Axle nut too tight?

I overtightened my axle nuts, ruined my dust seals
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/tips-for-installing-cv-axle-outboard-dust-seal-wheel-bearing-seal.770754/

Thought it was because I had grease on the threads - fairly new Craftsman torque wrench.
Just replaced the passenger side seals, and with the axle nut at 170 ft-lbs I can’t spin the hub by hand.
Is this pretty normal or am I too tight again?

 

What the...I've sent that nut home with an impact, level 2 on a mid-torque M18.

That was maybe once or twice, and the other three times or so I checked with a torque wrench.

Never messed up a dust seal at all.

You sure it ain't something else going on?

 

I agree. You shouldn’t be able to pull the axle shaft in too far.
If you pulled the axle into the hub too far to damage a seal, there is a different problem.
Are you sure the dust seals were seated correctly?

The aftermarket seals are hit and miss. I’ve had some that fit loosely in the spindle. I had to take a punch and “make it tighter”.

 

I reused the OEM axles when I frame swapped this truck because they have new boots.
When I assembled it the first time the nuts went on far enough that there was almost 1/2” between the cotter pin hole and the retainer/nut collar.
First time I drove it I had a grinding noise from the front, only drove from the shop to the driveway- around the block essentially. I looked underneath and could see the rubber from the hub inner seal and the axle outer seal hanging out the gap. I backed the nuts off and realized that I had grease in there so I assumed that I over-tightened it.
The hub seals were new from when I had new bearings and spacers pressed into the spindles, the axle ones appeared original.

 

I cleaned up the axle threads and the nuts and only went to 150 ft lbs and have put 150ish miles on it trying to pass emissions, but my seals came in so it’s back up on jackstands…
No weird noises or grinding when I was driving it, and the seals were definitely toast.

 

They were seated flush. Hub seals were Toyota and axle ones looked original, just like the ones I just put on

 

FWIW they are green axles with a tulip that appears factory

 

I am not

 

Pics?

Like has already been said you shouldn't be able to draw the stub too far with the nut, the face of the stub should "shank out" on the bearing that's what you're drawing torque against, over tight should strip the threads off before it crushes the bearing or stretches the stub.

 

I’ll take some pics.
Should I be able to spin the hub by hand? It spins freely with no torque on the nut, but not after I torque it. And with the wheel mounted I can turn it ok, but it doesn’t continue to rotate if I try to give it a spin.

 

Correct it should definitely spin freely when torqued.

Your wheel bearings might be bad, about the only thing I can think of right now.

 

Is it lifted in the front......oversized heavey wheels and tires . If so when jacked up you have to have jack under each wheel no jacking in center. Puts it in a horrible bind.

 

Torqued - passenger side

 

Not torqued - driver side

 

Your cv axle seal is seated all the way into the diff?

It clicked?

 

They are seated flush, I took a couple pics because the shadows look like gaps.
Old ones have no rubber left, the hub seals have extremely low miles.

 

Actually when I got to the driveway it was leaking and I pulled them out and reseated the new seals in the diff. The axles are definitely seated now. Think that’s what killed them?

 

I’m thinking not being able to freely spin the hubs without tires but after the nuts are torqued is probably just because I’m turning the axles too…

 

Now you're talking about something else.

Did you mistake the leaking and think it was the outer shield (that sits between the spindle and cv axle) when actually it was your cv axle seal that was leaking instead?

Just asking cause your cv axle seal was never mentioned until now.

Part numbers in my signature.

Seating depth of 5.5mm though some have been able to redneck seat them by just using the cv axle itself to push them into place.

 

I didn’t think that was relevant so I left it out. I got the seals from your sig and installed them with the wit’s end tool, one of them pulled out a little when I pulled the axles after the leak but it looked fine so I reinstalled it. The dust seals at the hub end were already trashed.