Crappy Sunday

Well this morning went out to the monthly classic car meet in the town of Faro,Algarve in Portugal after about 20km heard a noise and when I stopped to inspect found the rear well very hot emitting smoke,brake shoes must have siezed and my only hope was that they now had released,I carreied on carefully and everything seemed normal,on the way back some grating and rumbling got me nervous and I thought well now everthing inside the drum must have disentegrated.Pulled up at my Dads place,out with the tools only to find I cannot loosen the drum retaining nut,even engaging the car in reverse I still manage to turn the engine thru the gearbox,now thats after a lot heaving and puffing with a big wrench,now what, any ideas,I am also going to consult a mechanic freind, my next option is to heat it up and try again,I have put it all together to move the car and it seems driveable but risky I suppose,no loss of brake fluid so brake system is intact.

Yeah that's what we did to get mine off. It's a bitch man.... but make sure it goes on GOOD AND TIGHT after as well. That's muy importante, hermano!

Yeah, put it back on the same way you got it off - use that big piece of pipe and Crank It!, Man.......

After breaking my 3-foot breaker bar I end up taking my car over to my VW shop where they got it off and repaired my brakes for just a few bucks plus parts.

Thanks for the input guys I will probably try the impact wrench first and see what gives,to top it all I lost the centre cap from the wheel in question ,thats going to be hard to find,with more time I will take a photo and ask the forum for help again.

Use a 1/2 inch breaker bar, with a long pipe slipped over the end.

Put the wheel back on after pulling the cotter pin, lower the cr to the ground, chock the wheels, put it in gear and then set the bar with pipe on it at 9 o/clock, set the socket on the nut and jump on it.....you will hear a loud crack and it's loose.

Mike: I did exactly as you describe except the crack was the 3/4" square drive breaking off my CRAFTSMAN breaker bar. Sears gave me a new one but I didn't try again. ps: I weighted about 175 lbs back then and still couldn't budge it.

There is a torque tool you can buy for just the pupose of removing the axle nut. It bolts on useing the lugs nuts and increases toruque by three fold (or so) buy useing a gear set up. most of the VW places used to sell them.

Ben,

I have one of those torque meisters and they work the balls ! ! ! I Used to use a four foot stilson wrench, then a welded breaker bar, but with this tool, it's a snap and nothing gets wrecked or broken in the process.

It's also good for removing the crank nut on the flywheel.

I've replaced the rear wheel bearings on my Benz a couple of times and they require something like 600 ft lbs of tourque to crush the crush washer. I use a sturdy 6 ft piece of angle iron with a couple of holes drilled the correct size and spacing of the lug nuts. I then bolt this bar to the hub and use a 3/4 inch drive breaker bar with a length of pipe.

A monthly classic car show in Faro? I've been there a few times recently, including this past June, but have never seen that show mentioned in the tourist brochures?? I just end up on the beaches soaking up the sun and the Sagres. You'll have to tell me where and when as I'll probably be back next year...

Brian

Hi Brian

No not quite a classic car show but just a couple of guys with some collectable and some interesting cars that get together in the big parking lot hidden on the other side of the Faro boat Marina.Its growing and about 20 cars of late attend.The meeting takes place every second sunday of the month.Now every first sunday of the month we have a beetle buddies meeting and thats in the town of Almancil at the public garden area next to the main school.This week one of the guys who restores beetles offered me a 4ft torque wrench and on Monday which is a bank holiday I will tackle my problem.Next time you out here you better give me a shout it would be great to meet you.

Regards
Luis.

Luis:

Might not be as bad as you think....most of the time, a rear VW axle nut cannot be loosened, even with an 18" - 24" Bat handle with a 1/2" drive socket. They're torqued on to something like 275 ft. lbs, after all, and often a LOT more if the guy used an impact gun to tighten it.

That's a 36mm nut, I believe, so you can do one of two things:
1. Take it to a garage with a 300+ ft. lb. impact gun and have them remove it for you, or:

2. Buy or borrow a 3/4" drive, 24" Bat handle or slide bar, and a 3/4" drive, 36mm socket. Also get a 6 foot piece of black iron pipe with an inner diameter big enough to just fit over the bat handle.
Leave the car sitting on flat ground, in first gear AND with the e-brake fully on, with a small block against the wheel to prevent movement. Put the pipe over the bat handle all the way down to the socket end, then place the socket on the nut with the handle oriented at about 10 o'clock, such that you will push DOWN on it to loosen it. Be careful to not hit or scratch the car body, and simply push forcefully down on the far end of the pipe. Don't "jerk" it, just pull slow and steady. That should loosen it without heating the nut. If it does not, then heat the nut with a torch until good and hot and then use the pipe/bat/socket again and it should let go.

Buena Suerte......gn

I'll send you an e-mail next time I go there...probably be in Sept next year. Usually go in June but that is probably the nicest month here. We got back from the Algarve on July 5th this year. July 13th we had a barbeque at the lake...it was windy and so cold that people wore coats, hats and gloves. Its never gotten hot again...last night was 6 or 7 degrees C.

So I've had about 8 days of so-called summer here where the temp was about 20-25 C and sunny. The rest of the time it has been cold, cloudy and wet...

I need another vacation!

Brian