Size of rear spindle nut?

[tyrel]

Dudes, I have to change my rear wheel bearings

Anyone know what size socket to use on the rear spindle nut?

Thanks!

 

[Ken]

I tried to find it in the GM Service Manual but couldn't find a size for it. I discovered that the required torque is 166 ft lbs for when you put it back together though.

Someone here is bound to know.

_ken

 

[muddywaters]

rear spindle nut

Hi, Just torqued the rears on my 88. 36MM was the size and I got aloaner socket from Autozone. If you would like to purchase one their about $15.00. Muddywaters

 

[tyrel]

Thanks guys. Hey, is it difficult to remove the three torx bolts holding on the hub, since you have to go around back?

 

[rrubel]

It's not too difficult, but you *will* have to rotate the half-shaft to get at one of them (two are always accessible, but not all three). I found it more difficult to get them back IN than out, though.
[RICHR]

 

[Eagle85C4]

I have to agree with Rich...I replaced all four of mine early in the summer. The rears took a bit longer. To help insert the three bolts back in you can try to install them manually if you got small hands, but mine were too big to fit so I took the torx head and a long extension and covered it with wheel bearing grease and put the bolt on it and worked them back in. And you might want to throw a bit of red loctite on them to help keep them from coming loose. I also went back and re-torqued them after a hundred or so miles just to make sure. Good Luck...

 

[tyrel]

Thanks for all the info, guys!

 

[rrubel]

I also went back and re-torqued them after a hundred or so miles just to make sure.

Good idea... I'll check mine since I'm working in that area.

What I did for putting them in was use a magnetic bit holder, put the torx bit into that, and lie down under the diff with a light shining directly onto the back of the hub. Made life a LOT easier, but it was a good two hours of trying before I thought to do that - I was trying to do them by feel. Got one, but not the other two.
[RICHR]

 

[tyrel]

Well, ten hours later, I finally eliminated the squeak in my car's rear end. It wasn't the wheel bearing at all, it was the outer u-joint on the axle.

A week ago I took it to Lex Brodie. "It's not a u-joint, it's the differential." They told me to go to the corvette place on queen street, so I go there. "It's not the differential, or the u-joint, it's the muffler." He pounds on the muffler and tells me to go to the muffler place. I visit the muffler place and he tells me it's not the muffler.

In frustration, I took the day off today and tore apart my knuckle, bearing, and axle. The bearing was fine, but the u-joint was all squeaky and clunky. "A-ha!" I was right all along.

Today was the day I learned that no one around here will help you if you work on your car yourself. I called all the repair shops and they were all too busy to press a u-joint. I guess ten minutes of labor isn't worth it to them. One woman told me "don't drop it off today, or any other day. We're too busy. We're busy every day." My vise is too small, so I go to Sears and buy a monster vise.

Pressing out the old u-joint was a BEAR. Followed these excellent instructions, by the way:

http://personal.tmlp.com/scorp/vette/images/ujoints/index.html

The old u-joint was all rusted in, it took all my strength and a length of pipe on the vise handle to remove it. J*sus, that thing was on tight. The new one went in as smooth as butter. I opened the cap on the old one and it was filled with rusty powder...no bearings left! I kept remembering the repair shops: "well, all your u-joints are fine."

If anyone ever tells you that the squeak isn't what you think it is, take their information with a grain of salt.

 

[Ken]

I'm glad to hear it worked out for you, and to top it off, you now have the satisfaction of knowing it was done right. Congratulations.

I hope you didn't "(tear) apart (your) knuckle" too bad. :L

_ken