LH Cooper S driveshaft nut

[YMJ]

Possibly the tightest nut ever known to mankind.......my 12 year old son has already blown the brake caliper seal between the two caliper halves (or possibly one of the piston seals) whilst holding the pedal down while I tried the electric windy gun.......pneumatic windy gun....... socket with a metre breaker bar.

any further tips....? heat? Plus Gas?

[swifty]

If the cars on axle stands I tend to use a bar through the wheel studs that's about 5 to 6ft long at 90degrees to the drive hub . As you turn the nut the bar will lock in place in the studs . ... Ken

[Spider]

I used to take the hub cap off the wheel or take out the centre cap, depending on the type of wheel, refit (if need be) the wheel and lower the car to the ground, then have someone apply the brakes, un-do the nut.

In later years, I found time (a whole 10 minutes!) and cut a 2' length of 65 x 65 x 5 mm Angle Iron, drilled it for 2 wheel studs, then scalloped out a section between the stud holes so that it will clear the nut, bolt that up and let it wedge on the ground to lock the hub. I tend to use it more though in the vice, but works equally well on the car.

Gotta say, I hardly ever had any luck trying to lock the hub just on the brakes alone.

[YMJ]

Thank you fellas.
I reckon I will try the "angle iron method" as I've already blown the brakes on this side. One thing the farm isn't short of is old bits of angle iron.
Using a length of bar between the wheel studs, merely bent the wheel studs on this occasion

What harm could a quick and specific blast of heat to the nut do?

[Spider]

Sounds really bound up!

I did have one years ago that was really jammed up, like the threads had galled together. I tried heat, but as they weren't rusted or corroded, it didn't do anything, I ended up thinning the nut with the angle grinder and then a few blows with a cold chisel. I was hoping to save the CV, but I found that thread was buggered. Got it apart though!

[YMJ]

Job done.
'Used an agricultural piece of angle without heat and possibly sacrificed two wheel studs. Nut came loose with a satisfying "CRACK!" which in my experience is a good thing.
CV joints OK so happy days.....so far.

[ianh1968]

<SNIP>and possibly sacrificed two wheel studs.

I have this...

UndoOmatic.jpg

Basically, a bit of 1/2" thick by 1&1/2" bar welded on to an old wheel.

It spreads the load a bit better and tends not to bugger up the studs...
This, along with the threat of a 3/4" drive breaker bar usually does
the trick.

Maybe an idea for next time?

Ian

[Rubber Sprung]

I tend to use the BMC shock spanner which you can beat with a lump hammer ,also useful for front pulley nut if there tight .

[davidnutland]

I had one recently and the only way to undo was with an 8ft length of scaffold pole on my longest breaker bar, two of us on the end and the Mini in gear hand brake on, foot brake applied and the car chained to my road cars tow bar, it sounded like a canon going off when it finally gave up!

[Spider]

YMJ, glad you got there and it seemed almost painless!

I like that Ian! Much better idea! I'll score an old Mini Wheel off 850man next time I see him.

[YMJ]

Nice one, Ian.
Unfortunately science this advanced will not reach rural Bedfordshire for at least another 100 years!

[JohnA]

Always loosen the hub nut before you take the wheel off, a 12 inch steel is best. Using a blunt chisel hit each flat of the nut hard 2 or 3 times using a lump hammer. With some foot pressure on a decent breaker bar it will turn. Learnt that 50 yrs ago when I was an apprentice, the boss came out of his office to show a mechanic how to do it on an Austin 1100 done it hundreds of times since.

[YMJ]

Always loosen the hub nut before you take the wheel off, a 12 inch steel is best. Using a blunt chisel hit each flat of the nut hard 2 or 3 times using a lump hammer. With some foot pressure on a decent breaker bar it will turn. Learnt that 50 yrs ago when I was an apprentice, the boss came out of his office to show a mechanic how to do it on an Austin 1100 done it hundreds of times since.

'in the bank.....thanks!

[ianh1968]

a satisfying "CRACK!" which in my experience is a good thing.

Yep - Could do with a satisfying crack myself...

<SNIP>two of us on the end and the Mini in gear hand brake on,

This may also make an "unsatisfying crack" - The sound of gearbox teeth breaking off...
The Turbo Metros were limited to 85lb/ft of torque because of gearbox
reliability issues. With a long enough "spanner" it is really easy to exceed
this amount with your bare hands.

Many years ago - I "buzzed" first on a 3-synchro box and took a tooth off.
It made a wonderful sound and the loose bit ended up on the sump magnet.

Fortunately, I had a spare "ring-piece", so I could "crack on" with the job...
Unfortunately, another "cracking sound" I heard was a tooth breaking off
second, which I had stupidly used to lock up the box for dismantling...

Since then, I've been very vary about using the gear teeth to stop
things rotating.

... Funny, but "crack" sounds a bit like "rack"...
or am I going deaf as well as blind?

Ian

EDIT: PS: Using the engine as a brake will not be of much use because
the only resistance offered in reality will be the cylinder compression...
So the gear teeth are probably fairly safe, unless you are also jamming
the flywheel with a big bent rusty screw-driver...