This jeep has cost me money since I bought it two weeks ago. I had plans to spend about 1g on tires and lift and have spent that on already on brakes and bearings.... I can tell the wife is loosing her patience with it as well. I try to do most of my own work to reduce the cost some. So tonight I was trying to change my front hub assembly and could not loosen the center nut. I banged the F--k out of it with a small sledge hamer and a steel pipe and broke two wrenches. Now I am going to have to take it to a shop and get ripped off on labor. so now what started off as a $75 job will have to turn into a $175 job... Damn it!!!! .... sorry I just needed to vent.

 

first off, you cant buy a jeep and not have patients...i know exactly how hard that center nut is to loosen..i had to take both front ones off with in a week of each other...youve just gota get a big enough pipe, half inch to 3/4 drive breaker bar, or even rachet, and youre as good as done..dont take it to a garage..just find a big enough pipe and breaker bar or rachet, and ur done..

 

Take that $175 and buy some good impact sockets that are lifetime warrantied. Finish the job you started and then enjoy a nice cold beer. If you break the impact socket trying to get the nut off, then it must really be on there and that shop's gonna charge more than $175 to get it off. I only destroyed one impact socket and it was because it was Made in China and in stripped out because it was a piece of crap.

 

usually not even an impact will get them off...youve just gotta use some good old fashioned sweat, muscle and leverage...and maybe some blood too depending on if you slip and bust ur knuckle

 

same happened to me, i had over 1k to play with when i bought it but had to replace basically the whole coolant system... but the longer the project the prouder you'll be

 

I'm not saying use an impact gun. Just an impact socket so you don't crack it. Team it up with a breaker bar and a cheater pipe on top of that, you should be able to get it off no problem. If you can't get it with that, take apart a chainlink fence and use that piping so you have a 6 foot cheater pipe . And you no what they say..."if you ain't bleedin, you ain't workin".

 

I am going to get a breaker bar and some pipe tomorrow. Hopefully I can get it done.... One question... That bolt loosens to the left right? Thats where i was working.

 

oh ok...good call on the impact socket then..i thought you meant the whole gun..

i had to barrow a 3 foot pipe from a friend of mine with 1/8 think walls..then i put that around my half inch drive craftsman rachet, and it was smooth as butter....always make sure you use craftsman tho bc that way if the rachet does break, its a free replacement

also when i do it, i get down to that nut early in the day, so i can spray it with PB blaster and let it soak until im ready to finish

 

just like any most other bolts...lefty loosy, righty tighty

 

x2 on the PB Blaster. It was my best friend for doing my lift. My shackle bolts were REAL rusty! Make sure you use PB Blaster as it's a penetration lube unlike WD-40. Also, it seems like those impact guns really don't even do that much. They're great for lug nuts, but not old rusted overtightened nuts and bolts that have never been removed once. I too use Craftsman for many reasons. It's affordable, American, lifetime guaranteed, and you can get a new one at any Sears. No sending in and waiting for a replacement.

 

Have done both mine (01) and both of my sons (93) with a 1/2 breaker bar, and a 6 ft .120 wall 1/4"NPS pipe. What I do is take it apart so the nut is clear then put the wheel back on, put it back on the ground and start cranking. some broke easy some I thought the breaker bar was going to bust. Also remember that anti-seize is your friend for next time you take it apart (you will take it apart again - goes for about anything you replace on the jeep).

I understand the frustration of dumping money into your XJ for non-fun stuff but it is the life of a Jeep; and it only gets worst as you start to wheel them. Don't let it get you down - it is your toy; toys always cost you.

 

I had a nice craftsman wrench that for the life of me I can not find. So I broke two cheapos. I'm hoping the breaker bar and pipe work. I am not up for doing this all night, and I need to get this fixed before these bearing blow out on me. Anyway, I am taking your guys advice and I am going to get this done. Then I still have to get my wifes brakes done on her Grand Cherokee and change the oil.

 

I keep reading posts about people having a hard time with the hub nut and frankly, (no pun intended), I'm always surprised.

A few pointers to get you guys through the job with minimal headaches, busted knuckles, broken tools, and pissed off wives.

First off, never try to remove the nut untill you've soaked it in a good penetrating oil. PB Blaster is by far the best I've ever used. Soak the darn thing a couple times a day before you attempt to remove it. Don't have anything on hand? Horse-crap I say!! You've got a resevoir full of brake fluid don't ya. Dip your finger in it and put a few healthy drops on the exposed threads.

Got an impact gun? Tighten it before you try to loosen it. Try it, you'll be amazed at how well this works.

Heat applied to the nut will cause it to expend and break the lock that the rust has on it. Heat it up with a torch (Mapp gas works too) and then tighten with your impact, reverse the gun and hammer it for a little while.

Still not budging? Put your 36 MM socket on your strongest breaker bar and go get your floor jack. Use the floor jack to apply the force and let it sit over night if you have to.

If it absolutely refuses to turn it's time for a dremel and some reinforced cutoff discs. Cut on an angle, from the front of the nut toward the back. Once you've cut at least 3/4's of the way through, use a cold chisel in the cut to finish the job.

 

Thats a good idea.... I will just have to get that center cap out... maybe i will try it tomorrow.

 

agreed....i was going to suggest that before he puts the nut back on, spray the heck outa the threads in the nut, and on the stud

always, X2 on the "its the life of a jeep"...if you wheel them you better plan on breaking something...

that why ive always got atleast 2 new u-joints in my console when i wheel..and the friends of mine that i wheel with all carry different parts but the parts are all compatible with most of the rigs, bc they are cherokees and grand cherokees that way if some one breaks something while wheeling weve almost always got a spare part to fix it, or to atleast get it off the trail