Shouldn't this nut be 30mm?

[Moschops]

So today I set about replacing the noisy CV joint, and what fun it was. Not.

As always my lack of preparation and planning featured strongly in todays performance. Instead of taking the wheel off and measuring the hub nut I found an old post (think it was in the archive) that gave the nut size as 32mm, which was corrected to 30mm. Cool - off to Halfrauds for a socket and 1/2" to 3/8" adaptor (I only have a 3/8" socket set for now). Partial success as they only had the socket. So off to a local Motor factor. At 9am. In rush-hour.

Back at home I jacked it up, split-pin out, new socket on the nut, Eh..it's spinning! Damn it's far too big so lots of swearing followed. Turns out to be a 27mm nut! The thing that i'm not sure about is if this is a standard nut or if it's been replaced by another one. Can't be bothered to compare with the other side.



So I turned my attention to the two strut/hub bolts. If I couldn't undo these then I couldn't go any further and would also need to get a breaker bar. After soaking for a bit in penetrating oil while I had a coffee I managed to free them with a socket & T-bar, a 17mm ring spanner and a lump hammer. Took some shifting mind but they did free up ok.



Ok, off to get another socket and adaptor. :doh:

After reading a few posts on popping the driveshaft out of the CV cage I decided on clamping some grips up against the shoulder on the shaft, putting a length of wood against them and hitting it with the hammer. If i'd had a steel bar i'd have used that but anyway on the second strike it popped out of its groove. Just about the easiest part of the whole job!



Undoing the hub nut was frustrating because I decided earlier I didn't need a breaker bar (see, lack of planning) and all I had was a socket set with a small t-bar. I had no steel yube I could put over it for more leverage. I set my torque wrench to 300nm and hoped the nut would give before the wrench clicked..I didn't want to damage it, it's brand new. The nut gave just as the wrench clicked thankfully.



So the joint came out easily after that and I took it off to the motor factors to exchange for the replacement. And that's where i'm at now. Tomorrow morning i'll put the new one in and hopefully that'll be simple. Hopefully. (Y)

 

[C0llis0n]

Think mines a 30 or a 32mm , just been un-doing them to take of both driveshafts but the sockets imperial :upside:

 

[C0llis0n]

+ I couldnt get that darn vice grip trick to work!

 

[r-reg-sr]

nice story waiting for part2!!

 

[Shaun]

awesome fixing cars and swearing goes hand in hand

 

[k11micra]

awesome fixing cars and swearing goes hand in hand

You forgot the lumps of torn flesh and bloody knuckles come out of your hands lol

 

[superls]

think its 30 on the k10, you were lucky to get it off with a 3/8's set, how i remove mine is, wheel on floor, in gear, someone sat in car pressing brake, huge breaker bar + scaffold tube, works every time.

 

[Noddie]

sorry to hear of your misfortune. its deffinately supposed to be 27mm on a k11
why did you take out the strut/hub bolts out? dont you just do wishbone ball joint and trackrod end and then swing the hub out on the strut?

 

[frank]

sorry to hear of your misfortune. its deffinately supposed to be 27mm on a k11
why did you take out the strut/hub bolts out? dont you just do wishbone ball joint and trackrod end and then swing the hub out on the strut?

both of our k11,s are 30mm ed
http://www.micra.org.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=15118&stc=1&d=1269340067
it probably depends on year of shaft manufacture eh (k6pfs,s were 32mm nyloc,s )
and if you,re using 3/8 drive sockets, it wont be tight enough fwn (and you,ll find you have to pump the brake pedal if the nut comes loose )

 

[Noddie]

both of our k11,s are 30mm ed
http://www.micra.org.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=15118&stc=1&d=1269340067
it probably depends on year of shaft manufacture eh (k6pfs,s were 32mm nyloc,s )
and if you,re using 3/8 drive sockets, it wont be tight enough fwn (and you,ll find you have to pump the brake pedal if the nut comes loose )

well there you are, possibly its the older k11 that has the 27mm nut then? both of my older micras were deff 27mm. i havent had to do much up front on my white one. hmm... sorry for mis-info then.

 

[baguete]

Mine is 27mm, its a Facelift.

 

[Moschops]

All done!

Well i'm even more confused about the nut size now - the replacement is 30mm so i'm glad I bought that 30mm socket even though I could have put the old nut back on. The new nut is castleated(sp) unlike the old one but still too far inboard to locate with the split-pin.

