Guys,

Thanks for all the advice on the rear hub maintenance. I found my 1
13/16 socket  and along with a breaker bar and a length of pipe
re-torqued  the rear axle nut  ( I got another "notch" out of it)
replaced the cotter pin with a new one and the noise I was hearing has
gone away !   I will, however , keep an eye on the hub and consider
pulling the whole assembly apart when I have more time and inspecting as
well as likely just replacing the bearings . Maybe when I do the CV joints ?

Someone pointed out that IF the spacer wears the nut will eventually
bottom out  ( not have any more threads to tighten on) and not achieve
any more purchase on the hub BUT as far as I can see there is still the
same amount of threads exposed on both axles, eg each side of the car,
so I am thinking that this axle nut was just not torqued enough
originally and I am in good shape as far as wear goes

-john

On 11/15/2012 1:01 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
> Not many people have an impact gun that will produce that much torque.
> You would need one that claims peak torque of something like 900 ft lbs.
>
> and no one has a 360 ft lb torque wrench unless they work on 18 Wheeler
> Trucks or Tanksor something like that.
>
> just the good ole serious breaker bar ( a half inch swivel head one is
> way weak and won't cut it at all really )...
> need like 3/4 inch drive,
> and a good cheater bar pipe.
>
> and that still will not get some nuts off . Not even with a 160 lb
> person standing on the end of a 4 foot bar.
>
> Then I heat 'em with a torch.
> and even that won't always get them off. Twice I've had to cut the nut
> away with a cutting torch ( which can be done without hurting the stub
> axle if you're careful ) .
>
> just do careful good work.
> S.
>
>
> On 11/15/2012 10:55 AM, Mike B wrote:
>> NEVER tighten your axle nut with an impact driver!
>> 1.) You can never be sure of the exact torque.
>> 2.) You can strip the threads.
>>
>> ONLY use a proper torque wrench and manually apply the force to tighten
>> it.  If none is available, use a 3/4" drive 46mm socket and breaker bar
>> with a cheater pipe that fits over the bar.  Foot/ pounds is calculated
>> by so many pounds applied at so many feet from the fastener; so my 225
>> lb. body standing (NOT jumping!) on the spot on a bar  that's 2 feet
>> from the center of the axle nut will be applying 450 ft/lbs of torque to
>> the nut.  (or your 150 lb body standing 3 feet out will apply 450
>> ft/lbs.; so weight X distance = torque applied) , this simple method has
>> worked for me for over 30 years with no fancy torque wrenches or impact
>> guns. I've broken many 1/2" drive ratchets and breaker bars doing Beetle
>> 36mm axle nuts to 235 ft/lbs and bought 3/4" drive stuff a couple of
>> years ago.  Craftsman and Snap-On have always replaced them under
>> warrantee, even though I kept breaking them for years. Also, NEVER back
>> off this torque to align the cotter-pin holes, ALWAYS tighten them
>> further to line it up with the next hole.
>>
>> You will likely find that it takes a LOT more torque to break them
>> loose, and you can use an impact driver to loosen them or an axle-nut
>> beater tool, but some folks think that this damages your axle bearings.
>> I never had this happen to me, but YMMV.
>>
>> Mike B.
>>
>> On 11/15/2012 12:45 PM, Stuart MacMillan wrote:
>>> Yes, replace all of the parts!   This is what can happen if a rear
>>> wheel
>>> falls off at 65 mph (FF to 1:34):
>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGKlWqSadlQ
>>>
>>>
>>> Last time I did this job I rented a 3/4 drive electric impact driver
>>> and
>>> bought a socket.
>>>
>>> Stuart
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
>>> Behalf Of
>>> Jeff Lincoln
>>> Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2012 6:25 AM
>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>> Subject: Re: loose rear axle nut
>>>
>>> John,
>>>
>>> Listen to these guys!!!! I recently had to replace my rear wheel
>>> bearings -
>>> when I put everything back together I must not have gotten that nut
>>> to the
>>> proper torque. Everything seemed fine for a while and then I started
>>> to hear
>>> rumbling while on a trip. We were 3 hours from home when I stopped to
>>> check
>>> it and saw that one side of the cotter pin had been sheared off!!!!
>>> That nut was loose as hell. We got some help and did the best we
>>> could and
>>> litterally limped home.
>>>
>>> The bearings I had just put in looked good still but I replaced tyhem
>>> anyway
>>> - along with the hub and stub.
>>>
>>> When you go to put that all back together you might think 360 ft lbs
>>> is over
>>> kill but it is not. I wasn't smart enough to figure out the math of my
>>> weight and how long of a breaker I needed. So I just borrowd a super
>>> heavy
>>> duty torque wrench from a friend. It went up to 450 or 600 ft lbs or
>>> something like that. I tell you when I got the wrench to 360 it was
>>> still a
>>> way before I hit the next cotter pin slot - I don't remember exactly
>>> but I
>>> was over 380 ft lbs by the time I got to that next slot.
>>>
>>> Good luck!
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Jeff
>>> '85 GL (Gertie)
>>> '78 Bus (Melissa) Patty's Bus
>>