HOW DO YOU BREAK YOUR NUTS LOOSE?

[Mowman]

Spent 2 hours in the ER room after wrench let loose on a stubborn nut. Only 4 stiches, thank god. Do any of you use an air impact? My neighbor loaned me one tonight and just one bump on the trigger and the nut finally let lose. I only tighten them with my ratchet but they just seem to get tighter than I put them on. Thanks for your input. Mowman

[UrbanEarth]

An impact is on my Christmas list! Definitely the way to go.

On really stubborn nuts, I always try and use a socket and breaker bar. I find they tend not to slip as much, but ya still have to be careful!

Alan

[Runner]

Are you talking about your blade spindles? I use a MAC torque bar. Safest bet.

[davesgs75]

Wrenched sliped on me to, 13 sticthes. bought and air compressor and impact wrench. no more stitches, and like you said just a bump and the blades fall off. how did i ever survive with out it.

[Lazer]

If your impact won't do it, remember the words of the scientist:

"Give me a place to stand and I could lift the world."

Leverage.

Put a 4' peice of 1" pipe over a breaker bar and you easily either loosen the bolt or shear it off. A 150lb guy could apply 600ft/lbs. of torque.

[landscaper3]

Just think I spent $150 on a sears compressor and $100 for gun and accesories, what was your medical bill!!! Its the safest and easest way as they siad above.

[TJLC]

I hate to admit but it took me cutting my thumb on a blade to break down and buy an air compressor. It makes removing blades,a snap. Live and learn, I guess.

[jason2]

If you don't want to spend the cash for a compressor, try an electric impact. I have both air and electric impact's. For breaking loose the spindle nuts I always use the electric, for the simple fact that it's faster, don't have to drag out the air hose.

[Five Star Lawn Care LLC]

Air is the only way to go weather it be blade bolts, filling tires, cleaning out air filters, or those stuburn bolts.

[Sammy]

Impact gun. Why fight them nuts. Great for rotateing tires on the truck also.

[FIREMAN]

BEING AN AUTO MECHANIC IN A FORMER LIFE, I KNOW ALL ABOUT THE BUSTED KNUCKLE BLUES. FOR ALL THOSE WHO LIKE THE IMPACT IDEA THINK ABOUT THIS, TRY OUT A 12 VOLT IMPACT GUN. THERE ARE ONES AVAILIBLE THAT PLUG INTO THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER, AND THERE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE RECHARGEABLE. EITHER WAY AT LEAST ITS IN YOUR TRUCK WITH YOU. NOW PLEASE DON'T MISUNDERSTAND, THEY AREN'T ALL THAT GREAT FOR ROTATING TRUCK TIRES, BUT THE 14.4 VOLT RECHARGEABLE FROM SNAP-ON IS ACTUALLY VERY POWERFUL. I HAVE ONE, IT NORMALLY BREAKS BLADE SPINDLE BOLTS EASILY. AND REMEMBER, WHATEVER YOU DO BUY A 1/2 INCH DRIVE MODEL AND USE 1/2 INCH IMPACT SOCKETS, CHROME SOCKETS ARE TO BRITTLE AND LIKE TO SHATTER, AND 3/8 SOCKETS ON AN ADAPTOR OR A 3/8 GUN LOSE TOO MUCH TORQUE FROM FLEXING.

[Eric ELM]

The reason they can be tighter when you take a spindle bolt off is, if you hit something solid, it tightens the bolt even more than you did when you put the blades on. I have an impact 1/2" drive with a 5 HP air compressor, but I always use a 16" long 15/16 box end wrench for removing the blades. By the time I could drag out the air hose and hook up the impact, I could have had them changed with just the box end wrench. We always wear leather gloves when handling the sharp blades and haven't had to go to Tim Allens favorite place, the emergency room. :)

[Richard Martin]

You can also spray some WD-40 on the threads <i><b>before</i></b> you run the nuts up. It makes a world of difference when trying to remove them.

[Scraper]

I'm with Eric...wear leather gloves. Cut myself many times until I smartened up! Lots of butterfly stitches, no ER visits, although I probably should've a couple times. :) Air is nice, but like Eric says I can have them done and over with before I even set up the air.

[sunrise]

I like Lazer's idea. The 4ft pipe. Also if all else fells cut it off with a grinder or a fire wrench aka torch.

[Sammy]

When you drop a bolt or nut in the dirt, WD-40 is great for washing them off. Use Never-Seize when you want to lube them. If you use a set of torque bars you wont over tighten them or under tighten them. http://www.geniustools.com/special_torque.html

[eslawns]

You guys have hit the nail on the head with the compressor. It has a thousand uses. Got one on clearance at Lowes for $112, 5hp 20 gal tank. :) Never got stitches, but have had a few fingernails lost over it. Instead of
WD-40, try a product called PB Blaster. You can get it at auto parts stores. I don't know what's in it, but it's great for loosening rusty bolts and nuts. Esp those little guys on the spindle pulleys. You'd shear them with an impact.

