How Do I Remove These?

[Richard Baines]

Dad's TR6 is up for MOT but to get it to pass we need to sort out a few issues with the vertical link. The arm that bolts onto it, for the TRE to join onto, has a loose nut/bolt - probably caused from a lot of dry steering in the garage whilst we were moving the car in and out to work on it.

 

As far as I can see, the only way I can get to this bolt to tighten it, is to remove the brake disc, so set about doing that today and hit a snag.

 

The car has had wire wheels from new, and has a bolt on adapter for the splines. My first thoughts to remove it were have someone hold down the foot brake and use a socket or ring spanner on the stud nuts, but you can't get enough purchase on it. It also seems like I'm not the only one who has encountered this issue as the edges of the nuts have already been worn a little.

 

Is there a way of getting the splined hub adapter off, without butchering things or having to remove the entire vertcal link assembly from the car?

[Geko]

Impact wrench at your favorite tire outlet and if it doesn't work, heat I'm afraid

Edited October 5, 2014 by Geko

[RobH]

That isn't worn a little Richard, thats totally bu**ered. Even if you can sort out the steering arm another way, you really need to get those nuts off and replace them.

I take it that by 'not enough purchase' you mean the socket slips off ? Otherwise just use a longer drive bar - but with the state the nuts are in if you try with a normal 12-point socket or ring spanner you will probably end up rounding the whole thing off even if you can get one on over the burrs.

 

If you are lucky you might get a 6-point socket on after a little work with a needle file but it looks too far gone even for that. ( because of the shortness of the accessible nut flats you might need to grind off the end of the socket to maximise the grip as most sockets start a bit rounded at the entry).

 

If that doesn't work, more drastic measures are needed. With the nuts partly in the recess its probably not possible to use a nut splitter but you could try welding another nut on top to give you something to grip on; or drill out the studs and replace those too. Whatever you use, you need to replace those nuts so don't worry about damaging them further.

 

Good luck.

[boxofbits]

I think you may be lucky with a hexagonal socket, after filing off the burred edges.

 

Use a soft mallet, maybe copper, and hammer the socket squarely onto the nut to get as tight a fit as possible.

 

Before fitting the socket, you could try some heat on a nut to see if it eases it. Do not use an air wrench, but pull with a long bar gently by hand.

Edited October 5, 2014 by boxofbits

[AlanT]

Propane torch, bucket of water. Three times.

Edited October 5, 2014 by AlanT

[DaveN]

Try a good quality flank drive socket. The socket may need grinding down a bit as they very often have a small lead or rounded off on the end.

[littlejim]

Worst case option, weld something grippable on top of them.

[Geko]

whatever ratchet you use applying tangential force won't give you enough grip and it will slip off the nut. You need front face torque force and for this an impact wrench with high torque hexagonal socket will do the trick in just 5 min. Alternatively If you like fiddling with heat they will come off easily applying the method described by AlanT.

[peejay4A]

Getting back to the original symptom. When you finally get it off the car you should look very carefully for the reason for the bolt to have become slack. Personally I don't buy dry steering in a garage as a possible cause for slackening off. It's safety critical so you need to be sure what caused it.

[littlejim]

After another look at the photo I've worked out that if it were mine I would order a new set of nuts, then put my vice grips (lockable) on them. If necessary put a pipe on the handle for extra leverage.

[AlanT]

Often there is a Metric socket that just won't quite go on.

Then you file the nuts to fit it.

 

Vise-grips are risky. Be OK if a nut-spliiter would work as a fall back. But I don't think it would.

[John Morrison]

Hi Richard,

what facilities have you got?

 

Do you weld etc, could make removal a lot simpler,

if you feel like a chat, give me a ring -

Back of TR Action, cumbria GRoup Leader.

 

John.

[RogerH]

Hi Richard,

it could be that the PO used rather a high torque on them in fear of them coming loose - bad practice.

If you have major problems and still can't remove them then simply drill the stud out. The nut will fall off and stud replacement is simple.

 

I made a natty tool to help keep the hub still when undoing/doing

 

Roger

 

 

 

 

[Grahamgl]

Hi Richard,

I had a similar problem last year. As I do not have a welding kit I was limited in the method(s) I could use. I tried the file route and the hexagon socket and a nut splitter, all to no avail. I was left with brute force as the way to go. I used a sharpened cold chisel and a lump hammer, with the intention of trying to hammer the nut off. The nut eventually split and it was then easy to remove. Hammer=engineers spanner! I would add that the brute force approach is not the way I normally approach problems.

 

Graham

Edited October 7, 2014 by Grahamgl

[Red 6]

Hammer and chisel with an assistant pressing down on the brake pedal. The nuts will be off in no time. If you have a propane torch (as used by home plumbers) give it a dose of heat first.

 

When re fitting the "new" nuts peen the end of the nut into the stud, it acts as a lock also use thread lock.

 

I remember doing a trackday at goodwood and those nuts came loose, scary!

[Richard Baines]

Wow lots of responses! Thanks a lot guys, really appreciate the help and plenty of options for me to try now.

 

Since I've got an impact wrench, I think that's probably the first thing I will try (with a hexagonal socket), after I've filed the nuts clean a little. I think before I do that, I might add plenty of penetrating fluid and heat the nuts up a little bit as well, just to give it as much chance as possible of succeeding.

 

Failing that, it sounds like the chisel method has worked for you guys so that's probably my next option. I don't have a welder (yet) but I'm in the market for one, so if all else fails I guess I could eventually tack weld something on to the nuts to give grip.

 

I agree with that Pete (about the root cause), it seems odd. It was never picked up before on the MOT so it must have been done recently, but the car hasn't seen a great deal of use at all this year so I'm not sure what it could be. Hopefully closer inspection when the hub and disc are off, should give more answers.