Bro. 7 years later your video still works. You are awesome. Your video was my last resort and it worked perfect on the first attempt. I broke 3 breaker bars😢😢😢 before trying your way. Thanks man.🎉🎉🎉
Worked like a charm. Had been working on a wheel nut for a few hours and tried again with the wax and off it came. Only had propane so kept it on for about 30 minutes and off it came. Awesome.
Your the man bro! From the time that I watched your video, went to the store to buy the stuff and had that stupid nut off was no more than 35 minutes, you just saved me hundreds of dollars to have to get a service tech over here. Cheers brother🍻
I literally just helped my neighbor do this method. Oxy & Acetylene for 10 min, candle wax melt on hot bolt and shaft, and right about the time we where going to give up it popped right off! It worked like a charm! You’re the man! 💪🏾
I bought a $140 Chinese cordless impact wrench rated at a 1000ftlb (Jexugk) and never looked back 🎉 This thing is a bad A! My first use was breaking all my lugs free (from a Latino tire shop that impacted them on too tight) and torqued back to spec with my Chinese digital torque adapter (Tagvit …awesomeness) Main reason is to break the rear lower side strut bolts loose on a 97 Civic with slight rust. 🎉🎉🎉
Thank you so much for this video! I already broke a 1/2inch breaker bar with a cheater pipe. So I got a 3/4inch breaker bar and MAPP gas after watching this video. The heating process need to last long (for me, 8 mins) to raise the temperature high enough and doesn't need a lot of wax for it to work. Watching the loose of the 22yr old nut is a bit existing!
I tried this and it worked. so gratifying. my axle nut was as frozen as could be. Lowe's sells a map gas/torch kit for $50. it's everything you need. one cylinder will provide more than enough to do this job.
Natasha Lee I heated it for what seemed like 20 minutes. I extended the breaker bar by placing a pipe over the breaker bar that was about 4 or 5 feet long. I stood on top of the pipe and placed my weight as close to the far end of the pipe to give me the most amount of leverage. coupled with the method shown above, it worked. focus the heat on the nut as much as you can. if you don't have enough weight than find someone fat and have them stand on the pipe.
This works, mate (from South Africa.) I battled for hours, then one view of your web hint, thanks 20 minutes later, nuts off, cheers, you saved the day.
Tried this method several times and I wasn't able to get it off. It's a neat idea and I would try this before any more extreme methods. But in the end I used 2x of the cheap $16 rotary tools from Walmart to grind two sides of the nut. I also used their $16 drill and a high-quality cobalt drill bit (not Walmart). One of the rotary tools, the chuck was destroyed in the process. I then needed a cold chisel and a mini-sledge to pound off the two halves of the cut axel-nut. WOW, what a disaster. I needed some cheap tools because I flew to help a friend and their '97 Mercury Sable and didn't want to re-purchase the tools I already have at home. In the end, the junk from Walmart actually got the job done and it was under $100 total for all the junky tools used.
THIS WORKS ! I used propane with a turbo torchhead, heated both nuts twice, shoved the 3 cent candle into the the hub center till the wax was dripping onto the floor and off came the nut.20 mins total for both nuts. Thanks my new friend !
Dude, you are a rockstar. Seriously, I wrestled with the nut on my 2004 Suburban for more than a day. Then I tried this, gave the breaker bar one gentle tug and that was it - came right off. Can't thank you enough.
I am gonna have to try this, I just searched this exact problem, and this is the video I got first. And make me is a 95 Yukon. Seems to be a reoccurring issue with these guys. I will post an after comment with the results... WISH ME LUCK! LOL
Bought a $22 Breaker Bar (which I needed anyway), Map Gas $10, 2 Cans of Penetrating Oil $10, candle $1.00. Guys mine did come off with 24" Breaker Bar and you can rent Impact Socket Set from Autozone $80 Deposit refunded upon return. This was a tough experience, but the axle nuts finally came off probably been on car 20 years! I don't know if was the candle or 2 cans of penetrating oil maybe both. Use penetrating oil PB Blaster White Lithium / WD40 Penetrating Oil (w/Blu Torch Tech) like at least 5 days in advance and of course the candle!
Just got mine off using this tip! Worked great using propane torch and candle. I worked and worked before trying this and then 10 minutes later...success!!
