I have been getting a grinding noise on my 2003 nissan maxima. I am pretty sure it is the front wheel bearings. Yesterday I removed one of the wheels and found that 1 of the wheel nuts had been threaded and the lug thread broke off. I got the wheel off and then attempted to remove the 2 nuts so I could remove the caliper from the hub but the nuts were too tight to remove.

At this point I purchased new cotter pins, a wheel nut and thread to repair the broken parts and a large ratchet tool to remove the large nut that holds in the nut for the wheel bearing. I then started to loosen the large nut which made a few turns and eventually got stuck, I then tried to re tighten it but it is barely removing, any ideas on how to tighten the nut back up without breaking anything?

 

First, I just want to clarify some stuff.

By 'wheel nut' are you referring to the lugnuts, or the axle nut?

By 'thread', what do you mean? The wheel stud?

The only nuts in the area are the lugnuts and the axle nut, unless you mean the bolts holding the caliper on.

There is a difference between nuts, bolts, studs, and threads. If you use them interchangeably, it'll be hard to get any help because no one will know what the hell you're talking about.



Now the main part of your question, the 'large nut' is the axle nut, correct? Did you remove the cotter pin first?

Is it getting stuck up on the threads of the axle, or something else? The only way to tighten it back up is to turn it

If you don't have the strength to get it back in place, then take it to a shop and have them zip it on or off with an impact.

 

By wheel nut I am referring to the lugnuts.

Thread I am refering to the wheel stud which has a thread, the hub has 5 wheel studs that the wheel is fitted onto.

The axle nut is the large nut I am referring to, it is basically stuck and I have removed the cotter pin.

Apologies about the communication breakdown, I am British and I am trying to type in U.S. English.

 

Before I decided on my new rims my wife called me a wheel nut beause I was always online trying to make up my mind. and after I bought my rims I was a broke wheel nut.

 

I'm thinking if the bearing is bad it may be possible that as you loosed the axle nut pieces shifted or seperated in the bearing and now it wont squeeze back together. Since the car isn't driveable anyway, I would remove the axle nut and inspect everything. Which may include removing the axle to inspect the bearing. I don't think a bad bearing would generate enough heat to seize or damage the axle threads or nut.
Good Luck and keep us posted.

 

This may help