QUOTE(byndbad914 @ Dec 2 2012, 03:41 PM)
So it has been a couple months while I focused on driving the trailer out to CA (hitting SEMA on the way), picking up the Nova I bought last summer for my new project, and then getting everything in the garage prep'd to build a chassis for it.
In between I broke an extension standing on my breaker bar with 4ft of pipe over it trying to get the axle nut back off after the last time I tightened it up pull the car out of the trailer and into the garage, borrowed my buddies torches only to find out his acetalyne was empty, blah blah, finally got the bottle filled yesterday.
Took 2 hrs of beating and cutting to get the nut off! I was trying to be careful to not damage the hub, figured I yielded the stub threads...
then I found I had to hammer the stub out! Here is what I ended up with
the sharp eye will quickly note I need not have bothered with protecting the hub while cutting - I sheared the damn thing off! The hub section that rides on the bearing is stuck on the stub axle, a few teeth were tore up so it is holding that onto the stub! What I had to hammer apart was the bearing to get the stub out. Guess that would explain the slipping in the diff
Literally, the only thing holding the wheel on was the stub axle and the nut, the hub was completely broken off
Hey Tim,
As always, I loved your in-car video, but sorry for your bearing failure.
I was trying to make you feel better, but my failure was far less of a mess: Last May, I towed 7 hours north for a 3-day outing at Sears Point (Infineon) Raceway. However, I only got 2 sessions in when I notices the rear feeling SQUIRELLY in left-hand corners. Once in the pits, I found the right rear could flop around by +/- 1/4". After nervously towing the 7 hours home (and leaving some $400 of track time behind) I found that the bearing failure was due to slipping and wear between the wheel flange and bearing, but not the bearing.
I scored a new wheel flange from eBay, put in a new bearing and all was good.
I believe the failure was due to the axle nut loosening and allowing the rotation to start. After 8 years of on-track running, I'm surprised I went this long without a problem. Praise to Porsche Engineers!
Best,
Terry