1919 Buick rear axle

Anyone have experience with the rear axle? I need to remove the rear wheels and the large nut that holds the wheel on the axle seems really tight. Is there anything else that locks that nut on? Is the left side a left thread? Anyone have any spare parts for this axle? Thanks in advance for your advice. Mike.

Mike, you are correct about the left side (driver side viewed from rear of vehicle) of the axle having a left hand thread on the big nut that holds the wheel hub onto the axle housing. The right side of the axle housing is right hand threaded. There is a serrated tabs washer behind the nut that acts as a locking washer to hold the nut in place. Since the axle housing is right and left hand threaded accordingly and the vehicle always travels in a forward direction these nuts would always have a tendency to tighten themselves. We are curious as to why you say you have to remove the rear wheels? Is there a chance that you have to reline the brake bands? Just wondering. What rear axle parts are you needing?

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

This thread might help.

http://forums.aaca.org/f169/how-do-i-get-rear-wheels-389180.html

If you just want to remove the wheel, the axle and its hub can be taken out by removing the 6 or so large acorn nuts. The axle and hub will come out together.

Behind that you'll find yet another large nut that holds the wheel and bearing on.

I'm fortunate enough to have the original hubcap wrench. There is a proper sized "socket" on that to remove the bearing retaining nut. The nuts on my care show lots of use of removal by pipe wrench!!

Yes, they are left and right

Don

Thanks for your help everyone. I was able to get the hub nuts off and the wheels are removed. I made a large socket and it worked great.

Now for the next quandry: I need to separate the wheel from the brake drum. I've removed the nuts from the inside of the brake drum but the thing won't separate. There seems to be some way that the bearing cup and flange on the outside of the wheel is attached to the drum on the inside.

I removing the wheels to clean them up and to get the brakes working.

Id like to replacen one axle shaft because there is a piece that has split off at the keyway. I can probably weld it but id like to have a plan B just in case. Thanks again. I appreciate your help.

It has been YEARS, but, I think I remember the drum just being tough to get off the hub once the nuts are off - nothing else holding them on. I may have also had to remove the bolts - a tough job with them rusted into the wood spokes.