How do I get this nut off??

[Paul S. Barford]

Hi everyone,

I've come across a hub nut I've not seen before on my 2001 Mercedes
CL500. See picture:


https://tinyurl.com/ye4tw8b7


I can't understand how this works. It seems they've bent a couple of
the nut's tabs over the end of the drive shaft into two little
recesses that have been cut into it (arrowed). I've prized the tabs
out to allow the nut to be undone, but then I thought I've never seen
a hub nut made of metal soft enough to bend with a screwdriver! Also,
I'd have expected a nut with the amount of torque this will be done up
to to have a conventional hex head, but this one has 12 pointy bits
around the circumference which are far more prone to stripping than a
plain 6-sider.
I admit I'm not much of a home mechanic, but can anyone explain how I
should proceed and if I need a special tool to remove the nut?
Many thanks.

Paul

[Tim+]

Post by Paul S. Barford
Hi everyone,
I've come across a hub nut I've not seen before on my 2001 Mercedes
https://tinyurl.com/ye4tw8b7
I can't understand how this works. It seems they've bent a couple of
the nut's tabs over the end of the drive shaft into two little
recesses that have been cut into it (arrowed). I've prized the tabs
out to allow the nut to be undone, but then I thought I've never seen
a hub nut made of metal soft enough to bend with a screwdriver! Also,
I'd have expected a nut with the amount of torque this will be done up
to to have a conventional hex head, but this one has 12 pointy bits
around the circumference which are far more prone to stripping than a
plain 6-sider.
I admit I'm not much of a home mechanic, but can anyone explain how I
should proceed and if I need a special tool to remove the nut?
Many thanks.
Paul

Isn’t that just a locking cover on top of the actual nut? I think you need
to prise that off and the actual nut will be beneath it.

Tim

[Peter Hill]

Post by Tim+

Post by Paul S. Barford
Hi everyone,
I've come across a hub nut I've not seen before on my 2001 Mercedes
https://tinyurl.com/ye4tw8b7
I can't understand how this works. It seems they've bent a couple of
the nut's tabs over the end of the drive shaft into two little
recesses that have been cut into it (arrowed). I've prized the tabs
out to allow the nut to be undone, but then I thought I've never seen
a hub nut made of metal soft enough to bend with a screwdriver! Also,
I'd have expected a nut with the amount of torque this will be done up
to to have a conventional hex head, but this one has 12 pointy bits
around the circumference which are far more prone to stripping than a
plain 6-sider.
I admit I'm not much of a home mechanic, but can anyone explain how I
should proceed and if I need a special tool to remove the nut?
Many thanks.
Paul

Isn’t that just a locking cover on top of the actual nut? I think you need
to prise that off and the actual nut will be beneath it.
Tim

That is the actual nut, it is bi-hex 12 point.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313451404086?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=7101533165274578&mkcid=2&itemid=313451404086

Use a standard bi-hex 12 point socket.

All jet engines are bolted together with bi-hex nuts and bolts. 12 point
socket on 12 point nut has twice the drive flanks and area compared to a
12 point socket on a hex. The head can be smaller and lighter as every
gram counts.

As are turbo compressor nuts.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/391223282168?hash=item5b16b989f8:g:95AAAOSweM1aFU2L
Which is PITA as all my 8mm sockets are 1/4" drive and full hex, so a
special bi-hex socket had to be ordered. I don't have any 3/8" kit and
1/2" starts at 10mm.

[RobH]

Post by Paul S. Barford
Hi everyone,
I've come across a hub nut I've not seen before on my 2001 Mercedes
https://tinyurl.com/ye4tw8b7
I can't understand how this works. It seems they've bent a couple of
the nut's tabs over the end of the drive shaft into two little
recesses that have been cut into it (arrowed). I've prized the tabs
out to allow the nut to be undone, but then I thought I've never seen
a hub nut made of metal soft enough to bend with a screwdriver! Also,
I'd have expected a nut with the amount of torque this will be done up
to to have a conventional hex head, but this one has 12 pointy bits
around the circumference which are far more prone to stripping than a
plain 6-sider.
I admit I'm not much of a home mechanic, but can anyone explain how I
should proceed and if I need a special tool to remove the nut?
Many thanks.
Paul

They are a common enough in situations when you don't want the actual
nut to come undone. I've seen them in loads of different places

[Brian Gaff (Sofa)]

As the actress said to the Bishop?
Brian
Brian

[The Natural Philosopher]

Post by Paul S. Barford
Hi everyone,
I've come across a hub nut I've not seen before on my 2001 Mercedes
https://tinyurl.com/ye4tw8b7
I can't understand how this works. It seems they've bent a couple of
the nut's tabs over the end of the drive shaft into two little
recesses that have been cut into it (arrowed). I've prized the tabs
out to allow the nut to be undone, but then I thought I've never seen
a hub nut made of metal soft enough to bend with a screwdriver! Also,
I'd have expected a nut with the amount of torque this will be done up
to to have a conventional hex head, but this one has 12 pointy bits
around the circumference which are far more prone to stripping than a
plain 6-sider.
I admit I'm not much of a home mechanic, but can anyone explain how I
should proceed and if I need a special tool to remove the nut?
Many thanks.
Paul

Id start by sourcing a replacement one first: that allows access to a
far wider range of removal options...

..when I lived over a racing and rally garage, they had a huge oildrum
into which any bolt or nut that was removed went. They *never* reused
them, on te grounds that new bolts torqued up to the standard were
- as reliable as possible
- the most easy to undo in a hurry.

In your case splitting with a dremel looks possible