Amazing!!! Couldn't get this nut loose with a 14 foot lever, a prybar, and heating and cooling. Tried this 3 times heating for ten minutes a time and it came of with an 18" breaker.
bro… God bless your soul….. i tried everything, i did this so many times, i tried everytbing, air hammer.. breaker bars.. everything. didn’t believe this would work but litterslly had notbing to do anymore so i tried… and it came off. bro ur a legend
Man I'm glad it worked for you. For the most part when it does not work its because people fail to leave the heat on long enough... just like the video says right about the time you want to give up... it cracks free.
You can also use dry ice, it's pretty much the best thing I've ever used. Super heat it then wrap some dry ice in a hand towel and hold it on it for like 60 seconds.
After turning my rusted axle nut from a 32mm to 30mm to 29mm then drilling the hell out of it with a $8 drill bit, I finally torched the hell out of it for 15 minutes with the MAP (didn’t glow red but it was smoking!) hit it many times with wax, put an impact on it and bam it came off. I don’t know if it was the heat or combination of wax but thanks for the video. It gave me inspiration to not give up. The feeling when it finally came off… aaah…
Thanks A Million Bud!!! Spent the better half of the day trying to get the nut off my Expedition. Was about to throw in the towel when i caught your video. As you said, tried PB and all sorts, but the wax with a berzonite propane torch did it for me. Heated it up for about 10 mins...saturated it in wax and Hey Presto! Cracking a cold one and toasting to TG
i got to try that as I am trying to remove that stubborn axle nut! Tried PB and tapping it...used wire brush...use the 30mm socket...used a pick to dig around the edges...bought the propane torch the other day...so will try again with the candle trick as you advised.
Yes Travis, you were totally right! In my case the axle bolt does not stick out like yours. I was working on my son's 1988 BMW 325ix and that bolt is short and almost flush to the axle nut. I had to torch the candle onto the inner threads and get the wax in somehow so ended up using the whole 6 inch candle and almost the whole hand held propane tank but finally after 30 minutes it came off. I remember you saying, just when you feel like giving up the nut will turn. so I heard you and went beyond my give up point and said just use up the entire propane tank if I have to. I slowed down rotating around the axle nut and saw the nut changing colors, then put the socket on it and finally turned. I was using a portable power gun with 300 torque. I had already tried 4 times previously to remove the axle nut. Your video really helps and gave me great advice. Thanks!!!
The only thing I have to do now is remove a stubborn ball joint where the control arm meets. I was trying to find a ball joint pickle fork and a good size hammer earlier tonight. I did not find a good pickle fork but I did find a 4 pound hammer at Home Depot with a longer handle. Some videos I saw on youtube say I don't need a pickle fork but just hit the side of the ball joint to release the bolt. I just got to loosen the ball joint nut that is sandwiched inside to give clearance. Travis, you advise hitting the side of the ball joint with a good size hammer to loosen the bolt? it looks like it could work and better then using a pickle fork as pickle forks could damage the rubber boot. Not sure what's the best technique. Thanks.
If I could give you 10 thumbs up, I would. I made due with gas, and got the 3/4" HF impact gun(the breaker bar with the car on the ground was going nowhere, I weight 225lbs and was standing and bouncing on the bar, nothing) I heated up a few times, candled it each time used the gun back and forth, stuck the candle way in to reach the washer and tried the gun again.....bang! out it came! I'm going to wax on from now on!
You saved my afternoon! I've never had one stuck as I did on my Suburban today. I only had propane and Halloween candles handy and gave it a try. Thank you for the tip!
Mine never moved until I combined the long focused heat, the candle and copious amounts of impact wrench, even then, it only moved a bit at a time. I wonder if some gorilla cross threaded it in the past. But it did come off.
I was getting ready to call the customer and apologize for wasting thier day and tow fee and decided one more try with the impact and it came right off 😅 Thanks for the trick!!
@@BigTravGill I had an impact didn't make a bit of difference. I even tried the trick where you put the breaker bar in a floor jack handle and put it nice and tight against the ground and pop it in gear and it just snapped the breaker bar, three of them actually. I went and got a fresh bottle of map gas and did just like you said and it still fought me for about 45 minutes and just when I was about to call the customer and make a big giant apology I decided to give one more whack at it with just the impact gun and it busted loose, must have took a few minutes for that wax to really set in
I see some guys spent 50 on gas torch u can save a ton by getting small tank with a regular screw on torch head 15 bucks. don't need the fancy kit unless u got alot of other work .small tank last a long time .
