axle shaft nut torque ?

Dana 44 tappered rear axle - my Chiltons manual doesn't say anything about how tight the rear axle shaft nut should be and my Haynes manual says 150 ft/lbs. 150 sounds like a lot. Is this right?

Also Dana 27 front axle - my Chiltons manual says for the outer bearing nut and locknut to tighten until slight drag is felt, then back off 1/6 of a turn. Somewhere else I read tighten both to 50 ft/lbs. Which is the better ?

 

Can't speak intelligently about the rear end.
As for the fronts. With new bearings and races, I tighten down until I can't turn the hubs anymore and then back off until there is no bearing drag. Sometimes this is difficult with new grease because of the thickness of the grease, but you can play with it and get it right. with old bearings I just tighten down until just slight drag and then back off until no drag is felt. again this is a judgement call because of the inherent drag the grease will create.

 

I used 150 ft/lbs on my rear axle, and it worked fine. As for the front axle, if you are referring to the 2 large nuts, what I recall doing is just barely finger tightening the first one and then used a rachet to snug the next one on top of the first one to lock them both in place. I didn't have a 3/4 inch drive torque wrench, so I just tried to replicate how tight I felt they were when I removed them. Maybe the 50 ft/lbs spec is for the outer nut only?

HTH

 

i tightened down the fronts to where they were tight when i did the disk conversion and the wheel wouldn't budge at all. after looking at things for much longer than required i just loosened those guys up and everything worked like it should. in my oppinion the front should be a little tighter than finger tight, and the second one 50 ft-lbs just to make sure they don't go anywhere.

on the rears... in my limited experience those guys need to be tightened down as much as you can possibly get them. and if the shaft had a cotter pin in it then it absolutely needs to go back. they will work themselves loose somehow and fly off while you're driving.

 

The FSM says 150 MINIMUM for the rear axle nut. Don't be scared, I took mine to 165, no problems, only running 30" tires but I do have a locker.

For the front the book is about right. Everyone has hit it on the head, it is kinda a feel thing. What I do is tighten down the inner nut pretty tight to seat everything. Then back it off. Then tighten it down almost snug, and grab the hub and try to move it in and out. I keep snugging down the nut until the in and out play JUST goes away. Then put on the washer, outer nut and tighted it down until 2 veins pop out a little in the right forearm with a standard 1/2 inch ratchet, this is pretty darn close to 50 pounds feet. Then bend the tab of the washer over for extra insurance.
I have used a dial indicator to check endplay on the hub when I was younger. Did it enough now that I go by feel.

 

Great. Thanks all for the advice. Re: turning down the lockwasher for extra insurance ... which way should I bend it ? in or out?