I want to give this post a big ol' red x (for the weld), and a big ol' "like" (for the "This pisses me off"), so....
I would die grinder first
Yet you kept going back and it's somehow all their fault?
Well yes and no. They are the only source for this sort of service around here. Or at least they used to be. THEN, they changed ownership, so I felt like I'd give them another try. So there you have it.
I understand. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do and hope for the best.
Yeah, we now have a second shop here finally too.
They`re like a lock nut, crushed, if removed your supposed to install a new one. Most will use the old one for setup, once obtained use the new.
Sorry but the FSM is just a “guide.”
I don't believe that procedure is in the service manual. If you look at how the nut bottoms out, there are several threads exposed on the outside of the nut. For a stake to be effective, you'd have to ruin those several threads with half of the stake. A stake should only be used when the nut is almost flush with the end of the pinion shaft. It's almost as if a washer was left off. If they used a washer and still had that many threads exposed, I would have endorsed double stacking two washers and a proper stake, before tack welding. IMO, in this instance, a stake is actually worse than the tack weld. Those nuts were prevailing lock nuts from the factory. In other words the outside hole was "squished" a little oval so that the nut had an interference fit. Although I've never seen it in print, I believe those are really only supposed to be used one time and then replaced. They obviously knew that the nut fit more loosely than it was supposed to, or they would have never tack welded it. I guess if they didn't have access to a new nut, that was the best that they could come up with.......but "best" is pretty objective. lol
I get that they're trying to insure it's not gonna be a yo yo job, but I agree with what's stated above, done property I don't really see how that could come loose so the weld seems like something from the "use more blue RTV if you can't use blue RTV properly" crowd.
100% agree. And, if my memory serves me (I had this built 15+ years ago) I brought them the parts kit because I wanted to be sure they used Timken bearings. I don't remember, but don't some of those kits come with a new "interference" nut? Now I'm wondering... I'm going to look it up...
I just brought them the unit to press bearings and set up the lash. My frustration with this particular situation is it isn't serviceable. So yeah I'm going to bust the weld and proceed.
