Front Axle Nut is Stuck ON, in the middle of ball joint replacement.
 

Just like the title says. I'm in the middle (or beginning rather) of replacing the ball joints. The 1 11/16ths castellated axle nut is frozen on. I've tried heating w/ mapp gas and broken a breaker bar so far. I don't think PB Blaster can solve this one. Any ideas short of splitting the nut and getting a new one?

I had the same problem...I just took the hub off with the axle (yes it was a pain) I figured when It came time to replace the hub I would worry about it then. I did try finding a nut that would work..and just cut the rusty nut off. But I didnt find one.

I have done many sets of ball joints in these trucks. I don't even bother with trying to remove this nut. Leave it done up and remove the shaft with the hub attached. It's not worth peeling all the threads off the stub-shaft, which WILL happen if you keep trying. It's expensive. Ask me how I know.

Nevermind. I just ground one side of the nut down with a cutoff wheel on the grinder and split it with a cold chisel. It came off by hand after that. :rolleyes: I only nicked 5 threads very slightly on the stub shaft. Let's hope the dealer has a replacement nut. :D

Casualties:

1 Thorsen breaker bar. It broke when I was using the jack handle for leverage.

1 heirloom Snap-on ratchet. :( But I welded it fixed so it lives on.

1 ground and split axle nut.

u know that axle nut is on at over 200 pounds of torque right? i believe it is the most havily torqued doen nut on the whole truck...if not then very close ot being it.....u need a 3/4 inch drive/torque bar and thenu need like a 6 foot steel tube attached to it and u need to stand on it and then the thing with POP..

while heating it, you may have wiped out the bearing seals. 1st side i did, i removed the nut, other side i left the nut on. much easier to just leave axle shaft and hub/rotor all attached together... unless you need to replace an axle shaft u-joint.

I have had probelms simaler on other cars and trucks and it worked great on mine changing a hub. One way quick and easy. With the rim and tire still on truck as long as soket can be put on the nut with the tire on this works great. Step 1 remove any safty device as reguired like a cotter pin. This may require tire removal and reinstall. Step 2 Have truck on the ground no jacks and clear in front and behind. Step 3 make the truck so it will not run pull fuses or iginition on a gasser. step 4 install socket with the right length swing bar longer (the better) or pipe and put on the nut with the handle on the ground on a peice of wood or something that will slide and not let the end of the swing bar dig into the ground. Step 5 Put truck in gear Reverse/1st depending on direction of thread on nut and hit the strated for a quick second or two. The truck/car will drive the nut off. It works great and no damage to the nut and should only take a couple of minutes.

I prefer using my 1/2" drive impact :D Using the weight and power of the vehicle to remove it works good too. I had to replace a front axle shaft on a f-350 in the middle of nowhere and it worked good. Now when we go off-roading I always take my generator, air compressor, and a bunch of tools.

Bad idea.
Same with using the vehicle to turn the nut.
If it takes that much torque to remove it the male threads on the axle shaft will likely come off with the nut. New axle time.
CRS took the correct route by splitting the nut.