Driveshaft flange bolts
Discussion
Apologies, thread title should read PROPSHAFT FLANGE BOLTS
Does anyone know the knack to getting these rascals out?
They're done up properly tight, the nuts are made of cheese and there isn't room to get a ring spanner on them.
Without a better suggestion, I think the grinder might have to be used in anger.

Does anyone know the knack to getting these rascals out?
They're done up properly tight, the nuts are made of cheese and there isn't room to get a ring spanner on them.
Without a better suggestion, I think the grinder might have to be used in anger.

Edited by sparkythecat on Saturday 27th October 19:21
on my 1998 chim the bolts go into threaded holes in the propshaft flange. The nuts effectively act as lock nuts. So you have to undo the nuts, then the bolts can be undone. I see to remember getting a ring spanner on the nuts, not easy and may be the thickness of my rings are thin and thus fitted.
I think it tends to be easier with professional quality socket and ring spanner, the walls are thinner. I've got a very old stahle wille brand socket and spanner I've always used for this job.
I use the thin wall 3/8 drive socket, short wobble extension and a breaker bar on the uj side, if the ring spanner won't fit on the nut and the open end keeps slipping off I have wedged a large flat blade screw driver between the flat of the nut and diff flange and it might just hold the nut enough to allow the breaker bar to loosen the bolt.
Of course if the bolt is threaded into the flange and the nut is just a locknut this won't work, but I've just undone the prop shaft bolts on my Griff and they aren't threaded
I use the thin wall 3/8 drive socket, short wobble extension and a breaker bar on the uj side, if the ring spanner won't fit on the nut and the open end keeps slipping off I have wedged a large flat blade screw driver between the flat of the nut and diff flange and it might just hold the nut enough to allow the breaker bar to loosen the bolt.
Of course if the bolt is threaded into the flange and the nut is just a locknut this won't work, but I've just undone the prop shaft bolts on my Griff and they aren't threaded
Edited by MisterT on Saturday 27th October 21:31
The gap between the end of the bolt and the diff is only about 4mm.
I ground down an old ring spanner sufficient to get it through the gap and onto the nut.
Those nuts really are on tight and I had to slip a bit of tube over the spanner to get more leverage. Needless to say, before the nut showed any sign of loosening , the f
king spanner broke.

I'm working on my 98 chimaera, so I've no way of knowing if the flange is threaded until I get the first bolt out.
I ground down an old ring spanner sufficient to get it through the gap and onto the nut.
Those nuts really are on tight and I had to slip a bit of tube over the spanner to get more leverage. Needless to say, before the nut showed any sign of loosening , the f
king spanner broke.
I'm working on my 98 chimaera, so I've no way of knowing if the flange is threaded until I get the first bolt out.
Edited by sparkythecat on Saturday 27th October 22:36
I had the same problem 2 weeks ago, in that you can't get a ring spanner on the nut. I found that the nut was sort of set in place so was able to undo the bolt first and then put an open spanner on the nut as the main force had started to undo the bolt.
Had me thinking for an hour or so though.
Had me thinking for an hour or so though.
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