Suggestions to get rear axle nut lined up with cotter key hole
 

I have changed an axle and am using a good original castle nut. My problem is that from a torque range of 90 to 125 it does not line up with the axle key hole. I do not have another nut to try and I am going to call Bert's this morning as some have said another nut may line up differently. At 125 it is close, but not close enough. My hubs are 3 year old cast iron hubs from Snyder's.

Re: Suggestions to get rear axle nut lined up with cotter key hole
 

use a flat surface and a piece of sandpaper and take a little off of the back side of the nut

Re: Suggestions to get rear axle nut lined up with cotter key hole
 

Are you sure your wrench is reading correctly.

I have never seen the space range you have referenced. Usually plus or minus 5 between holes on nut.

Re: Suggestions to get rear axle nut lined up with cotter key hole
 

WHN, I will try another wrench, but the holes on these original nuts are about 5/16 inch apart.

Re: Suggestions to get rear axle nut lined up with cotter key hole
 

Easy. Just as Ray said.

A piece of glass or other flat surface and some sandpaper. Remove some from the back of the nut or the washer. From what you say it won't take much.

Re: Suggestions to get rear axle nut lined up with cotter key hole
 

Remove a little from the nut or swap nuts. DO NOT FORGET to recheck the nut after driving a while. Things have a tendency to settle in. I generally start at 90-100 go up from from there, but if it is not lining up past 110-120 time to swap or file the nut.

Re: Suggestions to get rear axle nut lined up with cotter key hole
 

Back the nut off some then bring back up around 115 and advance to aligened hole.
You will be good to go.

Re: Suggestions to get rear axle nut lined up with cotter key hole
 

I have either put the nut in a lathe and trimmed it a litt or used a .015 thick valve spring shim to get the holes to line up. The shims are hardened and will take the torque.

Re: Suggestions to get rear axle nut lined up with cotter key hole
 

Standard practice right out of the maintenance manual for a castle nut that will not line up within the specified torque range is to install a thin shim or shims (washer) as required.

Re: Suggestions to get rear axle nut lined up with cotter key hole
 

Or tighten it enough to align it, this is not rocket science!

Re: Suggestions to get rear axle nut lined up with cotter key hole
 

Jim, that is easier said than done. At 125 ft pounds I had at least 1/3 space to move until the next slot. When, at least for me, I was at 125 it takes considerable increases to move much. I think I would have been up to 140 +/- to get there. I purchased three new nuts and one of them lined up at 100 and I left it there.

Re: Suggestions to get rear axle nut lined up with cotter key hole
 

How about just torque the nut to your desired setting, and if the cotter key hole is nowhere close, drill a hole in line with the nut, but out at the end of the threads, so that the cotter key will just catch the nut by tapping the key into the slots. That way you won't weaken the axle.

Re: Suggestions to get rear axle nut lined up with cotter key hole
 

Don't make a problem where there ain't none !
As Jim B says, just run it up to that next hole and stick the cotter in place, easy. Not rocket science. When a guy had no 'torque wrench', and put a 'cheater' bar/pipe onto wrench, do you think that he stopped at 125/whatever ?


And, don't forget to recheck for tight/loose after running car a ways and from time to time. Not going to fail from tooo tight, but will fail from toloose.

Re: Suggestions to get rear axle nut lined up with cotter key hole
 

No it is not. He did ask what the correct way to proceed is in this particular situation. And it's right in the manual. No need to drill any holes or any weirdo stuff, just use a shim. Easy peasy. Now, if he just wants to reef it down and bust the torque limit all to hell, he can do that too but at least he knows.