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MG MGA - Rear Axle Nut Spanner

Hi Can anyone advise where I may find a box/socket spanner for the rear axle nut.
Regards Brian
BG Paddon

Brian

Back in 2011 Colin Parkinson (this forum) had some sockets made up that were capable of the required 180ft/lb torque. They were not cheap at £60 each. The story is in the archives, plus his contact details. Search 'Rear Axle Hub Nut Socket'

Steve
Steve Gyles

Easy to fabricate from 3/16 flat bar,drill hacksaw and file.

Art Pearse

http://www.leacyclassics.com/parts/mg/mga/wheels/18g152b.html

mog

I am totally impartial on this. I note from the archive thread that Colin questioned whether the box spanner would slip off when trying to apply 180ft/lb. He also asked if Art's excellent design would be man enough to torque up? I guess Art can answer that one (I trust it was not the same torque wrench he used for the shock absorber bolts!!).

Steve
Steve Gyles

Here's one I had made, needs to be really robust I would question the adequacy of a box spanner.
Mark

Mark Dollimore

I used a socket purchased from Moss. I had no trouble reaching 180 ft-lb and noted no tendency for the socket to slip off. I know that the Moss socket has been maligned in the past, but my experience with it has been good.

-Del
D Rawlins

Ok Steve, guess I deserved that one. My take on the rear nut torque is that the purpose of the nut is simply to stop the hub falling off the end of the axle, not to provide lateral clamping for the bearing race. Having said that, I used a hammer to get it "gutenteit"
I could have made the arm longer I suppose. I guess I got at least 100 ft lb. It is not going to fall off.

Art Pearse

http://www.mgaguru.com/mgtech/rearaxle/ra102.htm

-Del
D Rawlins

The Moss tube spanner works fine but you do need to put a good jack under the end of the socket to support. Then you can tighten with a 3/4" drive sliding tee bar and a length of water pipe - you can easily get 180 ft. lbs with this setup without the socket slipping.
Mike
Mike Ellsmore

I also had no problem with the Moss socket.
Neil MG

Can anyone tell me the size of the hub nut, and also the internal diameter of the axle tube as i have a 8 sided rear hub nut socket which is 2 13/64" (56mm) complete with support tube to go up the axle tube to keep the socket square and in place,this socket also has provision for a torque wrench to be used, A.T
andy tilney

1-61/64 across the flats
Art Pearse

Art Thanks for your reply, on closer examination I have found the tool part number,and this is for an Austin Healy 100, A.T
andy tilney

A while back I was lucky enough to find an original Churchill rear hub nut spanner on eBay. I haven't had the opportunity to use it yet but it certainly looks like its up to the job!

Steve

S HILL

You have to wonder about the crazy designer of the octagonal nut in the first place. I know its MG iconery, but its invisible!
Art Pearse

It does allow the nut to be slightly smaller.

-Del
D Rawlins

I think that the octagonal axle nut is common to other contemporary cars including Wolesley and Land Rovers.
Dan Smithers

I went looking for a socket I last used a few years back and came up with the item pictured below. It is a spindle nut wrench 1/2" drive socket. Used mostly on american 1/2 ton pickup trucks but seems also to fit our MGA rear axle nuts. Google: Performance Tool W1269 or, Wilmar W1269, Spindle Nut Wrench. Not sure where I first heard of this ? Maybe Barney's site? Tool sells for about $10 to $15 Canadian. Very heavy construction, chrome moly steel .

KL Lehman

I just purchased this W1269 socket. Yes, it is made of very strong forged steel. And so far, I was able to get the hub nuts of the car w/o any slipage.

We shall see how it performs when applying 150+ ft/lbs of torque when getting everything together again.

Hansueli Ryser

This thread was discussed between 24/04/2015 and 09/05/2015

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