According to the Haynes manual it's missing a thrust washer and a spacer too but it's been like this over 5 years while i've had it. If I trip over any i'll put them on.

its deffinately supposed to be 27mm on a k11
why did you take out the strut/hub bolts out? dont you just do wishbone ball joint and trackrod end and then swing the hub out on the strut?

I've always managed in the past to wreck perfectly good ball joint boots when splitting them so it seemed less risky to undo the strut, stick it on full right lock and swing the driveshaft to the side to remove the CV. It was dead easy getting the shaft and CV apart and the CV out.

and if you're using 3/8 drive sockets, it wont be tight enough

Yeah I wouldn't want to use the 3/8" for the nut. I tightened it with my torque wrench which is 1/2". Wound 177Nm into it. I will definitely be getting 1/2" sockets and a breaker bar as I still have the rear and some of my front Skyline suspension to strip and i've been lucky up to now not to break the 3/8" stuff. Gotta have the right tools - life's so much easier!!

So it all want back together pretty well, just a bit of fumbling to get the joint onto the shaft but a couple of taps saw it back on. And I remembered to put the boot clips on first :grinning: (been there before!). Took it for a spin and all's well and good, no noise, brakes work, no vibration. Didn't get chance to take pics but nothing alse to see other shan shiny new parts :suspect:

Thanks to everyone posting on this subject, you helped me a great deal (Y)

 

[Manny]

well done. doesn't a crown washer go onto it? where can you get hold ov these?

 

[solarice]

I hate those hub nuts...both my rear ones woudnt come off without a fight...they even survived a 8ft pole, it bent before they went lol. Fun and games, fun and games.

The bits youre missing id get them from a scrappy...just easier imo.

 

[pollyp]

I've always managed in the past to wreck perfectly good ball joint boots when splitting them so it seemed less risky to undo the strut, stick it on full right lock and swing the driveshaft to the side to remove the CV. It was dead easy getting the shaft and CV apart and the CV out.
(Y)

did you use the metal wedge type balljoint splitter or the scissor type splitter?

i only used the wedge splitter once, was a total waste of money its just guaranteed to split any boot as the edge of the tool traps and rips the boot apart before the joint loosens.

i now only use the scissor type splitter

 

[frank]

i now only use the scissor type splitter

are they the ones that chew the thread paul lol , a sharp whack on the side FTW (thats what i always do to free them) and its far easier to remove the 2 knuckle bolts then stick it on full lock, than pi## about disturbing any balljoints or trackrods imo

 

[Moschops]

I've used both before back when I had a mini (seemed to be a regular job doing ball joints or wheel bearings!) but I'd never touch a wedge type again. I once broke a scissor type too but maybe I needed less turns and more whacks. In those days I had the farm workshop at my disposal so nothing stood a chance against the mighty 3/4" drive ratchet and t-bar!

 

[getawaycar]

Some tips from the trade! (LOL)

If you are refitting the CV joint to the driveshaft, smear some cv grease round the circlip and turn it round so the gap is at the bottom. Use the grease you applied to centre the clip, that way the CV joint slides on easier!

When I was an apprentice (at Nissan) I was always taught to take the 2 bolts out the strut rather than the nut off the balljoint as it was easier. The bolts will always come out wheras if you take the ball joint nut off you have to fiddle about taking the split pin out or fiddle about trying to unscrew the nut without breaking it away from the taper. If you hit the side to shock the ball joint free you risk hitting something you shouldn't. If you use a fork type ball joint splitter you risk tearing the ball joint boot. If you use the scissor type you risk damaging the threads. Damage limitation!

 

[Moschops]

If you are refitting the CV joint to the driveshaft, smear some cv grease round the circlip and turn it round so the gap is at the bottom. Use the grease you applied to centre the clip, that way the CV joint slides on easier!

I filled the new CV with the grease supplied and had the driveshaft cleaned up and the new circlip fitted. By the time i'd tried lining the shaft up with the cage a few times there was so much grease on the shaft I couldn't even tell if the circlip was still there (it was)!

Once I'd lined them up as best I could and could feel the splines meshing I pulled the driveshaft towards the CV as hard as I could while hitting the old nut which I'd screwed onto the CV just above the threads. Again it took a couple of knocks and it popped in.

Also, I had to cover the CV while manhandling the hub/strut back together so as not to let any crap fall into the new grease. This was before I could line up the above so I had to work from below. God it sounds so complicated now but I was paranoid about getting crap in the new joint.