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removing front hub nut w/o the proper tool?


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I'm in the early part of the learning curve replacing/rebuilding all my brakes on a '05 110 wagon, Tdi. I just managed to get the right front caliper off, and have it split on the bench with frozen pistons soaking in PB Blaster. I am betting this truck will stop a lot easier if I get all the pistons working.

Anyhow, I have new front discs for it, and wheel bearings, but can't get the assembly off because of that large hub nut. I don't have any wrenches or spanners, or sockets, or even Vice Mole Grips that will fit and turn it. I measured it, and it looks like it's 2 inches across, or maybe that should be 51 mm? In any case, I don't have much faith in being able to find something to fit it properly. I really do not want to take a cold chisel to it. It's in perfect condition, at the moment.

Has anyone come up with another way to get those hub nuts off using something other than the right tool? I am considering cutting a wrench out of plate steel, but that would set me back a day, probably. I'd have to start by finding some steel. Then buying something to cut it with. etc.

If I needed to call around to try to find the right tool, what would I call it? A two inch socket?

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Lump hammer and large chisel :mellow:

My Series motor had been done that way when I had it years ago. The MOT after my 110 rebuild only had a problem with rear wheel bearings so the guy kindly lent the hammer and chisel to do the necessary adjustment without having to have a retest.

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I suspect my 1/2" drive 52mm socket came from Difflock, but it was a while back. Looks slightly disproportionate on the 1/2" drive but does the job.

Working from memory, I think the TD5 setting is in the order of 150lb ft while the max on the 300TDi is 37lb ft (first nut gets backed off 90 degrees, then done to 7lb ft). Do check that though!

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Socket not box spanner on the TD5 - the hub nuts on those are torqued so high that a box spanner will deform rather than cope. Bitter experience from some muppet doing my 300TDi's nuts up to the wrong torque...

Heavens why are the TD5's torqued so high?

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I've not checked the manual (not having one), but I don't think they use the lock nut/lock washer arrangement.

they dont as standard but some people change them to the "correct" arrangement

Its Ffffing tighht

broke a halfords 1/2" extenstion but then was using a two foot breaker bar connected to a 4 foot tube trying to undo it.

get your self a deep throat impact socket which extends out of the hub. Do not do it with the wheel off and ideally someonesat with their foot on the brakes as the handbrake alone is not enough - i managed to move a d2 with the auto set in park and the handbrake on

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In the past i have used pipe wrench.

post-1650-0-04568600-1323248465_thumb.jpg

i am sure you can source one very quickly locally ;)

Yes! THIS I have in stock. Thank you for that suggestion.

I'd love to order the Amazon socket, and probably will, eventually, but it would take a week or so to get here, and the cost would be more like $ 30 cost plus $75 FedEx or UPS charges plus $ 14 import duty plus $25 customs processing fee, so I'd be sitting here with my wheels in the air until almost Christmas waiting for a single purpose, $ 144 socket.....

I checked Amazon in the US, they don't show any 1/2' drive, 52mm deep sockets. I might have a 3/4" drive on my little impact drive, not sure. but I have a great big solid breaker bar in 1/2" I would love to use if I went that route. Hopefully I can break it loose with the pipe wrench without too much damage. I am thinking a couple aluminum shims between the pipe wrench teeth and the nut might protect it,if it's only torqued to 37 ft. lbs.

I am actually pretty self sufficient for most tool related things. I have to confess, though, that doing all the maintenance and repair work on these two Defenders drives me batty. I hate never knowing what kind of wrench to start with, SAE or metric. I have combined all my wrenches and sockets in one tool box so I don't have to keep going back and forth. And keeping them sorted in one tool box is another problem altogether. But I do get confused. For example 2 inches does not equal 52mm.

Edit: I just found that Amazon socket in the US. I can get one down here via smuggling as we have sons coming to visit for the holidays. Still, doesn't help me today. I am thinking I might be able to find a 2" open end/box end spanner ( did I get the term right?) at a local store. It would be cheap Chinese but I've found their tools to be okay as long as they don't have any moving or removable parts. Chinese made anvils work well, for example. And hammers. Softer than I would like, but still, they have the mass metal and casting thing right, at least.

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yes, US supply is easier for us. We're only about 500 miles south of Florida, and there are half a dozen flights from Miami a day. From US I can get it in 24-48 hours, in a pinch. I pay for it, though.

And with 'free shipping' offers in the US, I can buy that $ 30 socket and have it shipped to one of the kids, who will surreptiously slip it into his baggage when he comes down for the holidays. Our kids flee the ice and snow and come to the sunny tropics for Christmas. We make a tree out of a driftwood stump, etc.

It's just bad luck for me that there are no new Defender parts in the US for anything later than '97. I got the front discs from D.A.P. in the US They are GREAT to work with, by the way. The rear discs and pads and pistons are coming from Paddocks. I ordered them all the same day, early last week. The heavier front discs from D.A. P. arrived on Friday, for example. The Paddocks parts are not here yet.

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I decided to rebuilt the caliper first, since someone is looking for the tool for me in the US right now.

AND I have run into a totally different issue. I am having a devil of a time pressing the outer gasket/rubber ring and dust seal into the caliper body. I have been using a big C-clamp and a thick washer that covers the entire piston and seal. But when I take the pressure off, the rubber ring pushes the metal dust seal/retainer right back out.

I have noticed that the replacement rubber gaskets are slightly different from the ones I removed. The new ones( "BM" brand) have one solid rubber one, square in cross section. ANd one with a skirt or groove running around the inside of the circlular seal. It would "C" or "U" shaped in cross section. Of course there are no instructions. Does anyone know which seal goes in which groove in the caliper cylinder?

I've managed not to mess the parts up too much, yet, but only just barely. Right now I am stymied. I have tried to religiously follow the article in the tech section here, and yet when I remove the C clamp the retaining ring/dust seal oozes right back up.

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Yes, I know. I followed that one. And the dust seals pop right back out. Now I am wondering if they shipped me the right parts. Does anyone know, offhand, if the Bearmach STC1280 is even the right kit?

I had to use mole grips and a pry bar to the the two pistons out. Buggered up the top edge pretty well. Found out that they had shaved part of the square cut gasket off, and it was jammed in . On BOTH pistons.

So I took a very careful look and see that the gaskets or rings or whatever in the BM kit are thicker than the ones that were in there.

I'm going to sell these suckers and buy a jeep. At least I can get parts for a jeep.

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In your situation I would be buying Genuine Land Rover parts and nothing else! Not worth taking the risk when you have to wait weeks for a replacement. Doesn't matter where you order the parts from, UK or US or wherever is quicker, just I'd specify genuine parts only.

The retaining rings should be a tight press fit into the caliper housing.

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