I recently had an experience that I would like to share with all. The other day I was driving one of my Fieros and I heard a noise coming from the right rear wheel. The sound was slight but pronounced on right turns. Got back to my garage and threw the car up on the lift. Removed the wheel and low and behold the problem was obvious. The cv hub axle nut had loosened. Good thing that we caught this in time.
So why did the nut loosen when it was properly torqued? SImple its called a $2.00 Chinese hub axle nut. Look at the picture below. The GM hub axle nut is on the left. Now compare the depth of threads and the amount of metal used on the Chinese copy. The GM nuts are made of heavy steel, go on tight and lock on well. The thread depth in the Chinese nut only goes about 1/2 through and it didn't lock on. It also uses about 1/2 the amount of metal of the OEM type. The amount of play from the loose nut wiped out the CV hub bearing assembly and it had to be replaced.

The lesson to be learned here is ONLY use the highest quality axle nuts to retain your axles to the wheel hubs. The rear hub nuts hold by an interference fit and do not use a cotter pin As a result fit and quality is CRITICAL. A failure of one of these hub axle nuts at 90 or 100 MPH could end up being fatal as your wheel can come off!!! You can rest asured that we will keep an eye on ALL hub nuts from here on out. This is especially important before you engage in some serious racing or high speed runs.


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" THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, 3.4" Pulley, N* TB, LS1 MAF, Flotech Exhaust Autolite 104's Custom CAI 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite.
"THE COLUSSUS"
87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H
" ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "

[This message has been edited by Dennis LaGrua (edited 05-05-2009).]

I wonder if this is the problem on mine. When ever I make a left hand turn, I hear this noise, almost like a clunking/loose wheel noise, coming for the rear left wheel. What do you think?

Freaking .
No surprise i bought a lamp, two pieces 1 male thread , the other no female thread , pretty hard to screw (Know what i mean ).
Thanks for the info

quote Originally posted by aeffertz: I wonder if this is the problem on mine. When ever I make a left hand turn, I hear this noise, almost like a clunking/loose wheel noise, coming for the rear left wheel. What do you think?

Please don't hessitate. First check your wheel nuts and if tight start by removing the left wheel and check the hub nut. A loose hub nut can cause a fatality so this is nothing to put off. If the hub nut is loose chances are that the hub will pull apart a little so it will also need to be replaced. Sometimes a loose hub nut will also out the outer brake pad.

quote Freaking . No surprise i bought a lamp, two pieces 1 male thread , the other no female thread , pretty hard to screw (Know what i mean ). Thanks for the info

Much of what is being brought into this country from China, sells on price alone. The emphasis in that country is in quantity not quality. You buy that crap and you'll be buying the American, Canadian or European made unit to replace it soon thereafter. I never had luck with Chinese made auto parts and I didn't realize that this nut was Chinese until I saw the markings. It probably rates as a grade 1 nut!!!! Most Chinese stuff just doesn't hold up and they actually cost more as you'll be buying the replacement part sooner that you think.
A converstaion at a Chinese factory goes something like this. "Hey boss we have a bunch of parts here that don't meet specifications. What do we do? Boss replies you know what to do, ship it to America ".

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" THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, 3.4" Pulley, N* TB, LS1 MAF, Flotech Exhaust Autolite 104's Custom CAI 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite.
"THE COLUSSUS"
87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H
" ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "

[This message has been edited by Dennis LaGrua (edited 05-05-2009).]

do the fiero axles have a notch on them so that you can "stake" the axle nut onto the notch?

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quote Originally posted by Two88GTs: do the fiero axles have a notch on them so that you can "stake" the axle nut onto the notch?

no

what size socket .......i'm going out today and tighten them ,just
to be on the safe side.....thanks for the headsup

the axle nuts that are thin up top like that are designed that way so that they can be staked. if any of you discover the staking nuts on your car, i'd replace them with the non-staking ones. the fiero store, for example, has the "correct" ones. 30mm socket, methinks.

yes - 30mm socket

[This message has been edited by SeafordMX (edited 05-06-2009).]

quote Originally posted by Two88GTs: the axle nuts that are thin up top like that are designed that way so that they can be staked. if any of you discover the staking nuts on your car, i'd replace them with the non-staking ones. the fiero store, for example, has the "correct" ones. 30mm socket, methinks.

Trouble is that if you ask for a 20mm ( thread) Hub nut at your local auto store you don't know what you will get. The heavy interference fit hub nut is the only one to use. If you have the thin top shallow thread hub nuts on your axle, scrap them as they WILL come loose. Hub nuts must be tightened to a torque of 200ft lbs. with the car sitting on the ground and the wheels blocked. If you try to torque them while the car is jacked up you risk damaging the transmisson.

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" THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, 3.4" Pulley, N* TB, LS1 MAF, Flotech Exhaust Autolite 104's Custom CAI 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite.
"THE COLUSSUS"
87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H
" ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "

quote Originally posted by Two88GTs: do the fiero axles have a notch on them so that you can "stake" the axle nut onto the notch?

no ..but you can cut one in with a grinder

[This message has been edited by Erik (edited 05-06-2009).]

quote

That are wrong nut on right. Period. Right nut have stake to lock. Wrong parts not "Chinese copy" nut.

"do the fiero axles have a notch on them so that you can "stake" the axle nut onto the notch?"

No. Use left nut in the image.

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Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave (It's also at the top of every forum page...)

[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 09-19-2009).]

quote Originally posted by theogre: That are wrong nut on right. Period. Right nut have stake to lock. Wrong parts not "Chinese copy" nut. "do the fiero axles have a notch on them so that you can "stake" the axle nut onto the notch?" No. Use left nut in the image.

what he said,
good to see you posting again old man.

Good info. Where's a good source for the better quality units? Fiero Store's?

[This message has been edited by ClayTonto (edited 05-07-2009).]

Dorman/Motormite. at any part store

Part #s: 05170, 304970, 615-089
1984-88 PONTIAC FIERO L4 - 2.5L (151 CID): GAS: FI: N: R Rear
1985-88 PONTIAC FIERO V6 - 2.8L (173 CID): GAS: FI: N: 9 Rear



Thread: M20-1.5
Hex Size: 30mm
Height: 19mm
Application: FMC, GMC, Mazda
OE#: 14009990, 22636597, N804199S, N804199S191
Brand: Dorman - AutoGrade - Spindle-Tite!

now in Cave axle item.

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Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave (It's also at the top of every forum page...)

[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 05-07-2009).]

thank you for the heads up and safty notice!!

I know you shouldn't need it BUT...................

I always use blue loctite on my axle nuts regardless. Every time you take one off and RE-USE it, you should REALLY loctite it. Ideally, they should never be re-used and a new one installed, but we all know how that goes.

John Stricker

quote Originally posted by theogre: Dorman/Motormite. at any part store

You'd think so, but no. Dorman's catalog lists those part numbers for numerous GM cars, but I looked forever before I found a parts store that had them in stock. I even tried the old trick of having the clerk look up the same part for another "more conventional" GM car but they always came up as N/A.

Eventually I found them in stock at NAPA.