[Cutter1]

PB Blaster is the best stuff out there. It works great for all kinds of things, especially for blades. I also broke down and bought air tools, they are the best thing to have around a shop. I also have a reel on the ceiling for the hose, makes it very easy to get to and its always out of the way.

[Guido]

I break my nuts loose by lifting something heavy!

Oh........now I understand!! :) Whether electric or pneumatic, impact gun or ratchet is the way to go.

If not, use a cheater bar.

If theres something you take on and off often, I'll definetly recommend cleaning the threads really good and then using some "never-sieze" lube on them. They won't give you any trouble after that.

Hope this helps!!


Damn I missed this place!!

[bob]

Is this thread connected to the "Lubing your balls" thread!

[Eric ELM]

Where have you been? We thought they started a war and didn't tell us.

[Charles]

You cheat on your wife or girlfriend

[osc]

Before you rush out and buy an impact wrench you must have an air compressor. Maybe you already have one but the thing is you need a BIG compressor to bust off really jammed nuts.
I'd have to see a wrench plugged into a cigarette lighter do the deed before I'd waist any money there.
My equipment can produce nut jams that no impact wrench in my whole town could break, even the semi-truck tire shop. Am I to believe that an electric, DC battery powered tool is going to losen that kind of a nut?

So what is all this horse-puckie? Frankly, I'm losing my respect for such advice. I agree with Lazer it's LEVERAGE! Get a cheater pipe and use a pipe wrench if you've worn down the nut. If the nut is sunk down in a pulley then use a good socket, socket wrench and cheater pipe and be very careful. Do use pentrating oil and the longer it soaks, the better.
Get a concrete block and lower the deck on it to back up the blade because you are not going to back up the head on the bottom of the bolt. Then have someone sit on the deck to keep the block from moving. Let the block back up on some part of the deck.
And Eric is right, the problem is striking solid objects but this happens if you have employees.

[BUSHMASTER]

I soak all bolts with pb blaster "THE BEST" all bolts under the truck and my machinces whenever i do oil changes,but if i do come across the one i'll break out with the 1/2 impact
and if that don't work i'll try my air chisles that has a adt. for 1/2 drive sockets when all esles fail the snap on
breaker bar and a 4ft pipe works every time , oh if you get it off and don't want to go though it again ...use anit-sezze.

[Keith]

Get some PB Blaster

[weve]

After hitting myself in the head twice (requiring stiches once) while tightening or loosening blades on the spindles I finnally knocked some sense into my head. I just position the wrench so that I can push instead of pull.

[Getmow]

The reason I use an air gun is because of time. I have a reel mounted on the ceiling. Pull the hose down, hook up the gun and 3-4 sets of blades changed every morning in less than 15 minutes. (that includes scraping the decks)

[Banzaitoy]

GUYS: Just remember when using PB Blaste to wear your safety glasses DUHHHHH! $ weeks ago I spent thje evening in the ER when the spindle beaerings I was pressing out in the Hydraulic press sprang loose and sprayed me in the Eyes. Also keep a bottle of Saline solution handy to start flushing your eyes. When I got ot the ER the PH inmy eyes was 4.7

[BUSHMASTER]

Originally posted by Banzaitoy
GUYS: Just remember when using PB Blaste to wear your safety glasses DUHHHHH! $ weeks ago I spent thje evening in the ER when the spindle beaerings I was pressing out in the Hydraulic press sprang loose and sprayed me in the Eyes. Also keep a bottle of Saline solution handy to start flushing your eyes. When I got ot the ER the PH inmy eyes was 4.7

OUCH!!!!!!! THAT HAD TO BURN..USE A FULL FACE SHEILD you can buy then a home depot

[cos]

First I start with a shot of tequila, then when I think i 'm almost there, i burn all the vinyl on the dance floor.

Yeah dude, did you get activated for a war that we didn't know about. Good to hear from you again guido.

[Banzaitoy]

I hate to admit this, but the face shield was sitting on the Workbench, I had let it get to scratched up to see thru.

[greenflag]

We use a Mac impact 590 ft/lbs of nut bustin tourque. It breaks them loose in a heart beat. $20,000.00 in tools comes in handy once in a while. You should be able to get a package from Sears with an impact, sockets, and compresser. They usually put them on sale for the Christmas season. So put that on your list.

Good luck,
Garry S. Smith