Drive axle nut woes on 2004 Prix

Not a good night in my house tonight.

My son replaced the wheel bearings on his 2004 today. Putting the second one on, something went awry with the 34mm drive axle nut. I got in from work just in time to find the nut screwed on about 4 revolutions, but nowhere close to being all the way on. I realized something was really messed up, and said lets back it off. The impact gun moved it a quarter turn and that was it. We put the wheel on & lowered the car, and got about 2-3 revolutions off, and then my 1/2 drive ratchet snapped.

To make matters worse, I only have a 36mm socket, but in 2004 GM changed to 34mm. The socket just slips now.

Tomorrow I have to pickup a 34mm socket, a new drive axle nut, and a new ratchet. I have no idea what I'm going to find when I finally get to look at the axle threads. Anyone have any ideas, suggestions, etc?

I feel like crap right now.

This sounds like a cross threading issue or a damaged nut. If the nut is far enough outside the hub you may be ahead to use a grinder with a cutoff wheel to cut partially through the nut and then use a cold chisel to break it off. This will cause less damage to the axle shaft and should allow you to see if the shaft was damaged. Also you may want to rent a thread die and run it over the threads to clean them before attempting to put the new nut on the shaft. Otherwise you may be back to the same problem that you have now.

Thanks for the reply. That's where I am, thinking it's cross threaded. Any ideas where a thread die can be gotten? Thanks again.

Check with a rental place that rents tools or a local machine shop, they may be willing to loan you one if you explain the issue. If all else fails you will may need to purchase one. I recommend Grainger, McMaster Carr or MSC as possible sources. If you have a Harbor Freight close by you may be able to get one there. Just remember these are metric threads so you will need a metric die.

Well just thought I'd post back an update. Got my hands on the correct 34mm socket. With my friend's 1/2" drive Snap-on long handle ratchet, and a 4' long pipe on it, it took all 200 pounds of me to get it to turn, only a tiny bit at a time. Finally got the nut off. The threads on the axle are obliterated. I just got in from Autozone with a new CV/axle.

I've never done one before. I'm hoping i can pop it out ot the trans without too much effort.

Live and learn, right? Thanks for the help.

SHucks. Just don't use an impact to install the axel nut!!!

That's the first I've ever heard to not use an impact gun. That's all I've ever used. In this case, what I think happened is that there was some crud on the threads when my son took the nuts off, and that messed things up. When he went to reassemble, it only got worse. It was his first time doing an axle nut, he didn't know what to expect. Anyway, lessons learned, he's back on the road, albeit with a new axle.

You should never use an impact to install axle nuts or even lugnuts. Impacts are not super accurate and will overtighten. Overtightening is bad.

The threads on the end of the axle probably got damaged when the axle was being hammered out of the hub. The axle end can mushroom over fairly easy. Even if it is hammered with the nut on the end the threads of both the nut and axle can be distorted. It is ok to use an impact to remove the nut and to run the nut up after it is HAND STARTED. Just stop as soon as contact is made and final torque with a torque wrench.
Happy to hear you got it fixed.

Thanks all. One thing I also learned this time around is that the nut should be replaced, not reused, FWIW.