Axle problem, but how to fix?

JMGreco

I have hydraulic disc brakes on the rear of my TXT Series Cart. I regularly tighten the castle nuts on the end of the axle. Reading here how important it is to keep those nuts tight, I use my electric impact gun. I don't have a torque wrench. Last time I did this I stripped the threads on the axle. Castle nut is stuck on. I do have the cotter pin in place. Performance seems normal at this point. I have pinpointed some noise coming from this area occasionally, but only occasionally. Question is, what will happen if I do nothing? I have done all the upgrades on my cart on my own thus far (with help from this sight and Scotty B). If I need to replace the axle, how difficult a job is that?

BGW

__________________
This advertising will not be shown in this way to registered members.
Register your free account today and become a member on Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum

ab46501

Replacing the axle spline shaft is not too difficult but you will need to get that nut off to do it and from the sound of things that is going to be your biggest problem.

JMGreco

I am hoping to get as much life as I can, but as far as getting the nut off I was thinking of cutting it with a cutting wheel if I can fit a grinder in there.

Sir Nuke

JMGreco.....lets assume you have a 1/2" drive electric impact since the nut is pretty good size. any decent 1/2" drive electric impact will put out at least 250 lbft of torque, mine puts out 350. the Axle nuts are only supposed to be torqued to 90 lbft's and a MAX of 140. You did say that you have the cotter pin in place.....this may sound goofy, but certainly you removed the pin when you were tightening the nuts with the impact....right??

in the future, without a torque wrench (you can get a deflecting bar type for about $20) you would be better off tightening up the nut with a breaker bar thinking about tightening up the lug nuts on your car, as that would be about that much torque and would be closer than using your impact.

ab46501

If it is working then I don't blame you for getting as much out of it as you can.

Once you get the nut off there are a couple of retaining clips and a bearing behind the drum or in your case the disc that have to be removed. You will also have to drop the pan. The axle shaft will probably need a little push to come out but should slide fairly easy once you get it going.

If you do this it is the perfect time to replace bearing and seals while you are at it so be sure and have those.

JMGreco

Sir Nuke, yes, cotter pin was removed before tightening. I did try your suggested method with a breaker bar in the past but was still getting "creeking" noise coming from the area. Impact gun got it tight enought were "creeking" stopped.

AB, thanks for the tip on the seals and bearings. Always seems more dificult until you have done it once. Will see how long things hold up and go from there.

simple man

To start, I'm not familiar with the disk brake setup. Do you have lug studs on the disk rotor? If so use a puller to apply some pressure to the disk while you turn the castle nut off. Apply a little pressure from the puller and turn the castle nut a little ( maybe an ⅛" of a turn at a time. The nut will eventually get to some good threads and will come off. You have more than likely stripped the nut and not the axle. You'll need a new nut. The axles are pretty tough metal! Ok, so you find that the axle is stripped? Get some flat washers or a spacer and put enough on where you can get the nut to tighten on the good threads. If you have to do this, chances are you wont be able to put the cotter pin back in the hole. You'll have to use some blue threadlocker " Loctite " on the threads. I never use an impact tool to tighten nuts or bolts for just this reason! You can borrow a torque wrench from most auto stores with a deposit. The torque value is 140flbs. Now this value is for drum brakes! You'll have to look yours up.

JMGreco

Simple Man, thank you for that suggestion. Once I realized I stripped something, I was going to try your suggestions with the washers to get me some good thread, but could not get the nut off to do so. I would be very happy to just need a new castle nut. I will have to rent some pullers, but seems as though your idea may have saved me a lot of additional work pulling the axle.

rfquiggle

I stripped mine once and pryed it while turning to get it off. I then replaced castle nut with a good lock nut from hardware store and i was able to put cotter pin through axle and have not had a problem since. You are more likely to have stripped castle nut than the axle. Lock nuts work very well on these axles.

Sir Nuke

If you use the washer (shim) idea to get far enough out to get to good threads.....and your old nut is toast but the shaft it good.....but can't see the cotter pin holes.

Take the old nut and run a large drill bit through it so it will just fit over the shaft. put the washers adn new nut on and mark where a new cotter pin hole would be. take the nut adn washers off. put the bored out nut on and use it as a guide for the new cotter pin hole. Just make sure you have a carbide or cobalt drill bit to drill the new cotter pin hole with, as simple man mentioned, the shafts tend to be very hard.