> didn't tighten my nut that hard, I'm sure. I just gave it all I got, and
> installed the cotter pin. A friend of mine thought it was more than
>sufficient,
> he is used to torqueing 100mm nuts to 7000Nm at the factory he works at. I
> haven't had any problems with this nut after I tightened it.

The problem isnt with the nut, it is with the splined hub and stub axle.
The high torque specs are for a reason.  I learned after having the splines
wear out on two previous vans.  The last van I bought must have been
serviced by someone that figured they "tighened it sufficiently".  One side
was ruined, the other side survived by some providence.  Worn out ones
sound like a bad bearing hum, and when it gets bad enough, play starts to
develop and you can "rock" the wheel and feel the play.

I tighten the nut myself as best as possible then bring the van to a
tractor-trailer garage and get them to torque it proper (their torque
wrench is about 4 ft. long).  I invested in a 46mm socket and a 3/4 inch
drive power bar, my new favourite tool.

Vanagons are not like any other vehicle.  Most torque specs are there for a
reason.  They are part of the engineering that makes the van great, not the
"close enough" tolerances that we see in the "designed" vehicles we see
here in N.America.  999 out of 1000 mechanics here don't see why the torque
is necessary on the rear axel nut, and have likely tighented the nuts as
best as they see fit on a lot of VW vans out there.  Sorry, but I am still
mad that I had so many axels ruined by stupid people in the past and I
don't want anybody else to have the same done to them.

Gary Thaxter

I think I was born on the wrong continent.