Thread: Hacking a socket to make a tool-S3

Originally Posted by B.S.F.

I doubt that you can tighten that nut to 80ftlb with a brass drift. Pieces of brass will break off before you reach that figure. If that nut is not tight enough it will work itself loose ,eventually breaking off the tab on the locker which then gets chewed up by the gears and bearings. But if you want to use your gearbox for only a few thousand kms,I reckon you will get away with it.

Are you sure? The last time that I pulled apart a transfer case to install new bearings, the input gear retaining nut was only finger tight. The lock washer was intact. This transfer case had travelled many miles.

Aaron

If you know someone with a milling machine you could adapt a large socket.

Isuzu C240 powered Series 3

I've actually cut & extended it now to make it more user friendly.

One problem I found is that you can make it too accurate, problem is the aftermarket nuts are not as accurately made as the originals.......



Colin

Originally Posted by gromit

I
One problem I found is that you can make it too accurate, problem is the aftermarket nuts are not as accurately made as the originals.......

Colin

Well, I don't think this one is too accurate- but it fits .
It may not withstand 80 foot-pounds, so I'll probably hold back a bit from that. It's only mild steel pipe, so I'd better not load it up too much.
I may not have the paper gasket for the cover. Could I just use some thin card and cut one out and coat it with the appropriate brown goo?
Cheers

Coop
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Originally Posted by B.S.F.

I've tried that with limited success. 1.You need a top quality socket, a cheap one won't be strong enough after you cut out all the notches . 2. It's got to be a deep socket to clear the shaft.
I doubt that you can tighten that nut to 80ftlb with a brass drift. Pieces of brass will break off before you reach that figure. If that nut is not tight enough it will work itself loose ,eventually breaking off the tab on the locker which then gets chewed up by the gears and bearings. But if you want to use your gearbox for only a few thousand kms,I reckon you will get away with it.
I ended up making my own socket, not pretty but it works , and tightened that nut to 100 ftlbs by mistake.
.W.

you dont need a top notch socket. almost any cheap deep reach impact socket will do the job.

if you're worried about it slide it inside a piece of pipe thats a snug fit. IF you get really clever you also taper the "fingers" that go into the holes so the ID side is the longest this gives you a tool that when you push it on and tap it home it plunges the locktab out of the way.

you will be quietly amazed at how tight you can get a castle style nut with a drift and hammer.

If the nut breaks the tabs of the locking washer you have a couple of issues the first is yes the nut is not tight enough but the second is that the splines are loose in the gear and allowing it to twist the washer, this is what starts the process of unwinding the nut and ripping the washer apart.

if you come across another one check the wear marks on the washer.

Another problem I found was that the locktab was wider than the cutouts in the nut (pattern parts again !!) Worthwhile checking before you put the washer in place & tighten the nut.


Colin

G'day all,

Good thread which has inspired me to make my own tool to fit the G/Box output shaft gear nut during the week. Took 1 1/2 hrs.

Found a 7/8" BS 3/4" Drive Socket and TIG welded a 1 1/8" AF 1/2" drive socket on the back or use a DEEP drive socket to clear the end of the main shaft.

Linished the end of socket square.

The inner teeth of the socket has to clear the bottom of the slots in the nut. (Had to ground about 0.5 mm off a few teeth.)

Clamp the nut on top of the socket.
Using a 0.4mm black felt pen mark the slot positions to create a black area.

Then using a 1mm Inox disc cut two grooves about 8 mm deep to match the nut slots.

Using a 6mm Inox disc grind down the area not black. Grind down about 8 mm.

Then it's trail and error to see which slot needs to be adjusted. This takes the time!!!.

I noted the nut slots are not exactly equal in size.
When it's right the nut will slid in easily at all positions not just one place.

A good thing about using the socket is the teeth are tapered inward so it also centres the socket on the nut. The end of the shaft slips nicely into the 3/4" drive square end. This give added support for the torque pull.

I always torque this nut to 105ft/lb.

15/05/2016. Just did a torque wrench pull test using a piece of 1/4" flat bar across two teeth only at 120ft/lb and it's still in one piece.!!!!amazing.

Hope this makes sense.
Chris

Well, the very rough socket I made from a lump of pipe got the job done. There was a tendency for the fingers to slip off the nut at maximum torque (as much as I could apply using about an 8" lever through the hole). Just to be sure it was tight enough, I finished it off with a hammer and drift, but I did not see the nut move any further when I did this. I doubt it was up to 80 ft-lb, but it got us to the northern Flinders and back again without making any expensive-sounding noises!
Cheers

Coop