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Torque on Midget rear wheel hub nut

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BJ8Healeys

BJ8Healeys

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Does anyone know what torque should be applied to the Midget rear axle hub nut (disc wheels)? If so, can you cite the source where you found that value?
Yes, I know the left side nut is left-hand thread.

Thanks!
 
As far as I know it is 140 ft #. However I cannot find my docs for the value. I cannot find in my shop manual but have been using this torque for forever.
You need to grind the face of the socket flat so that you are getting full engagement on the thin nut.
This prevents the socket sliding off the nut.
 
140 lbs is the value I have been using as well. It's a big nut.
 
Jim_Gruber said:
140 lbs is the value I have been using as well. It's a big nut.
Click to expand...

Thanks to all who replied. I've found that the nut on the left side won't go anywhere near 140 lb-ft. It is apparently stripped and won't go above about 20 lb-ft before it slips.
 
Sounds like the PO did not know it was a LH thread. Easy to get new ones. How are the threads on the axle stub??
 
Joe Schlosser said:
Sounds like the PO did not know it was a LH thread. Easy to get new ones. How are the threads on the axle stub??
Click to expand...

Joe, the "PO" who stripped the thread was me. I bought this car in 1987. It is so long ago now that I don't remember why I was removing the nut, but I found it very stubborn until I really cranked on it (in the wrong direction not knowing it was left-hand thread) and stripped it. Then, I knew it was LHT. I screwed it back on with some Loc-Tite as much as I dared without reaching the strip point. The Loc-Tite really doesn't do anything since the washer behind it locks the nut. When I removed it a couple days ago to change the rear bearing, it broke loose at 25 lb-ft. I suspected that was not the required torque, but I've put 60,000 miles on the car after stripping the nut with no obvious problems --- unless that is why the rear bearing needs changing now. As far as I know, the bearing is original to the car, which would make it 147,000 miles on it. I was beginning to hear some bearing noise from back there. I am changing both bearings.

As far as I can tell, the threads on the axle housing are O.K. I would expect that if anything was going to strip it would be the nut threads first, not the axle housing. However, I wish I had a die to chase the threads before installing a new nut.
 
There is a thread file available for odd sized threaded items. Try Amazon.

Kurt
 
Closer inspection determined that the threads on the axle housing are not as good as I first thought. I have ordered a new nut and the thread file (the pitch is 16 tpi). Thanks for the suggestion, Kurt. I have a spare rear axle housing that I salvaged from a '72 Midget years ago, but the threads on its left side are also boogered (or "mommicked" as folks in eastern North Carolina say). At least, I have a housing that I can use for practice with the file before I tackle the one on the car.
I surmise that the left-hand threads and high torque on the axle nut is to ensure that the nut sufficiently clamps the inner race of the bearing so that it doesn't spin on the axle and the nut doesn't loosen with the friction due to tire rotation. But since the nut is clamped by the lock washer anyway, it seems making it a left hand thread only increases the probability that some idiot will strip it trying to get it off.
 
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