Over torqued Axle nut FYI
 

Yesterday while cruising around enjoying a rare Chicago beutiful day, I made a somewhat agressive left turn while accelerating at full throttle and promptly heard a noise...then followed by more noise with the car in gear and applying throttle. Towed it back home and saw that the left rear axel snapped right behind the hub. I performed the Axle nut TSB about year ago and even though I still didn't think i applied enough torque to the nut, apparently I was wrong and here's what I think I did wrong:

1. Performed the TSB 3 times on this side, first two times with original nut, third time with a new one. Did it twice originally as the nut slipped back to it's original position on this side of the car after the first time. Then bought a new OEM nut and did it yet again, I know, dumb.
2. Would have been better off using an impact vs. getting leverage using breaker bar and a cheater. Could be wrong.

Lesson learned yet again, do it right the first time :banghead:. Anyway, though i'd let others learn through my goof up. Just happy this happened less than a mile from my house vs. the last track event which was 400+ miles away.

Why did/would the nut slip back to its original position? Are you sure?

I think everyone gets a little carried away with this TSB. I've suggested just using 250ish LB-FT with lubricated threads to make tension more consistent.

Was this an OEM axle? Did you tighten it so much because you kept hearing the click? Or was this via "tighter is better"?

i swear the oem axle nut is good for like 500 ft lbs, mines been tq wrenched to 200 ft lbs than i went to town with an impact gun

lube the inner face of the nut not that threads

I trq to 225/250lb and never had a problem again. Lubing the back of the nut should be done.

I do not know why it slipped but it did for sure, it's what prompted me to do it again.

I believe this was an OEM axle, I guess question for everyone....what are identifying characteristics of OEM Axle?

The axle itself snapped, huh? Not unheard of, but pretty unusual on the stock drivetrain, mostly because the axles are surrounded by at least 3 other known weak points (hubs, diff ring&pinion, CV joints). Are you running FI?

Did you restake the nut? Stake it well? If so, it would be virtually impossible for it to come loose on its own.

Not the axle itself but spline going into the hub. I'll add a pic later.

Car is N/A.

Unless there was a defect, or if Honda decided to make that axle spline out of cheese...that size bolt/fastener would probably fail at like...700LB-FT (dry thread).


I find it massively strange that your setting slipped.

But..why did feel you needed to tighten it so much? I'm not picking on you. Its just to help other people in the future.


"Tight enough" is when to stop lol. You mentioned you didn't think you had it tight enough.

Was the bearing clicking?

OEM axles have a flange that matches the shape of the diff flange. Aftermarket ones seem to just have a round flange with no cut-outs.