Thanks Dennis,

The cotter pin did not shear off, in fact it stayed tight but clearly
things DID  loosen up as the nut needed re-torquing -twice now.  I hear
you though that this is best fixed right before it fails altogether.
I'm wondering now how easy a hub and stub axle can be acquired, used I
presume is the only way to get these parts ?

-john

On 11/18/2012 7:23 PM, Dennis Haynes wrote:
> John,
> The bearing spacer and hub should not wear at all. I also have not seen the
> nut bottom on the threads except when there is some real damage. The fact
> that you were able to hear noises and the cotter pin sheared off indicates
> the splines-bore of the flanged hub is worn and it is also possible the axle
> shaft splines are shot also.  As such you are now relying only the friction
> of the nut face and the outer bearing inner race, (say that 5 times fast).
> Anyway at some point the failure will recur. At best the splines will
> completely strip out and just leave you stranded. If an automatic keep in
> mind that this type of failure also means using "Park" will not keep the
> vehicle in place so be sure the handbrake works for this day. At worst the
> axle or hub can fail allowing for a wheel separation. I have only seen one
> of these shafts break once and I heard the results were quite spectacular.
> The body damage on the van alone from the tire working out of the wheel well
> more than offsets the cost of fixing this right.
>
> Dennis
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> John Goubeaux
> Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2012 9:43 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: loose rear axle nut
>
> 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