The day a simple 737NG brake change turned into a 12 hour shift

We had a routine brake swap on a United bird at O'Hare, but the axle threads were so galled we couldn't get the nut off. My lead, Dave, had to call maintenance control and we ended up using a torch and a 3-foot cheater bar, which felt like overkill. Anyone have a better method for seized brake hardware that doesn't involve risking a heat damage write-up?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_drew1mo ago

Honestly sounds like a normal Tuesday to me. That level of force is pretty standard for a bad one. Doubt you'll find a magic trick that always works.

lily3601mo ago

For galled threads, try a good penetrating oil and a few sharp hammer blows on the socket first.

umabailey4d ago

Oh man, you gotta try using a nut cracker or splitter first if you can get it on there, saves a ton of headache. I've had that same exact mess at Newark with a Southwest jet, threads looked like someone took a grinder to them. A good soak with PB Blaster and then a few solid hits with a brass hammer on the socket usually loosens things up enough to get the nut started. But if it's really bad, the torch and cheater bar is pretty much your only play, you just have to be careful about the heat and keep a wet rag nearby to protect the wheel hub. The real trick is to inspect the threads before you even pull the nut, if they look rusty or galled hit it with oil the day before if you can. Some guys swear by using anti-seize on the threads when you put the new nut on, but you have to be careful with torque readings if you do that.