I am trying to repair my motorbike, can you help?

Question

I have been trying to get a nut off on the back wheel, that is so tight it won't move, can you help?

Answer 1

Are you turning it in the correct direction?

You need an impact wrench with a six point socket. If you don't have one take your bike to a mechanic, he can loosen up a stuck nut in no time flat.

Do not use vice-grips, or a torch unless it is your last resort. then plan on replacing the ruined parts!

[;-)

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Answer 2

a few suggestions
firstly, spray something like wd-40 over the nut and leave it overnight before trying to get it off. Use a t-bar or ratchet handle and make sure youve got the correct size socket, if you havent it will round off the nut making it all but impossible to shift! FFS dont use an adjustable spanner!! The advantage of using a t-bar or an ratchet handle is that you can put the handle and socket on the nut, then apply your body weight to the handle. This should shift it.
If that doesnt work, get a blowtorch and hold the flame on the nut for a few minutes. When the metal expands temporarily in the heat thats usually enough.
If neither of these work, try a strong pair of mole grips on the nut. If the nut is rounded, get out a file and file off the rounded parts just enough to get a good fit with a socket / spanner.
Failing that, the only other alternative is to cut off the nut, and you could do without going down that road!
Once youve got the nut off, have a look and make sure the thread hasnt stripped off. If it has, or if its rounded, you must replace it

Answer 3

First of all are you turing it, (the nut), the right way? Since the wheels on any motorbike, car or truck when moving forward are turning clockwise, i've found that some old time small european and asian manufacturers put the nut on the spindle or axel hub on ant-clockwise - so that there is always tension on the nut to keep it from unscrewing, on top of that several also use a cotter key to hold the nut in place on the shaft.

These set ups are almost alway metric, (I do not recall ever seeing one in inches)..

If this is not the case, the nut is probable just frozen onto the shaft with rust. In which case you can try WD-40, or any number of other over the counter automotive store products designed for this situation. Loktite Brand makes a penetrating oil, and so does Justice Brothers..

The other "Old School" way to approach this problems is to take a very hard tipped and very sharp steel chisel and make a pair of deep & sharp "V" notches in the nut horrizontal to the ground - and 180 degrees from one another. (Be very careful not to damage the threads; - then heat the nut up to a dull red with a small torch flame, and quench the hot nut in WD-40 or penetrating oil. Now quickly tap on the bottom half of the nut from both sides - to see if you can "Knock off" that bottom half of the nut. Repeat as necessary until the bottom half of the nut is removed, and then repeat the procedure for the top half; - which should go even faster - AGAIN - DO NOT DAMAGE THE THREADS TO REMAIN. Now clean up trhe treaded male end, touch up the threads with a small rat file, and find a replacenet nut to fit the thread or re-cut the threads on the male end., or re-thread a nut that is clost to fitting - to fit. Done.

Answer 4

Do NOT use mole grips/vice grips, and I wouldn't use WD40- I have in 15 years NEVER found it effective. Silkolene make a product called 'Sikopen' that is far better but it's still a bit of a desperate hope. What WILL help is whacking the nut with a hammer: Strike it in any direction that won't damage the nut, to 'shock' the threads. A quick blast of heat can help too, from a small blowtorch or similar. Or, use a large shifting spanner (they are dodgy but okay on large nuts).

Use a breaker bar, or put a long pipe on your GOOD QUALITY spanner or ratchet. Spend the money on the right sized socket.

Answer 5

spray with WD40 or penetrating oil etc. and then consider the physics of the situation.
You have a bolt far to tight to undo. you need to exact a rotating force or TORQUE onto that bolt via a wrench or spanner. The simple equation applies that TORQUE=ForcexRADIUS
Where the force is the effort you put into turning the wrench and the radius the length of the wrench.

So as all before information was shouwing off.
Try a longer radius. when i get a tough bolt in the workshop i get a length of scaffold bar that i have handy and use it as a sort of extension on the wrench and it works every time.

Other very good alternative but expensive is go out and buy an air compressor and impact wrench and that will take anything off.

Answer 6

Axle bolts can be a pain.
P B Blaster is the best, soak it down and let it sit overnight.
Use a six point socket on a breaker bar, and a pipe to lengthen the handle.

Jumping on the wrench is a very helpful thing, works wonders. Just hold on with one hand to balance yourself (wear heavy soles so you don't bruise your foot).

If the nut is on the left side, it makes jumping on it difficult. You may want to put it in from the other direction to make next time easier.

Answer 7

Try tightening it a little then undo it

If you have not got any wd40 or similar "penetrating" Oil use brake fluid .. just a spot

Try warming the nut up .. carefully, with a gas torch/blow lamp, do not get it red !!!!!


Impact driver was a good idea

If all else fails .... buy a new nut THEN crack it off with a nut cracker or carefully! - saw it almost through and break it open with a heavy screw driver


Here is a good tip ( I used to work on Railway Braking systems ) When replacing exposed nut or bolts always apply copper grease ( copper slip) to them

before you replace on

Answer 8

Give the nut a bath of WD40 (really spray on loads) and leave it for 10 mins to penetrate. Then clamp the nut with a mole wrench and clout the mole wrench with a 3lb club hammer. Only time I've come across a left hand thread is on the wheels of a old style Vespa scooter.

Answer 9

Here's an idea if you don't want to buy special tools.
Use a 6 point box wrench.
Get someone to hold the bike.
Put your foot on the wrench and stand on it (jump on it)

Answer 10

Spray with a lubricant, like wd40, then use a lever bar to loosen it.