Yeah, I had problems with an axle at a scrap yard where I had no impact gun so I tried PB Blaster and a propane torch. Held it there for ten minutes - too much metal acts as a heat sink so it did bugger-all. Yeah, MAPP gas would work. At home, I just attach "Big Nasty" and impact these off in 5 mins. Turns out that some previous mechanic-bugger head overtorqued the nut!
sir u are the man was fighting an axle bolt on my Z32 for 2 days. 30 mins of this and my dad to weigh the other side of the car down while i jumped on the breaker bar and the bastard finally came off :)
Dude, what an amazing trick, I was changing a strut on my 2012 jeep Cherokee and could not get the axle nut to break. It was rusted as hell. I tried PB blaster and all that shit. Then I watched your video like you I did not have a blue tip wrench but I did have a bottle of map gas. I heated around the axle but stole one of my old ladies, Yankee candles, heated that bitch up for 5-10 minutes then put the wax on the Threads of the axle and it sucked the wax right back in. I was then able to use a breaker bar and bust that son of a bitch loose. Thanks bro you are the man what a great tip.
I love seeing how this still helps people....!! I had just moved back to the area after my dads passing and was so limited on tools and this job had to be done. Had a guy show me this trick and it worked...! afterthat I had to share it on here
I might be the first person this didn’t work for. Thanks for the tip, it was worth an effort but I think I’m just screwed. 30 minutes of map gas and it won’t budge. Wish me luck, taking it to the mechanic. 😭
Dude if I could like this video twice I would. BRB gonna go like from my other account! Your awesome and just save me a shop Bill thought I I would have to have it torched off and replace the cv. Snapped 3 breaker bars before trying your method
Dude …. I was certain I was going gonna sheer off my wrench. Bout to give up and thought, can’t hurt to try it. Heated up my nut for 5 minutes stuck a candle to it. Tried to break it free… nothing. Heated up for 4 more minutes, stuck a candle to it, and just when I though I was going to snap my wrench in two, the nut broke. Much love.
No candles? In a pinch, a wax crayon works great too! Throwing all my weight on a 40" breaker + cheater bar wouldn't budge it, but after 5 minutes with a Crayola and propane turbo torch it was off.
Man I'm glad it helped you and so many others over the years. My father had just passed away and I had little tools to work with back when I made this video. An older guy told me about this trick and wow it saved me...
This worked like magic! The key is 10 minutes of heating. Tried 5 minutes but it was still locked. Heated again for another 6 minutes and added the wax. Greg Erikson didn't do it correctly! that's why its was a nightmare.
First I'm glad this helped you out. Not to come across rude but for the most part when people say it did not work... they did not use the heat long enough... like I said in the video you have to get it got...like really hot..! I work on cars from the north and not even impacts off the tool truck will get these axle nits at times.... this trick will get them 95% of the time
I wasted so much money on breaker bars and broken stuff. Angle grinder, 1/16 inch wheel. Slice that thing on two sides just above the thread line and knock it off. Took about 10 minutes. Of coarse you will need a new nut.
bought some expensive tools that come with life time guarantee. broke my breaker bar trying to get that bad boy off and all i thought to myself was “thank god i splashed out”
This looks like a Ford Focus. Isn't the first time I've run across a stuck axle nut. I destroyed the threads on the end of my axle taking one of mine off! LOL
Stupid question: Most people seem to crack them loose before taking the wheel off or jacking the car up so the friction of the wheel stops the hub turning with the nut. If i've already removed one of the suspension arms so I no longer have that option is there a neat way to hold the axel still?
I just spent 60$ at napa on a socket, 2 cans of pb blaster and inner axle seals and your telling me all i need is a candle?! I swear if this works ill be so pissed and thankful at the same time
@@BigTravGill and of course we don’t have any candles in my house so I had to resort to melting one of the kids’s old birthday candles. Unfortunately, I only have propane heat. I don’t have any oxyacetylene or any other torch for that matter. This bolt hasn’t been touched since 02
