It's not a 4x4 but I figure I might get good help here.

I've got a older bug and I'm trying to do the brakes but one of the rear drive axle nuts is rusted solid. I tried cheater bars, good penetrating oil(kroil), impact blows with a hammer, impact guns, etc......Now all I have to show for that is a blown out socket, busted breaker bars, a busted *ford* wrench, a perfectly good monkey wrench and a odd sized nut. We ended up lifting the car off the jackstand with 2 guys on the cheater bar and a third hitting the nut/axle stub with a sledge:eek:

I don't have a torch where this thing is getting worked on. Any ideas before I go to work on it with a chisel and try to bust it off?

Does anyone think it is even worth my time to try a propane torch? I have always had no luck with them is situations like this.

Don't take this wrong but I think that you are trying to turn it the wrong way I think that it is a left hand thread. There's a bug nut that I'll call. and PM you with any info I get from him

we made cheater bars with 6 foot steel pipe handles welded to steel sockets:D

Can't remember if one of them was reverse threads.
I know one of the fronts are I think it was the drivers side

The front left is reverse thread. The rear looks like normal threads but I did entertain the idea of going "backwards" with it twice while we tried and no use.

Almost 100% positive it is "notmal" direction.

Last time I recall working on a bug we torqued the nuts to like 600ftlbs....it took a big bar and 1" driver socket....use to use a CO2 fire extinguisher to looser things up by chillling them.....try PB Blaster and a good impact gun....getter done

Can you fit a nut breaker in there:confused:

I got one from Sears that has a chisle end that you crank down into the offending nut :D

Originally posted by Mustard Dog
Can you fit a nut breaker in there:confused:

I got one from Sears that has a chisle end that you crank down into the offending nut :D

Yeah, it is right out in the open but I was hoping to avoid all of that. I'm leaving it set till tomarrow night with penetrating oil on it and then I'm going to bring the "BIG DADDY" cheater bar and Thor style hammer. If that don't do it I'm just gonna bust it off.

Thanks for all the help so far everyone!

Last one I did required a 10' cheater. I hate VW axle nuts to this day

Propane torch, definitely. Try to heat only the nut, and do it evenly. If you really want to go for it, get a bottle of MAPP gas (3,600 degrees) from the hardware store. Then get on it with your breaker bar and crack a :beer:

Get a 1" socket/breaker bar combo from Sears (that way if it breaks, you take it back and get a new one free) and put a HUGE ASS TUBE/PIPE on the end of the breaker bar. Like 10 or 12 feet. Then, get a heavy friend and both of you pull down on the bar. If that doesn't break the nut loose, it will flip over the bug.. hehe

They make a very cool wrench for just this. It is a very heavy box end wrench, with a large square chunck of steel on the other end. Then you just beat the hell out of it with a BFH. Always worked on the torsions we cut out and let lie for a couple of years.

I feel your pain, I had to cut the nut off becuase it wouldn't budge, even with an industrial impact wrench---800 ft lbs of torque!!!:skull:

This is the tool to have.I never found an axle nut this wouldnt take off.

http://www.gexintl.com/images/Tools/5977.jpg

Find a torch, I had this same problem with my old 72 bug. Heat it up as hot as you can and throw a big socket on it with a cheater bar. Make sure you buy some new ones to put back on

[QUOTE]Originally posted by FRIZZLEFRY
[B]This is the tool to have.I never found an axle nut this wouldnt take off.


That's the tool I use to use, it worked everytime, the breaker bars were useless if the nut was installed properly and left to rust for a few years.

Don't bother putting a breaker bar in the 1/2 hole, just get a big ass hammer and bash it a few times

WD40 and a little heat always does it for me....if ya need to, get a couple of people to pull on it with you, the more the better. If it still doesn't work, drink some :beer: and try again :p

jeez, what kind of killer alloy is the stud made out of that it can take all this and not snap off!!!!???? man! any nut that i have had to use THAT much brutality on has always just snapped off the stud, threads, nut and all.:(

Originally posted by UZI 9mm
jeez, what kind of killer alloy is the stud made out of that it can take all this and not snap off!!!!???? man! any nut that i have had to use THAT much brutality on has always just snapped off the stud, threads, nut and all.:(

After years of Bugging I've never seen a rear axle snap off from removing the nut. I was always worried that it would happen but it never did.

cut the damn thing off with a cutting wheel...............


---Sherpa

that little special tool is what we welded to the 10 ft cheater for the really fawked up axle nuts.

I've had some that didn't come off with numerous 5pound hammer blows.
it took three of us jumping on the 10 foot cheater to finally break the damn thing loose.
58 bug that had never been taken apart and had been sitting in a field.

to take propellar nuts off of big ships we use a large version of the aforementioned slugging wrench. its usually a fun day everyone comes out to watch as the shit talking has been going on for a week. all the big guys come out and swing the 40lb sledge. kinda funny how usually the tall slender guys get it off using the right technique with the hammer vice brute power. its the power generated to the wrench that counts more than the power of the swing. brings back memories of the old days....:beer: :smokin:

MAPP gas, available at a hardware store (yellow cyl instead of the blue for propane) will burn at like 1150 * F or something like that. Heat the nut up till it's red hot, and then cool it off by spraying penetrating oil on it. Once its cool, tighten it like 1/8 of a turn. If that won't take it off, nothing I know of will.

I have had the same problem before. If I'm not mistaken the nut measures 36mm (possibly 38mm it's been a few years). I broke several 1/2" drive breaker bars with one very stubborn nut. What ended up working for me was a 3/4" drive sliding breaker bar. That way you could get nice length of pipe on each end of the breaker bar thus applying more even torque to the nut. I would suggest an impact sockets as they are thicker walled and don't even try using a 12 point socket or you'll really screw things up. If your still having trouble got pick up an el cheapo propane torch to put a little heat to it.

Here is what you need...

i have a impact wrench that work awsome
3/4 drive

the trick even with a small impact is to have a
large diameter air line this realy does make a diference.

also wile it is sitting in wd4o go hit it
a few times every couple hours to set up vibrations this will help wd penetrate.

Originally posted by FRIZZLEFRY
This is the tool to have.I never found an axle nut this wouldnt take off.

http://www.gexintl.com/images/Tools/5977.jpg


This is also what I would recomend, they work very well!!!!
If you were closer I loan you mine, I have both sizes. Any good shop that sells VW parts should sell them.
Good luck

The axle nuts are a PITA, and so is the flywheel flange bolt on the engine.... :skull:

A buddy and I broke 2 1" Craftsman breaker bars in the same day on a stuck axle nut. we had a 10' pipe (fence post) and both of us hanging on it....on the third try, we added some heat and got it free..... still took both of us and a 10' fence post, but it broke loose..... that specail tool never worked for us, since it was 1/2" drive we kept breaking ratchets...

:usa:

If you still haven't gotten that nut off you could give this a try. I've restored old VWs for 15 years and the best tool I've used is called the torquemeister from Kymco. It bolts to the holes in the drum and uses a gear system to multiply the torque of whatever driver you use. They aren't cheep (about $120) but they dont damage the side gears like the tools you beat on can. Here's the link.

www.kymcovw.com

I'd like to hear more about what your doing with the bug. PM me if you need more info.:)