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Cannot get the rear diff pinion nut off for the life of me.

Spank

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Anyone have trouble getting the pinion nut off the rear diff on a JLUR? The one at the t-case came off super easy, but I'll be damned if I can get the other one off. I'm doing a rear DS swap on the ground, so I have a very limited range of movement, but I've secured the yoke and even with a breaker bar and a pipe, it won't budge loose. I've tried some of the more popular creative methods, too, such as using a pump jack to push the breaker bar up and all I'm accomplishing is shaving the metal off the nut itself.

I've done this before on previous Jeeps and it's never been a problem, but I feel my failed efforts are only creating more problems. I shouldn't be damaging the nut and yet here it is.

Jeep Wrangler JL Cannot get the rear diff pinion nut off for the life of me. PXL_20210516_200329722


I really don't want to have to take it to a shop, but I'm running out of ideas.
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BuffaloBill

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My M18 Milwaukee impact took mine off. But I had the carrier out to do a gear swap (so was not abusing the gears in mesh).
 
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Spank

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Yeah, my impact buzzed the one off the t-case easily, but it ain't budging on the diff.
 

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gato

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Sorry to hear of your problems....I have had a hard time with some bolts on my JLUR (e.g. LCA bolts) that seem to have come from the factory torqued way/way tighter than spec.

I don't if you have tried, but I'd heat it up with a heat gun and try to alternate putting a bit of force into the tightening direction alternating with a lot of force in the loosening direction.
 

JJMalone

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I've found that Kroil oil applied and let set overnight often works pretty well.
 

Gregj

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Man at this point maybe cut a slot in it with a dremel, crack it with a chisel? The nut is FUBAR now so destructive removal may be the only option.
Gregj
 
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Spank

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I don't think I can safely fit a Dremel blade in there without damaging the pinion itself.

I've given up. I'm gonna take it to a shop nearby tomorrow and see if they can't buzz it off with better tools than I have. I just don't have enough range of motion with it on the ground to put a hefty amount of torque to it.

Thanks for all the suggestions!
 
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Spank

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So the nut challenged some far superior shop tools than what I have, but eventually it came off. The yoke was dry and a little rusty, but the pinion itself looks okay and the nut threads were in decent shape, too. I cleaned it up, put some RTV and Loctite on it, and reused it on the new yoke. The rest of the DS installation went nice and smooth.
 

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roaniecowpony

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A pinion nut should be one time use.
 

Traveller128

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Pinion nut and crush sleeve are both one time use.
 

grimmjeeper

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I appreciate chiming in two years later fellas, but my reused one-time pinion nut is holding up just fine.
Oh, by the way. The pinion nut shouldn't be reused. Just in case no one told you...

Jeep Wrangler JL Cannot get the rear diff pinion nut off for the life of me. 1000004888
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