Well, thanks for all the ideas! I cut off the peening as panchovisa admonished me to do (thanks), used a torch per ChrisA, and then set up a rig of my own invention, but from ideas of a bunch of others. The dime-store air gun was still a bust, but a 3 foot breaker bar, with an 8 foot 2x6 tied to the wheel worked like a charm! I didn't even have to break much of a sweat! One helper on the tire, and one on the other end of the board to keep them from tipping, and I broke it loose in just a couple tries.

Now off to do the other one...

I got the "Earthquake" impact wrench from harbor freight tools. It claims to have 650 lbs of torque and only cost $70 online (www.harborfreight.com). I used it on those very nuts and it spun them right off.

Well, thanks for all the ideas! I cut off the peening as panchovisa admonished me to do (thanks), used a torch per ChrisA, and then set up a rig of my own invention, but from ideas of a bunch of others. The dime-store air gun was still a bust, but a 3 foot breaker bar, with an 8 foot 2x6 tied to the wheel worked like a charm! I didn't even have to break much of a sweat! One helper on the tire, and one on the other end of the board to keep them from tipping, and I broke it loose in just a couple tries.

Now off to do the other one...

Mark

great bit of improvisation:classic:

Yep.. i'm in the same boat. Just the other week I removed the half shafts and diff to seperate the rear susp into driver and pass sides. Only thing left was to remove the strut assembly from the lower suspension frame and brake assembly.

Seems I'll have a job ahead.. Thanks for the tips.. although, I may just beg/borrow a heavy impact and see if that does the trick (as suggested).

One question, though.. If I try the heavy impact, must I still cut/grind the 'peening"? and what in heck is 'peening'.

One question, though.. If I try the heavy impact, must I still cut/grind the 'peening"? and what in heck is 'peening'.

Larry, I might be wrong on this but I thought you had to remove the peening or you would destroy the threads on the stub shaft if you back the nut off with a big gun.

The peening is where the nut has been hammered down on the edges as a sort of locking method to prevent the nut from spinning off. It flattens the edge of the nut making it kind of square on a round shaft.

Some of our engineers could probably get more technical.

Chris

Now off to do the other one...

Good going Mark! Nice job with the jig/rig.

Chris

I got the "Earthquake" impact wrench from harbor freight tools. It claims to have 650 lbs of torque and only cost $70 online (www.harborfreight.com). I used it on those very nuts and it spun them right off.

Wow! I hadn't noticed that one. Maybe I'll invest $75 for next time (I'll still have the 240Z to do some time in the future). There are some other bolts that my current wrench has not been able to handle either....

One question, though.. If I try the heavy impact, must I still cut/grind the 'peening"? and what in heck is 'peening'.

If you look at one of my posts above, you'll see pictures of the nuts before I cut off the peening. It is essentially the top edge of the nut bent in against flats on either side of the axle to 'lock' it in place.

By cutting it off, the threads on my axle are now still in perfect shape. I don't know what it would do to the threads by not cutting the peening off. The factory manual says not to cut it off, but several members here have insisted that it should be done (and it worked for me!). I was VERY careful with my dremel not to get into the threads while cutting.

By cutting it off, the threads on my axle are now still in perfect shape. I don't know what it would do to the threads by not cutting the peening off. The factory manual says not to cut it off, but several members here have insisted that it should be done (and it worked for me!). I was VERY careful with my dremel not to get into the threads while cutting.

Mark: I was wondering about this. It looks like the threads on the stub axle have been removed by the cutting. Is this an illusion? I am trying to gather as much information on this job as I possibly can as I am sure I will have to do it one day in the future and I want to understand what to do and not to do when the time comes.

Carl, the axle has two flats milled into it which removes the threads there. The nut has an un-threaded "collar" which is deformed to match the flats AFTER the nut is torqued.

When you try to remove nut without grinding off deformed area it screws up the last 4 or 5 threads on axel. When the real nut portion is un-screwed past the buggered axel threads they are also ruined and make it almost impossible to get a NEW nut back on (remember old nut is destroyed with/ or without grinding of crimp!!!!). Please sacrifice the nut to save the axel!

Please sacrifice the nut to save the axel!

Ditto, when I was younger and thought I could just look at something and take it apart I ruined a stub shaft. With a 1" impact gun, the nut comes off really quick but like Panchovisa said, I ruined the end threads on the stub shaft to the point where the new nut would not go back on.

DUMBASS!!!!

Chris

Carl, the axle has two flats milled into it which removes the threads there. The nut has an un-threaded "collar" which is deformed to match the flats AFTER the nut is torqued.

When you try to remove nut without grinding off deformed area it screws up the last 4 or 5 threads on axel. When the real nut portion is un-screwed past the buggered axel threads they are also ruined and make it almost impossible to get a NEW nut back on (remember old nut is destroyed with/ or without grinding of crimp!!!!). Please sacrifice the nut to save the axel!

Here's a picture of the flat on the axle end. There is a matching flat machined on the other side of the axle. Also a pic of the axle removed from the strut for reference. If you want any better pics, now's the time to ask! It's all apart!