What method do you use to tighten the axle nut?

yep, Milwaukee on a full charge with red loctite for extra measure. Between that and the cotter pin it isn’t going anywhere. Then use the same gun the next time you need it off. No problems and I’ve had them off and on more than a handful of times.

 

I skip the loctite brother.

Loctite to me is like a swear word, I don't mess with it and neither do I mess with GM or Nissan. Those are swear words also.

 

On small passenger cars i put a prybar between the studs.

On bigger stuff I'll put the wheel on and torque it with the vehicle on the ground, or mostly on the ground

 

Yes, Sir.
Then you can just chuck the dust covers and the center caps in trash.
Job complete.

Just kidding. I have thought of that, but it makes us lazy guys have to do more work.
After all, the lug nuts are the hardest nuts to remove. Just ask the people that never rotate tires.
That’s has to be the reason, right?

I try to get Lifetime Free Rotation when I buy new tires.
That way I have no excuse.

 

Completely fucking agree!! I bought one for 300 thinking I'd return it after the job I was doing. 3 years later still have it and its cut down most jobs by at least half the time. Best tool purchase ever

 

I just use my 350 ft-lb electric impact and give it a few ugga-duggas. With this design, the axle nut torque doesn't set bearing preload, so some torque variation won't hurt things.

Another way is to put the wheel on, lower the truck onto the ground, then torque the axle nut through the center hole. Keep in mind the FSM torque value would be too high if you grease the threads.

 

Then it will be your turn for the surprise when she shows you her "impact gun"

 

a long alignment punch in the brake rotor cooling vents

 

This one should be 35mm 173ftlbs?! Careful with the impact guns to tight is no bueno for the hubs.

 

So the torque spec is 173 ft/lbs for the axle nut. But I, and probably most gearheads out there, have torque wrenches that only go to 150.
Any good way to fudge the difference and get closer to 173?

 

Yeah mine only guess to 150. I basically get it to 150 with the torque wrench and then hit it with my impact for a second until the axle nut turns another 1/4 turn. Always worked for me

 

Orileys has a loaner torque wrench that goes to 200.

 

Get it to the 150 ft/lbs and then tighten it a little bit more with a breaker bar, exactly what I did. With the castle cap nut and cotter pin it ain't going anywhere.

 

what if the cotter pin doesnt line up at 173, looser or tighter?

 

It’s not a castle nut. It’s a regular nut with a stamped sheet metal thing that goes over it that has a mismatched number of slots and flats. After you torque the nut, you try the thingy different ways til the slot lines up with the hole.

 

The part store brands have a castellated nut

 

Always go tighter to get the cotter pin to line up, never looser

 

The spelling is not strong with this one

A jack stand under one of the lugs works ok too, to get that elusive 173 ft*lbs

 

son of a bitch...all this time I've been walking around my yard trying to find rocks big enough to stack on my brake pedal lol. Why didn't I think of that