Reply to "Installing Brake Kit"

Just a warning to let you guys who read this BB get ahead of the game. 1) The axle nut removal tool is going for $59 to $100, brand new, depending on where you buy it. But the people who are bidding on these same axle nut tools are bidding these things up to $120 on e-bay. Nuts! I went ahead and bought two this morning. One to replace by buddy's whose tool I broke yesterday and one to keep. Which is a nice segway into warning #2. 2) Don't use your massively powerful impact hammer to loosen or tighten the axle nuts. The constant pounding of the impact work hardens the steel in the special tool and it breaks off all four tabs on the special tool. Use the old fasioned way, leverage and strength. The spec is 350 to 400 ft.lbs. torque to tighten. Also got a tip that you can rent a 3/4 inch drive torque wrench that goes to 400 ft.lbs. to do the job at those places that rent equipment. The axle nuts are one each, LH and RH thread. It's also been done that the axle nuts are chiseled off with an air hammer. Either way, it's a good idea to use new axle nuts when reassembling.

Also, a word to the wise: check your 16 nuts on the half shafts. Mine were a little loose, or lets say, not as tight as they were when I tightened them last after removing the half shaft a year and a half ago. This is where the power gets transfered, and this is also an area of failure. If one or the other of your half shafts lets loose while driving, it's going to be expensive. I ordered new nuts and bolts, as insurance, self insurance. They are under $50 and worth it. They are special, specific nuts and bolts with tight tolerances. A few showed some signs of wear, shiny teeth, soon to strip if enough torque were to be applied. But I plan to do a road test and then retighten anyway, because I figure they settle in a little as the machined surfaces mate up better going round and round zillions of times. Check them, if you drive it. And while you're at it, check to make sure the A-arm bolts are tight, especially that on that attaches to the front side, rear A-arm, lower. That's the one that pulls out and that's the one that has reinforcement from the factory on GT-5's. Or if you just drive around nice and easy, and never use more than half the RPMs or H.P, then you'll probably be OK... VFI's word to the wise!!! And you guys are wise to read a little and learn from each other, that's what I think!!! That's why I read this BB, besides catching a laugh now and then.