OK,

I think I read that the torque for the castle nut on the rear wheels is north of 210 ft/lbs.

I don't have any way to know when I'm anywhere near that setting. My largest wrench goes to just over 100 ft/lbs and at that value it's a guess if it is near accurate.

How do you all get that nut as tight as it needs to be?

Thanks,

Len

1/2" or 3/4" drive socket, breaker bar & a 3 - 4' pipe extension. Stand on the end of the pipe and bounce a couple of times.

Actually, I have never torqued them. I set the impact gun on high with a 125 PSI supply and give it a go ... Never lost an axle yet nor a bearing.

It's 300 something... You might as well just do what Grandpa said. Hey wait! I'm a grandpa too!

If it helps at all those fine new chinese Craftsman 1/2" breaker bars actually break at about 230 lbs, so you can stop just before it breaks and it should be good. If you miscalculate, well, there's that lifetime guarantee.

I use an old 3/4" breaker bar that I got from my Grandfather.
Slide a pipe on it. Then stand on it.
I weight 215 lbs. Has always worked for me on my 911/914s.

But you can do the math and add so much bar to your breaker bar or torque wrench to create the value that you need. But I can never remember the math. LOL.

But Harbor Freight has a 50 - 300# torque wrench now available. $79.
Don't tell anyone, they are pretty accurate. We have an ongoing joke at the bird board burgers and beer in PDX. Harry Danberg is a mechanical engineer for the Air National Guard base at PDX. They have a torque wrench tester. The HF wrenches are with 2%.

I rebuilt my 2.0L with one. The next rebuild I'll have an S&k or a Snap-On.

In answer to the question 217-253.... Haynes. That allows you to line up the slots for the cotter key.

previous poster put it in practical terms; "That allows you to line up the slots for the cotter key" I have marked the nut and a stationary position on the hub. when nut goes back on, you just really need to match up the marks to get the new cotter pin installed. there is the possibility you have under torqued it by one 360 degree revolution, but if you needed to stand on it to remove it, you will likely have got it right when you stood on it with your cheater bar to get the new cotter pin installed. I have done it this way for 4-6 removals I have performed and never had issue.

Echo: I stand on an 18" breaker bar, then stand on it some more to line up the holes. I'm 170lbs.