axle castle nut torque

[89thorn]

The 145 foot-pound or more torque spec on the castle nut front axle, are you all sure that it wont hurt the bearings. Did you get it out of a repair manual? I know I have to trust advice at my own risk, Because the haynes repair manual does not even have a torque spec on the castle nut for the front only for the rear. I need the front torque spec. This will be the second wheel bearing change in 6 months (last time i just impacted it on). At 75 dollars a pop i definatly want to do it by the book, or by experienced advice that have had the bearing last at least a year. No offense to anyone

[4x4_Welder]

Keeping the wheel bearings tight together and full of grease will make them live longer. Also, make sure that the dust seal is on the backside of the bearings, if not, you will be needing them again in a few months.

[subiemech85]

'84 fsm p. 9-28

NOTE: After tightening the nut to the specified torque, retighten further within 30* until a slot of the castle nut is aligned to trhe hole in the axle shaft.

Torque 196 Nm 20kg-m, 145 ft-lb

 

have had no failures or issues

[Indrid cold]

145 sounds right

 

... I used to use the torque wrench (cheap one with the bar) which was at end of scale for 145 lbs so figure it was close, then I read other posts said they didn't use torque wrench but used 3 ft long cheaters, jumped up and down on the wrench, stamp with foot etc... so if they can do that and not have problems I stopped freaking out about my torque as I got my elbow calibrated to what FEELS right, got close with the 145 and found the next hole on the tighter side... so far so good,

 

also after a long drive I will feel the hub and compare with the others to assure not heating up.... which could be castle nut too loose, too tight or early sign of bearing failure.

[89thorn]

'84 fsm p. 9-28

NOTE: After tightening the nut to the specified torque, retighten further within 30* until a slot of the castle nut is aligned to trhe hole in the axle shaft.

Torque 196 Nm 20kg-m, 145 ft-lb

 

have had no failures or issues

 

Ok Thanks alot now i feel confident enough to put my axle back in. Just curious but what does fsm stand for and do you know where i might get may hands on a actual service manual, you know something other than haynes haynes has so many dicrepences and refers to going to professionals to much.

[GeneralDisorder]

145 is correct, but I generally go to 200 or 250 on all mine. It will not hurt the bearings. Early VW busses used the 36mm nut, and their book spec for them was 250

 

GD

[scrap487]

yeah really, 145 minimum... I tighten them as tight as I can get them(impact wrench and then cheater bar and a hammer). MAKE SURE you have the washers on right, the "flat" looking one is a spring washer with one side of it bowed out a little bit, that side needs to be facing out towards the nut... also dont forget about a good cotter pin. I've had wheels fall off on me on the freeway for screwing stuff up/forgetting/being lazy; true story... car drug to a stopped and watch a 31" tire roll by me going about 70, for about half a mile down and across the median.

[Frank B]

That's why the spacer is in there. And make sure the bearings are in all the way, even though tightening the nut gets them in all the way too. The axle is pulled in from the rear, and the nut pushes the outer one in. Take a good look in the hub before you install the bearings to make sure there are no burrs or dings that will keep the bearings from seating properly. If they catch, the torque will bind them. Keep an eye on the dust boot inner seal when you do it too, I've had several fold over while installing the axle and missed it. Two weeks later I was replacing the bearings again. Also, did the axle go into the bearings easily? or did you have to use the nut and spacers to pull it through? If it went in the new bearings easily, I would say that the axle is shot. That little play that allows it to go through easily will also create a wobble and your seal will not have proper contact on the axle letting dirt and water in. Some guys have replaced the bearings with ones that have a seal on them. Just one, and install it facing out towards the wheel seal. This gives you two seals per side.

[bgd73]

It needs all of that 145 no doubts about it. I have used a broken 150ft lb torque wrench as a breaker to stand on (the torque on the castle nut ironically is my weight) and I give a few gentle stomps, check cotter pin alignment and keep going until I get it. I have since snapped the guts out of that torque wrench, broke a 1/2 inch breaker bar, bent a 1/2 inch drive socket wrench into stuck forever- and am going for the 24 inch+ lengthed 3/4 breaker with only one socket for it- the castle nut.

I have found them to stay "loose" even at 100 lbs. To think twice about that high ft lbs- it is doing a tremendous amount of work at all angles a car hits the road at all rpms of the engine and tranny gears etc. I have even doubted 145 being enough sometimes when the car has to 3 wheel on a 4x4 trail (no worries realistically though).

Do strain yourself for the high torque- I have never used a torque wrench for this task (its not like an engine bearing critical- the goal is tight tight tight), but my 10th year with old soobs and forgotten how many times I have taken this nut off, confidently leaves me without the necessity of one (I am certain I go a slight bit by 145 with my magical stand-on-the-breaker-bar-and-feel-it-out torque spec.)

It is quite obviously tight enough when you achieve it. There are several places around the old soob where oem torques have me in doubts- such as the crank pulley bolt, and cam casings- I go beyond the oem specs for torque every time for good reasons.