bad math in previous posts. Some has been corrected.
If you have a 200# friend you need a breaker bar 21.6 inches.
If you have an 18# cat you need a 20 foot bar.
If you have a twenty foot bar that weighs 36 pounds you don't need the cat.
Aloha
tp |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 50338
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| Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 11:25 pm Post subject: Re: Torquing rear axle nut |
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| Tom Powell wrote: |
If you have a 200# friend you need a breaker bar 21.6 inches.
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You are correct, I should have said he need a 240# friend for an 18" bar. Whoever came up with the idea of having 12 inches in a foot instead of 10 have sure caused a lot of errors over the years. |
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metropoj
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Joined: April 23, 2004
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| Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 5:19 am Post subject: Re: Torquing rear axle nut |
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Great post for making this simple for those that don't go into this area of their van a whole lot.
i am still smiling about the imagery of an 18 pound cat ! Must looks like a furry watermelon !
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dobryan
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alijonny
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Joined: November 01, 2007
Posts: 328
Location: Des Plaines, IL
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| Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 7:28 am Post subject: Re: Torquing rear axle nut |
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 HAHAHAHA! I haven't laughed out loud in a while. Some of these responses are great. I have an 18 lbs cat and a ~120ish lbs wife. I will utililize my wife. She is going to love this.
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Wildthings
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Posts: 50338
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| Posted: Thu Mar 24, 2016 7:35 am Post subject: Re: Torquing rear axle nut |
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| alijonny wrote: |
| HAHAHAHA! I haven't laughed out loud in a while. Some of these responses are great. I have an 18 lbs cat and a ~120ish lbs wife. I will utililize my wife. She is going to love this. |
I always try to avoid asking my wife to help with anything where her aid could be construed as acting as ballast. Might not be an issue with a wife that only weights 120#. |
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