Spindle nut key way issues on 14 bolt FF.

airborne63b

Active Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2011
Location
Hickory
Corporate 14bff, somebody decided it necessary to use an allen key as the locknut keyway. It is now stuck and wedged in pretty good. I have tried pliers, vice grips, chisels and running out of ideas. Even tried welding some wire to it but I can't get it to hold tight enough. Any ideas would be great. The locknut will move slightly around the allen key, but just can't get it to budge. They are not the best pictures but hope it helps.
 

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drill it out progressively larger & collapse it.
 
dont have anything to drill it with, being an allen key, the harden steel isn't as easy. unless there is a bit small enough I can use?
 
I'd imagine allen key would be pretty hard to drill and I'm sure it was probably hammered in their.
But yea I guess I'd try drilling also and as a last resort use an air hammer and try to split the nut but that's gonna risk damaging the threads on the stub.
 
yeah, I'm weighing that option, or maybe something a little less abusive than an air hammer. Or maybe split the allen key in the same fashion. Just not sure how well that might work.
 
That is what I was trying earlier today. After talking with a buddy, do not think my welds got hot enough to stick well enough. I'm not a great welder by any means but tomorrow might try the ol battery and clothes hanger and see what happens. Maybe a blow torch or something. Thanks yall
 
drill the spindle nut, top & then bottom. then break it with a chisel. Should be able to save the spindle then..
 
You may have already tried it, but I'll mention it just in case -- take the spanner and knock the spindle nut back and forth (on and off) a little, see if that might loosen it up. The regular key just floats in the hole. It'll fall out if the nut is lined up correctly, but get it a hair off, and it won't budge.

That said, I'd agree that they probably hammered it in there, and probably destroyed the threads on the spindle nut when they did. In that case, the spindle nut would just booger up the spindle threads when you tried to remove it, anyway. Break the nut and go from there.
 
I ran into a similar situation the other night where an old rusty stuck automatic locking hub was stuck in a 44. The twist wire things were so rusted they broke as soon as I put pliers on them. I had another hub so I just cut the hub in front of the lockout just behind the rear bearing with a port-a-band. Salvaged my spindle anyways. 14b's are alot thicker but it would work as well, IF you got another hub.

Just throwing another option out there if other options fail...
 
yeah we finally got it out. the allen key where it had been cut was mushroomed behind the nut. we had to cut a section from the front of the hub to get inside to get it out. Got to pick up another hub and might try and weld up the section we cut out. Just notched a rectangle out so maybe we can get it lined up and seated just right. If not, more scrap metal. At least the spindle is good. better to pick up another hub rather than a whole axle. thanks guys
 
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